Meeting with clients virtually presents some unique challenges. Not only do you have to align your sales team and nail your message, but you also must ensure your clients and prospects stay engaged and focused. In these days of frequent video calls, many people simply turn off their camera and multitask.

To grab and keep your clients’ attention, it’s crucial to put the “active” in interactive presentations, says Dr. Victoria Halsey, the VP of applied learning at The Ken Blanchard Companies. In this issue of Promotional Consultant Today, we share Dr. Halsey’s thoughts on how to engage your clients and add more value to your virtual sales meetings.

1. Add some energy. Engaging participants in a virtual sales meeting starts with energizing them. The faster you energize them when they log on, the faster they get involved, says Dr. Halsey. Start by asking a tough or interesting question and get them to input their responses in the chat box. She says you can also energize participants in advance by sending an article, video, book or survey and asking them to take a look before the meeting. This helps get your buyers energized and excited to learn before they even join the meeting.

2. Identify your objective. You should always know what you want your prospects to take away from your sales meeting. If you know where you want them to get to, you can determine how you will get them there, says Dr. Halsey. In online meetings, consider asking questions and putting prospects in a breakout room. You can then dig a little deeper to learn how to position your solution.

3. Let your prospects know what’s in it for them. If you want to grab and keep prospects’ attention, give them a reason to stay engaged. Be upfront about why it’s important to pay attention and how they can benefit from the information. Dr. Halsey says you can ask questions such as “What does it cost you to not use this product?” or “What are you currently doing?” You can ask buyers to put their answers in the chat and then call them out by name and ask them to tell you more. This not only generates meaning, she says, but it also helps you make a connection with the buyer.

4. Bring it full circle. The next step in adding more value is helping the buyer apply what they have learned. Try giving your prospects a mini case study and then ask them to dig deeper in a breakout room. The more they apply the information you have shared with them, the better questions they will ask. This allows you to refine how you train them the next time, says Dr. Halsey. Your buyers are also likely to feel more excited and engaged with the learning experience, she adds.

5. Discern and celebrate. For a fun way to engage buyers during a virtual sales meeting, look to games or quizzes. Dr. Halsey says these allow you to test their knowledge while giving buyers a chance to show what they have learned. You could also use this strategy during your internal team meetings by having your top-performing sales reps share their success drivers.

6. Follow up. Every virtual sales meeting should include a follow-up the next day, says Dr. Halsey. Whether you send an article or a note, it’s important to stay top of mind with buyers.

For a virtual sales meeting to be successful, your buyers need to feel like they are at the center of the presentation. Otherwise, you risk losing them to multitasking and they will miss the brilliance of your product or service. Think about how you can kick off the call with excitement and then keep the energy up by asking questions, using breakout rooms and bringing it all together with quizzes or games. Don’t be afraid to try new things and keep working at the art and science of delivering stellar sales presentations online.

Compiled by Audrey Sellers

Source: Dr. Victoria Halsey is an inspirational speaker, author and trainer who energizes audiences worldwide by engaging their hearts as well as their minds. She is the VP of applied learning at The Ken Blanchard Companies.