B2B Video Sales Meetings in the Time of Coronavirus

You can’t turn on the news, or even scroll through Twitter or LinkedIn, without hearing about Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), which is more commonly known as “Coronavirus”. Conferences are being cancelled or turned into virtual events; companies are making sure their employees have the technology and capability to work from home in the event of a quarantine; and recruiters and others are pondering what they should do instead of shaking hands.

As a B2B sales rep, you may be wondering how this is going to impact you and those sales meetings you were supposed to have in person. And if you haven’t wondered that yet, it’s time to do so. Read on to learn why video sales meetings could be the best idea for you and why they’re a boon even on normal days.

Learn how to be a successful sales manager while your sales team is working from home. Read our blog.

I know. I know.

You’re thinking:

• I’m not going to close the deal through a video.
• The person I’m meeting with is going to be distracted and won’t listen.
• I have a face for radio. (Yes, I literally heard that as a reason to not do video at the office a few days ago…)

Here’s what I say to all those excuses and they are just that — excuses. Pfft.

Okay, on a more professional note than raspberries… here are specific reasons why those are excuses and why you should be using video once you’ve turned your B2B cold calls into meetings.

Closing the Deal

Yes, you may have a higher close rate doing a face-to-face sales meeting, but there are times when you can’t meet in person, like the Coronavirus, or weather, or any other reason. That leaves your options as having your meeting by phone or video. Which one wins? When it comes to having a sales meeting on the phone phone versus turning on your webcam for a “face-to-face” video conference sales meeting, video is the clear winner. In fact, Gong.io did a survey that found there were 41% more closed-won deals when webcams were involved than closed-lost deals.

See What’s Going On

When you choose a video conference through Zoom or the like for your sales meeting, and both parties have video on, you’ll be able to read the room and understand a prospect’s level of interest far more than easily than if you’re on the phone. Ask yourself these questions while you’re talking:

• Is the person you’re talking to nodding their head as you talk or look thoughtful?
• Did three people just get up and walk out of the conference room while you were talking? (Yes, that would be a bad sign, unless your meeting is running over or they must run to another meeting.)
• Is everyone looking at their phones instead of at the screen at you?

Take the temperature of the video conference room throughout your meeting to see how the prospect is responding, both verbally and through facial expressions.

A Face for Radio

For this one (and yes, my coworker was joking… I think…), it shouldn’t be a reason to do a phone meeting versus a video sales meeting. Video sales meetings are more dynamic and memorable than phone meetings as you can see the other person’s face and feel like you’ve created a professional relationship with them. That goes both ways, and if the intent is to still have a face-to-face meeting down the road, they’re going to see your face at some point, yes?

Reach out to us here at ConnectLeader today to see how to help your sales reps, SDRs, and BDRs increase revenue and reduce B2B sales cycles with the combination of a multi-channel sales cadence, including video, and sales dialers. Simply click here or give us a call at 800-955-5040.