As expected, communication mediated by a digital medium decreases effectiveness and satisfaction and slows down the execution times of an activity.
For a commercial agent, therefore, there would be no choice: it is only in the face-to-face meeting that one can hope to reach the goal, or a sale. But what if you can’t? The experience of 2020 is giving us a future that is partly already anticipated. Business negotiations will increasingly shift to online. Both to protect individuals, but also because any company needs to turn to an ever wider market.
Furthermore, the new technological platforms for collaboration, such as the Sales Cloud module of the Salesforce Customer 360 platform, represent an always available knowledge base which, if exploited with intelligence, represents a very valid support.
It is therefore essential to rethink the approach to the customer in the perspective of a dialogue, real yes but mediated by a screen. We assume that concluding a commercial negotiation via email is a very difficult undertaking. In these cases, success generally depends on an already established relationship, for example in the case of a renewal of a contract, or on the fact that it is the customer who requests a commercial proposal and, therefore, is already (enough) convinced to buy.
Therefore, we do not consider a conversation via email or, worse still, via text chat, considering both methods that are not advisable in the case of a negotiation with a new customer. While, on the contrary, we could learn a lot from telephone selling techniques, for example those of the stocks that went so much in the 90s (see The Wolf of Wall Street for a review).
How to manage an online business deal, then? How to make up for physical contact, staring into the eyes, real presence, creating maximum empathy? With the support of the reflections that a psychologist or a communication expert would do, summarizing them in 5 things to know.
Punch the screen
The first goal in general is to pierce the screen, or to give the feeling of transforming a TV show into a theatrical one. Taking a cue from stand up comedians, for example, or from films that all rely on dialogue in a single setting (The Big Kahuna is another must). For this, for example, it can be useful to widen the frame as much as possible and not fixate on a monotonous close-up close-up. In this way we will be free to gesticulate, not too much, to move, not too much, to take support material, to show the clothing and the full figure and, above all, to let the potential customer look around the scene. Scene in which you will intelligently place elements that create empathy. If, for example, you know that the customer is a Juventus player, it is certainly not the case to show up with a scarf around his neck but perhaps to glimpse an element that remembers the team. In this regard, it is important to underline how useful it is to do a research on the customer first, perhaps even on social networks. Furthermore, in a business video chat it is preferable to show that you are in an office or, if this is not possible, to choose a professional background, not just the company logo or self-referential content, and certainly not a tropical beach: it would cause discomfort.
The rule of 3
The rule of three requires convincing the other party to agree on the same thing three times in the same conversation. Technique can be a good way to melt the ice and create some empathy. To avoid looking like a “broken record”, or repeating the same concept three times, the approach of the greats involves three simultaneous tactics. The labeling, or rather to push the interlocutor to “label himself” by providing us with valuable information, perhaps referring to current news: “You saw what happened, I have the impression that your fixed thought is just that, am I wrong?”. At the interlocutor’s reply, confirmation is asked (mirroring): “and for how long?”. Finally, I paraphrase it: “So, you’re telling me this has been your stomach ache for a long time, perfect, I can help you fix it”.
The no that help to sell
The customer is looking forward to answering “no” to your questions. You’re trying to sell him something, he knows it and generally doesn’t want to buy anything, so he can’t wait to answer “no”. Psychologists argue that saying “no” is a form of protection. Therefore, we make our interlocutors say “no”, as many “no” as possible obviously that are not answers to the question: “Will you buy me this product?”. The “no” are obtained through “questions not oriented” to the sale. For example, addressing with a “are you against doing a demo?” or “are you against if I show you this characteristic?”, “are you against” and you do not “agree”.
Respect the times
As mentioned, the salesperson is seen as someone who wastes time. Therefore, state immediately, and during the chat, how much time you will ask by asking specific questions. “Do you have 10 minutes?”, “I’ll only take 10 minutes” or “when can we talk about it for 10 minutes?”. Respecting the interlocutor and satisfying his intrinsic needs always pays off. Furthermore, once you have obtained the appointment, it may be useful to send something in advance. Not a product brochure, but scenario information that stimulates curiosity on the subject and paves the way for a customer need to grow.
Keep concentration high
Attention time limit is a classic problem in a one-to-many dialogue, for example a presentation, it is even more so if the dialogue is one-to-one and if it is virtual. The customer will have several ways to get distracted and few to concentrate as only you are on the other side of the screen. It will happen that it scrolls through the email while you are talking, that it fixes itself on a document or something that has nothing to do with the topic of the conversation or, worse, that it interrupts it with the answer to a call. For this it is essential to first prepare a timeline of the conversation – “after 10 minutes I do this” – and vary the interaction. It is useful to regularly share supporting slides, not a fixed full presentation, videos and practical demonstrations, all with the aim of breaking the monotony of the frame and capturing the interlocutor’s attention (again).
Being informed about the customer always pays off
In conclusion, after having seen how to manage an online commercial negotiation using some tricks, it is important to underline the importance of the tool you use to manage the negotiation. Whatever the tool used to create the video call, it is essential to have a valid sales platform to support it. One of the market leaders in this area is certainly Salesforce and the Sales Cloud module of the Salesforce Customer 360 platform. The solution not only promises to be a valuable aid during the conversation by providing all kinds of information or documentation related to the customer, but it is also in the preliminary phase. One of the secrets of a good salesperson, in fact, is to prepare in advance by collecting all the information useful for dialogue. We are not just talking about information about the company you work for but above all about news or information about the customer, his company and the market in which he operates. The history of his orders, for example, but also the news and the activity of the competition. Being prepared and competent always pays off.