In my 37-year career in the landscaping industry, most of my sales calls have been in person, and until very recently I didn’t even know what Zoom was. Sure, we’d done a sales presentation or two remotely, but we didn’t have any real process or system for it.
That all changed dramatically this spring when the coronavirus prevented us from meeting face-to-face with our prospects and clients. Necessity is the mother of invention, right?
We buckled down and found a way to make virtual sales presentations work for us, and I believe what we’ve learned is going to continue to position us for success even once we’re able to meet in person with all of our clients again. Now that our sales team is fully trained and confident on Zoom, they are finding that the platform enables them to connect more easily with busy clients. It also cuts down on our team’s travel time. In fact, we are finding so many benefits to virtual sales calls that we’re redesigning and optimizing a room in our office to do them in.
Through trial and error, we’ve learned what to do and what not to do to conduct a successful sales call on Zoom:
- Check to see if your prospect or client already has Zoom installed on their device; if they don’t, provide them with clear instructions for downloading the app and talk them through if they need help before your scheduled call.
- Optimize your lighting, background, and camera angle to remove distractions and present yourself professionally. Turn off any device notifications, and give your client your undivided attention.
- Test and practice your presentation ahead of time.
- Have your designs, photos, and any other materials ready to share on your screen so your prospect or client can easily follow along.
- Pause frequently to give them a chance to ask questions. Just as with in-person calls, the smartest salespeople listen more than they speak.
The coronavirus has challenged us all to change the way we live and do business. But as we say at Grunder Landscaping, every challenge can also be an opportunity if you approach it right.
To learn more about how Grunder Landscaping is using Zoom and other tools and tactics to win at sales, join us for our next Virtual Sales Bootcamps on Sept. 17-18 and Dec. 3-4. Learn more and reserve your spot at https://growgroupinc.com/virtual-sales-bootcamp.
