Virtual connections may have become the norm out of necessity during the pandemic. But even now that the vaccine is becoming widely available, things aren’t going to switch back to normal just yet. More companies are realizing that they don’t need to continue renting an office space post-​pandemic. When their employees can do the same work from home, why spend money on unnecessary rent? So, sales reps should still expect to continue meeting and interacting with clients virtually, even post-​pandemic. To excel at virtual sales, Tyler Lessard, writing for SellingPower, recommends that reps make the most of video.

Establishing Virtual Connections Using Video

While video-​based sales are important to sales reps nowadays, these aren’t the type of videos that Lessard is referring to. He says that videos should be used, “throughout the sales process as a way to accelerate the deal cycle and actually boost prospect engagement.” Sales reps around the world have begun incorporating videos into numerous aspects of their process in order to establish virtual connections. And it is working. “They’re boosting response rates, getting to people faster and closing more deals,” says Lessard.

Lessard recommends using video in a number of ways:

1. Personalizing your initial outreach
2. Piquing interest for a live demo
3. Simplifying sales proposals

Personalizing Your Initial Outreach

We all have inboxes that seem to instantly reclutter after we just cleaned them out. Sales reps, especially, know how difficult it can be to stand out in a messy inbox. Incorporating a video into your outreach emails could be your ticket into the spotlight. “Video gives you a chance to introduce yourself personally, put your face out there, show your passion, and use your body language,” says Lessard. Sending out a memorable call to action such as a video in an email is an effective first step to establishing new virtual connections.

Piquing Interest for a Live Demo

One of the easiest ways to get a prospect interested in your product or service is to let them try it out for themselves or see it in action. The problem is, life can sometimes get in the way. Something either pops up in the prospect’s schedule or too much time has passed between your outreach and the demo date and they end up canceling on you. It sucks, but it happens. And you can use video to renew their interest in your demo.

“Record and send a quick customized demo to show your prospect what you had planned for the live call,” says Lessard. “Now your prospect is thinking, ‘Wow, this looks super interesting.’ Everybody’s happy. Everyone’s excited.” When your prospect is excited about your product or service, they’ll be more open to buying it. And you’ve established yet another virtual connection.

Simplifying Sales Proposals

Once you’ve given your demo and your prospect has shown an interest in your product or service, it’s time to close the deal. Overcomplicating your sales proposal is where many virtual connections fail. To avoid this scenario, send a video along with the documents the prospect needs. “This eliminates potential confusion from just attaching a PDF or DocuSign link and gives you the ability to have your face in front of your prospective client as you explain your ideas.”