From the workings of a corporate organization to the operational functioning of each and every institution in the world, every aspect of business and work culture has been affected by the COVID-19 epidemic. And quite evidently, so has the arena of sales!
Virtual sales are the new reality of sales where all the selling and conversions take place through the “Digital Medium”. From interacting with the customers to participating in the generation of leads, to even clinching the final deal, all that is sold and bought is through the “online” mode.
Why Virtual Sales?
Apart from the fact that it is a fairly novel and modern arena, virtual sales are not only more convenient but also more prevalent because of the digital switch all over the world.
- It is a lot more convenient as the mode of connection and interaction is online.
- It proposes the chances of having a much larger and variable customer base as the digital platform offers a global clientele.
- It allows you to prevent the extra effort of interacting face to face and provides the ever-comfortable option of selling and buying from the comfort of your home.
- It simplifies the billing process and monetary transactions as it’s all online.
- It is a fairly new arena, so it carries a lot of scope and the potential to grow.
How Do You Do Virtual Sales?
But how do you do virtual sales? Well, the process of making a virtual sale is not just about interacting through a video call but it also includes:
- conducting video meetings
- coordinating chains of emails
- Making conversions online
- operating the transactions digitally
- Playing the digital platform to all its pros to sell better
Even though there is a shift in the ‘mode’, the essentials of making ‘sales’ remain quite the same even virtually. Refining the skill of selling and converting leads is a must, no matter on what platform it takes place.
What are the Skills You Require?
#1 Communication Skills
Selling is all about convincing. And to convince you to need to have a way of communicating with others. How you present your pitch or product doesn’t just depend on your words, but also your ability to present yourself and your deal in the perfect light. Communication is not just important but integral to sales.
#2 Confidence
How do you convince someone to trust you if you can’t even trust yourself? In the arena of sales, being sure of yourself goes a long way. This certainty of course comes with practice and knowledge but acquiring those two is also completely in our hands. Through virtual mode, getting this practice and knowledge is now even more convenient than ever!
#3 Presentation Skills
According to Rain Group Centre for Sales Research, “Amongst the most common mistakes that sellers make, lacking presentation skills accounts for a swooping 80%!” When you are going to use virtual platforms, such as Zoom and Skype, one of the greatest tools in your hands is supposed to be your presentation skills! The online platform might give you an escape from dealing with body language or putting in the effort to pitch your ideas or products after treading through several indirect paths, but it doesn’t excuse you from presenting your deal in the best light. Keeping your presentation skills could be a changer for your sales game!
#4 Understanding the Online
As you must have noticed, ‘virtual’ makes up to 50% of the term ‘virtual sales’. It is integral for any virtual salesperson to understand how the digital platform functions and how it affects selling and buying. There are certain limitations to this switch like there would have been for any other mode but the advantages and pros that it offers through its infinite virtual tools are also limitless! To research about and understand the online platform and its functionality in collaboration with the skill of making sales gives you a definite upper hand as a virtual salesperson!
#5 Diligence and Work Ethic
Hard work and staying true to your commitments and goals is a way of getting better at almost anything but it especially acts as a very important component in building a successful sales career. Sales don’t just have to do with trade but also with trust. And staying true to yourself and your commitments helps you build that trust in no time!
Virtual Sales Training Programs
Several professional organizations provide virtual sales training programs that are a right fit for anyone and everyone who is looking for a platform to learn this skill from! The following are some of the programs that you should definitely consider if you’re looking to get better at virtual sales.
#1 “The Psychology of Selling” Programs
These are more specific programs. They focus more on the component of communication and consist of bettering the skill of “selling” by understanding the psychology of a customer or a buyer. Understanding what the customer wants and translating that want into the perfect service is undeniably one of the most stellar skills to have in the arena of sales!
#2 “Sales and Marketing Management” Programs
Marketing and Sales undeniably go hand in hand. Understanding the market and the mechanics of demand and supply are the key credentials to the art of acing the skill of sales. Learning how the market works in collaboration with the dynamics of making good sales is a rather great decision to make!
#3 Sales Excellence Programs
These programs include the A-Z about sales. Even though virtual sales have a shift in the mode, the essentials of it remain the same. The skill of selling would share the same superstructure whether it’s online or face to face. So, to learn all about sales is only a benefit to you!
#4 “The Art of Persuasion” Programs
Learning persuasion skills might not be limited to the arena of sales but it rather creates the whole crux of it! Selling is all about persuasion and if one is well versed with the psychology of persuading others, then there is nothing that can stop them from reaching the pinnacle of becoming the perfect salesperson!
In the end, sales is not just about selling and conducting trade, it’s about creating relationships and understanding each other’s wants for the better. Being well versed in the art of sales is not just beneficial to a salesperson but to all those who need somebody to understand and translate their wants into service. If you understand how to do that, then nothing can stop you from mastering the ‘Art Of Virtual Selling’!
