Before the pandemic things were quite simple.

• Sellers would fix a date and time to meet with the buyer.
• Then they would take out their laptop and explain to the buyer about the product over a coffee or in a conference room full of people
• Later they may meet again and again until a decision is reached

The advantage here is that– whatever the outcome of the meetings might be, this chit-chat over a coffee ensures that a strong bond between the sellers and their clients is formed

But now the ways we all work has changed. Where work from home has become the new business, as usual, sales professionals have adopted virtual selling.

• Now people are at home and the sales meetings are virtual
• Sellers log into the zoom and everyone is waiting for a product pitch
• As soon as the meeting beings people start talking business (people rarely indulge in healthy and fun chitchat in virtual meetings)

But experienced sellers are well aware of the importance of building a good rapport, bond and trusting relationship with the customers even as they operate remotely.

In this blog, we have listed down 4 techniques that help the sales reps to build a good rapport virtually:

How To Build Rapport Virtually

1. Focus On Building Relationship From the beginning

In a virtual sales call, sales reps get 1 hour to prove your product in front of the clients and gain their trust. So, they need to focus on establishing a connection with the people in the call right at the beginning.

As soon as they get into the first meeting they should start with introductions and a short casual conversation of 1 or 2 minutes. This helps in giving a good start to the call.

Additionally, encourage your sales reps to try to break the ice throughout the meeting by,

• Being natural in their way of talking (not too formal or too casual)
• Making some good jokes in between
• Telling the clients about their weekend plans and asking the clients about their weekend plans (only if the client is open to talking about such things)
• Taking charge of the meeting by setting a tone of enthusiasm and building the client’s interest.

2. Wrap Up Your Meeting With a Casual Discussion:

Amazing conversations begin when the meeting ends and this can happen virtually too. When you have given your product pitch and the meeting is about to end rather than just saying bye and ending the meet the sales rep should start a casual conversation where you could just ask a few simple questions to the client.

This little extra effort that the sales reps put in to know the client a little better can go a long way. In the remote world that we are living in currently, people appreciate good conversations and might consider scheduling a next meeting with the sales rep.

3. Plan Short Check-In Meetings:

In this new era of no personal interaction, the sellers’ utmost priority should be to reach out to prospects and clients regularly to maintain the connection and build understanding. A short catch-up meeting once in a while can make all the difference for the sales rep and the client.

During these times of economic, health, or global crises people seek connection and stability. So, this is the right time when sales reps can connect regularly and strengthen their relationship. While the sales reps schedule these check-in meetings, they need to remember that they would get more yeses on requests for shorter 15 or 20-minute meetings than longer ones (and often, meetings run longer, anyway).

It can be just that simple. As you schedule the meeting, be sure to set it as a video meeting to build greater rapport. Making deeper connections with other people is easier when you can see them. Seeing your face allows buyers to develop a stronger connection with you.

4. Building Relationships Outside Meetings:

Apart from zoom meetings, there are other ways through which the sales reps can build rapport and maintain relationships with the clients. For example, they can connect with the clients through,

Sales reps shouldn’t overlook the opportunities these channels provide

Here are some tips on building client relationships through these channels:

• Sellers can follow their clients on LinkedIn, give thumbs up to the posts they share or comment on them

• They can send personalised emails or Whatsapp messages wishing their clients on their birthdays, anniversaries and festivals

• They can also share interesting, relevant content in a direct message—either on LinkedIn or a quick email

These small interactions majorly contribute towards building trust and understanding between the sales rep and the client. It also makes the clients feel confident about the sales rep as they would realize that the salesperson is just a message away and can reach out to whenever needed.

Finally, adopt these 4 points and start your zoom calls to get more deals closed.

Looking for a remote selling guide?

A Guide to Remote Sales

Want to create a remote sales playbook that helps you and your team to efficiently carry out remote selling?

How to Create a Remote Sales Playbook?

Learn about the top remote selling challenges that your reps face and the solutions to those challenges

Top 4 Remote Selling Challenges

Want to know the essential skills that your reps need in order to ace remote selling?

7 Selling Skills that are Essential to Ace Remote Sales