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It may seem like a lifetime ago, but early in the pandemic people thought “Work from Home” was just a temporary disruption. CEOs of large corporations publicly stated that as soon as the vaccine was available, all employees would have to come back to the office.

It’s no secret that the COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically impacted B2B sales teams, but what happens next? As we begin to see the light at the end of the COVID-19 tunnel, is the significant move to virtual selling going to accelerate? Or will things revert back to the pre-pandemic “normal” of primarily in-person selling? A good place to start is to understand where customers are going to work.

Is your team ready to sell virtually? Training for virtual selling is about a lot more than just slapping the name “Virtual” on the front of an existing selling skills program. It needs to address more than just the technology and a virtual meeting room application. It’s about adopting a different mindset, a different skillset and a different way of showing up for your customers. In a previous blog, we discussed the importance of the three E’s of Virtual Selling: Energy, Empathy and Engagement. Those qualities are critical to how you differentiate yourself in a virtual call. Nevertheless, there are many other items that can help ensure you’re prepared and ready for a virtual sales call. We’ve put together a short checklist and training program that will guarantee you’re ready for the Virtual Selling world.

Whether your selling virtually or in-person, the first minutes of an initial sales call with a new prospect are critical. This is when you build rapport with the buyer. The COVID-19 pandemic has radically changed the ability of field reps and account executives to build rapport during face-to-face meetings. See here for how to connect with customers virtually. In addition to building a relationship with the buyer, your call opening, whether in-person or virtually, is also about establishing your credibility. That’s how you help the customer answer the question, “Why should I spend time with this salesperson?” You also increase the customer’s confidence that you will be able to solve their problem, and this will make them more likely to be open with you and share information. Here are three things you can do to establish your credibility on a virtual sales call.

These days, we receive a lot of inquiries about how to help sales reps improve their ability to engage with clients effectively—given the constraint of not being able to meet in person.

In this episode, our CEO Norman Behar shares best practices for managing a remote sales team. A challenge that sales managers have struggled with for years. Norman discusses the impact technology has had on the sales management function and shares techniques you can use to manage, coach, and lead a remote sales team.