For those of us a who had a spark of hope that we could visit customers face-to-face in 2020, the second wave is here to put our feet back on the ground. Corona is here to stay, so it’s time to face reality and upgrade our skills in remote selling.
But how do we connect when the people we are trying to reach are remote? Being socially distanced can prove to be challenging but also full of opportunity for new growth and outreach. Make sure to commit to these 5 sales habits to get the customer conversation going:
1. Think through where people are
Before you contact a customer, do some extra research. What is happening in their industry? In their company? Have people been furloughed or made redundant? What is their family situation? Be mindful of people’s time and possible pressures (like children needing attention) by showing empathy and respect. Start every email and phone call by connecting with their current situation.
2. Keep your emails under 200 words
We all get too many emails, with too many words while managing too many priorities. Therefore, keep your emails under 200 words and make written communication quick, clear and easy to process by using:
• Short sentences
• Bullet points
• A clear call-to-action at the end
3. Prepare an agenda
Still too often we tend to go into a meeting without an agenda. Yes of course, in certain situations you’ll be able to wing it and succeed even when being unprepared. Knowing that at this moment, your customers are probably swamped with back-to-back meetings, your agenda prep will make sure their time is spent well and there’s value for everyone in the meeting.
4. Use your pointer and whiteboard to create a 2-way conversation
Be it Zoom, Teams, Skype or other, feeling comfortable with the platform has become a minimum requirement for every professional, of all ages. Use your pointer arrow to highlight what you’re talking about in your slides. In addition, use the whiteboard to write down the key questions and highlights of the meeting. This will ensure you and your customer are on the same page and shows that you’ve listened.
5. Provide value at every touchpoint
You’re going to call your customer? Great, determine what the value of the call will be for them. You’re emailing your customer? Start your email with sharing value, like a whitepaper – insights from another customer – a free event. You’re meeting your customer? State the value of the meeting as a first sentence in your agenda.