Sales Restart # 2!

Let's not let the Coronavirus Economy flatten our sales abilities. Stay confident in your vision and be on the offensive in how the pandemic affects your business (and your clients' business).

One thing is certain: people everywhere have taken for granted the ability to meet face-to-face with others. Social distancing has quickly reminded us that, as a highly social species, humans crave the sight and sound of other humans.

Why else would videoconferencing apps have experienced a record-breaking week for downloads during March 14-21 when "safer from home," non-essential business closures, and other such social-distancing policies became the norm in the Coronavirus economy?

At first, it may seem hard to differentiate yourself and your organization in an all-virtual sales environment. You are no doubt using traditional email to reach out to individual prospects. Often, though, these emails look about the same and they're highly susceptible to falling short on personality. Voicemails add a layer of personality but they, too, lack access to a universal language: the emotion seen in a human face

• Video for sales is crucial in the Coronavirus economy.

The videos don't have to be expensive, scripted or produced. Simple, genuine, human-centered webcam and smartphone videos are a transformative opportunity for connecting and communicating with your potential new customers in today's times.

They're the next-best thing to being there in person, and they don't even have to be delivered on jump drive. Email is best due to the powerful analytics available.

• Be Relatable

Smile and relax. Let your unique personality come through. It's about connecting through the camera and, remember, you're answering our built-in social need for face-to-face human contact.

• Lighting Matters

Overhead lighting is the worst. Instead, invest in three soft light sources: two behind your webcam (one on the left and one on the right) and one right behind you. Then just shut off the overhead lights. You can spend less than $200 and get what you need.

• Get Personal

Find ways to incorporate details about your prospect into your video, especially on the first still image your prospect sees before clicking on your video. Plant this personalization throughout the video with at least one of these moments at the beginning, one in the middle and one at the end to reward those who make it all the way through.

• Be Conversational

Don't read a script. Know what you want to say and deliver it as if you were sitting across the table from your prospect. It doesn't have to be perfect, but it needs to be authentic.

• Brevity Matters

Don't make your videos too long. Aim for somewhere between 30 and 60 seconds and make at least 75 percent of the video about them, not you.

✓ Navigate the current crisis with resolve and resilience
✓ Plan for the recovery
✓ Reimagine the next normal

• Spend. While companies are generally reducing spend, a sizable number are increasing or maintaining it, with rates depending on company size, sector, and -more than any other factor -location in the world.
• Digital. Looking forward, B2B companies see digital interactions as two to three times more important to their customers than traditional sales interactions.
• Remote. Almost 90 percent of sales have moved to a videoconferencing/phone/web sales model, and while some skepticism remains, more than half believe this is equally or more effective than sales models used before COVID-19.