It's hard to imagine a virtual Tupperware party. Sales presentations are trickier with the move to increased online communication. Gone (for now) are the days of making small talk with prospective clients in the hallway and capturing their undivided attention face-to-face. Now that life has gone virtual, is it really possible for sales professionals to channel their charisma and build rapport through video calls? Do customers respond the same way to virtual selling tactics? Or should salespeople be expecting lower commissions until they can meet in person?

 

Featured Guests

Kathleen Lima - Sales Manager, Gartner

Keith Lubner - Chief Business Strategist, Sales Gravy

Episode Highlights

1:47 - What is virtual selling and how does it work?

6:35 - B2B vs. B2C - Who virtual selling is really for

12:34 - The biggest barriers to overcome

16:50 - Is virtual selling just a "young people's" game?

23:09 - What students can learn from virtual selling

26:16 - Final thoughts from Keith and Kathleen

28:12 - Paul Jarley's final thoughts

 

Episode Transcription

Paul Jarley:                         Remember the door-to-door Salesman?

Salesman:                           Good morning, madam.

Homeowner:                     Good morning. I'm afraid I don't want them.

Salesman:                           You've been selected for a special introductory offer, madam.

Announcer:                        Using one of the many tricks to interest you, he'll keep talking, exaggerating.

Paul Jarley:                         My sense is he got largely replaced by the robocall.

Robo Caller:                       Hi, I'm calling from vehicle servicing to reach out regarding the factory warranty on your vehicle. Our records indicate it's past the coverage expiration [crosstalk 00:00:24] the vehicle you want to sell is actually still eligible for a warranty.

Paul Jarley:                         But if there isn't enough to be annoyed about in 2020, now we have this.

Zoom Caller:                      Can anyone hear me?

Zoom Caller:                      We can hear you.

Zoom Caller:                      Hello.

Zoom Caller:                      Yeah. We can hear you. We can all hear you.

Zoom Caller:                      I'm sorry. Just before we begin, can I just go to the bathroom quickly?

Zoom Caller:                      I'm just going to go ahead.

Paul Jarley:                         Does anybody really need Zoom call salespeople? Really?

Paul Jarley:                         This show is all about separating hype from fundamental change. I'm Paul Jarley, Dean of the College of Business here at UCF. I've got lots of questions. To get answers, I'm talking to people with interesting insights into the future of business. Have you ever wondered, is this really a thing? Onto our show.

Paul Jarley:                         Necessity really is the mother of invention. Case in point, how do you sell people stuff if lockdown orders and social distancing norms mean you can't meet with potential customers in person? Answer? Virtual selling. Google it and you'll see how many YouTube videos you can find featuring people who are now positioning themselves as virtual selling experts. YouTube is the happy home of many a modern-day snake oil salesman. So I wanted to talk to a few sales experts and get their take on virtual selling and whether I need to incorporate this into the business school curriculum. Listen in.

Paul Jarley:                         So what the heck is virtual selling and how does it differ from other forms of selling?

Kathleen Lima:                  Virtual selling in general is a way to communicate using digital platforms and technology in order to still be able to do business.

Paul Jarley:                         Kathleen Lima is a sales manager at Gartner, and more importantly, a graduate of our professional selling program.