☎️ Today we’re looking at how to optimise selling in a remote world. 

Remote guidance on remote selling to remote buyers aside, let’s dive in! 🚀

🧑‍💻 How to sell in a remote world 🧑‍💻

I don’t need to bore you with any statistics about how we’re all now working from home in a post-COVID world, so I won’t. But it’s true.

Most sales content focuses on traditional sales fundamentals, it neglects the nitty-gritty of how most deals are actually closed today. A combination of email, Zoom, Google Calendar, DocuSign and the occasional phone call.

💌  Building Rapport Remotely 💌

🙊 Small talk

I ran a poll on small talk in sales, most respondents were marketers/media buyers, so newsletter operators should listen.

Most people like chit-chat at the start of a call. But 25% don’t. So your default position is to start with small talk, but be cognizant of whether the prospect seems like they want to crack on. In that case, on you should crack.

🪞 Mirroring

An effective sales technique that traditionally mainly includes matching the body language of the person you’re trying to influence. In today’s shoulders-up call format, body language takes a back seat. But you can still copy the person’s posture and frequency of hand gestures.

I’ve found the most effective remote mirroring is matching the person's speech tonality and patterns. Specifically how quickly and assertively they talk. If they’re a quick talker, so are you. If they prefer to take their time, come closer to their speed.

You should also match the person’s emotional state, or ‘vibe’. Are they very serious and concise? Or are they a happy butterfly fluttering between work topics and funny stories?

🤣 Be Funny

Whilst matching someone’s straight-talking serious vibe is important, everyone likes a giggle. If it comes naturally to you, crack a joke. But don’t force a cringey or inappropriate pun.

Extra brownie points if that joke is contextually relevant and shows niche expertise.

It’s simple:

People buy from people and companies they like.

Positive emotions will make you ‘liked’.

Smiles make people feel good.

Jokes make people smile.

Jokes make money.

Make jokes.

💪 Aesthetics

Gone are the days when all salespeople wear suits, crew cuts and close-shave every 2 hours. A neat top or shirt, whilst being well-groomed is the new gold standard.

What a lot of people forget to fix these days is thinking about their remote call aesthetics. You don’t need to fork out $2k on a camera and microphone.

Here’s an exercise for you. What do you think when you’re on a call with someone and…

• The camera is pointed at their chin

• The camera is off without an explanation

• The camera is blurry or has a dirty lens

• Their voice is scratchy are hard to hear

• The lighting makes it hard to recognise them

If you’re like me, your sub-conscious competence radar will point to the downside in response to these.

Here’s a good/short video on how to look good on remote calls. What you need to consider is:

• Camera angle

• Lighting

• Voice/microphone quality

I just made up the term sub-conscious competence radar, I really like it. Reply if you agree!

🔥 Quickfire remote selling hits 🔥

No Shows

Send a polite follow-up email to reschedule and include a value prop to keep them keen. Make your calendar flexible so it’s easy for them to rebook.

Follow-Ups

Effective follow-ups are speedy and add value (or relevant information). Aim for 3 initial follow-ups: the first within 24 hours, the second after a few days, and the third a week later. After that, send the occasional value-add email to keep you in the back of their mind. They might come crawling back.

Booking Links

Use booking links to streamline and capture interest. But some people find them rude, so be aware of that. If they don’t book follow up with availability. My personal favourite way of sharing availability is saying “Any day next week at 10/11 eastern time works for me. When works for you?” that way you’re giving loads of options, in a concise and easy to understand manner.

Remote Sales is Efficient

Companies that have adapted to remote selling have seen a 10-15% increase in efficiency and sales performance (McKinsey study).

Don’t Reinvent the Wheel

Stick to proven sales methods, but adapt them for the remote environment. Traditional sales books still ring true. My favourite are How to Win Friends and Influence People, Never Split the Difference and Surrounded by Idiots.