4 Tips to Start an Effective Remote Selling

As we head into the future, we start to depend less and less on face-to-face interactions when it comes to running a business and meeting our customers’ needs. A few decades back, if you were to ask any sales representative what they think about closing deals without meeting their prospects, they would’ve probably thought you’re joking.

This is quite understandable given that the general consensus was to read your prospect effectively through interacting with them in real life, and the thought of people spending a good portion of their time on the net was nothing short of a fictional dream.

With the advent of technology, more and more people are now taking it to the internet to procure whatever it is they’re in need of. This is where remote selling comes into play. Sales representatives now do not need to be in the same location as their prospects to complete the sales process.

Tools like e-signature and video conference software are on the rise, and we’re sure to expect exponential growth now that the pandemic is upon all of us and working from home is of the essence. Stick around to learn more about the ins and out of the remote selling process.

Sales Enablement

The great Confucius once said, “Success depends upon previous preparation, and without such preparation, there is sure to be a failure.”

One of the best ways to make sure that your sales team is on the same page as you when it comes to remote selling is to take the time to educate them and provide them with the necessary tools required for closing deals with their prospects.

As such, experts at Saleshood are of the opinion that increasing sales productivity is in direct proportion to the company’s investment in just-in-time training, onboarding, and coaching of said company’s sales reps.

Website Accessibility

Nowadays, rarely do we find a company without a website of its own. Your website is your most important asset, as it is where you showcase your products and services. Moreover, it is your responsibility to make your website accessible. Depending on the country you live in, you might even be at risk of having your website taken down or paying a fine if it’s not. To avoid this, you need to check whether your site meets the ADA Website Compliancerequirements.

When navigating through your website, customers need to know which is which as any confusion might result in unsatisfaction and will ultimately drive them away. No matter how good of a salesperson you are, when a customer makes up their mind about your website’s inefficiency – there is little you can do to change it.

Communication

Now that COVID-19 is a part of our reality, most of us have resorted to remote work. Gone are the days where you would bump into your coworkers by the coffee machine during your breaks and where the magic of chit-chatting about your work would take place.

Due to this, communication between the team members has taken a swift hit, and to circumvent this issue, you need to have proper tools that allow for smooth communication and collaboration throughout the many different departments of the company.

Fortunately, with modern technology, there’s no shortage of sales tools that can facilitate this process – through the use of Slack, Zoom, and other software, sales reps can compensate for what they have lost in this regard.

Hardware

Research indicates that in-person communication between a sales rep and a prospect is 55% body language, 38% tone of voice, and only 7% spoken words. If you want to achieve the same level of efficiency with remote selling, you’ll have no choice but to invest in the right equipment to be able to convey the right message. Consider getting the following hardware:

• Microphone—It is best to avoid Bluetooth microphones as they’re prone to delays.
• Hard-wired Internet Connection—Opt for fiber optics for a faster connection.
• Webcam—Investing in an HD webcam can make a night and day difference.

The Bottom Line

Most salespersons are said to be extroverts that gain energy from interacting with the people around them. Due to this, you might be thinking that selling remotely might take a toll on them — and while this might have some truth in it, the reality is that the benefits of remote selling far outweigh the disadvantages.

When you take into consideration the physical hardship a field salesperson goes through on a daily basis, from going from one prospect to another, waiting in hallways, walking in and out of meeting rooms, and so forth, you’ll realize that one could buy back a considerable amount of time.