Elevate Your Web Meeting Game to Build Trust and Drive Results

As enterprise sales leaders and sellers, we’ve all had to adapt to the new reality of virtual meetings and remote selling. The shift towards digital-first customer engagement is here to stay. To succeed in this landscape, it’s critical that you elevate your web meeting game and learn to show up as true “Trusted Advisors” to your buyers.

The Virtual Meeting Blindspot

However, many sales professionals are unknowingly undermining their credibility and ability to connect emotionally with buyers through poor virtual meeting practices. From using subpar audio/video equipment to neglecting their virtual environment, these missteps can significantly impact a buyer’s perception of you as a competent and trustworthy partner. Consider these relatively recent statistics:

• 87% of buyers expect to be dealing with a “Trusted Advisor” (Source: sf.com)
• 88% of buyers will only buy from a Trusted Advisor (Source: Drip.com)
• 94% of buying committees are made up of three plus buyers (Source: Forrester)
• 38% of buying committees are made up of 10 plus buyers – wow! (Source: Forrester)

Yet, the reality is that most sales leaders and sellers are not showing up in a way that builds this essential trust bond. Many are still relying on their “onboard” laptop microphones and webcams, using virtual backgrounds, and failing to consciously stage their virtual environment.

The Real-World Consequences

Let me share a couple of personal stories that illustrate the high stakes involved in mastering the virtual selling game:

1) As I was speaking with a C-suite member of one of my NASDAQ-listed clients, he told me about a CEO who met with the executive committee to discuss a major contract. The CEO’s firm had made the “short list,” and the Exco members, who all happened to be on the buying committee, were finalizing their vendor selection. Well, the CEO chose to join the web meeting from an airport. And not in a good area. Of course, he apologized for the background noise and less-than-optimal meeting circumstances, but sadly, the apology wasn’t accepted. The buying committee members voted with their feet and unanimously dinged the CEO and his company from being selected, and not due to any rational solution buying criteria other than they didn’t like the CEO and felt fully disrespected. I’ve been selling virtually for over 25 years, and I personally still make “rookie” mistakes.

2) One time, one of my buying champions for a $10B technology company made extra efforts to introduce me to a new leader and his team in a new buying group. I was traveling with my travel trailer and pulled into an RV parking lot on the beaches of LA. I was running behind and thought for sure there would be excellent data coverage. Well, there wasn’t, and I fully struggled with the meeting. The data was so bad that I had to go off video to try to at least get my voice to work. Meanwhile, my buying champion was texting me in full exasperation, asking me what was wrong. I texted back, letting her know I was traveling and blew it by not making sure I had good data coverage. She texted back, mentioning, “That’s so unlike you!” And from that point forward I made a conscious commitment to treat virtual meetings way more seriously. That hurt…not only my fragile ego, but her internal reputation. From that point forward, I travel by rule with at least two different internet sources and when in my travel trailer, I use Starlink satellite internet as an ultimate backup.

My Key Takeaway: As much as I can control my circumstances, I am by design making efforts to minimize any bad virtual experiences for my buyers. These examples demonstrate the high stakes involved in mastering the virtual selling game. Subpar audio, video, and environmental factors can directly impact your credibility, your ability to connect with buyers, and ultimately, your chances of closing the deal.

Elevating Your Virtual Presence

So, how can you, as a sales leader or seller, elevate your web meeting game and position yourself as the trusted, competent partner your buyers are seeking? Here are some key strategies to consider that I have been focused on:

1. Shift Your Virtual Meeting Mindset: Commit to showing up as your best self when in your meetings. Know that your “content is king, and your environment is your throne.” Punch it up and continue to play with it knowing it will have tremendous gravity in how you are perceived as a Trusted Advisor.
2. Invest in High-Quality Audio and Video Equipment: Upgrade your webcam, microphone, and lighting to ensure you look and sound your best in virtual meetings. I personally invested in a Sony Vlogging camera, mega lighting, and a Shure SM7B microphone (same one Michael Jackson used for Thriller).
3. Optimize Your Virtual Environment: Carefully curate your background, eliminate distractions, and ensure proper lighting to create a professional, distraction-free setting.
4. Develop a Consistent, Polished Virtual Presence: Establish a signature look and feel for your virtual meetings, leveraging branding and other visual cues to reinforce your credibility.
5. Master Virtual Body Language and Nonverbal Cues: Learn to effectively convey engagement, empathy, and confidence through your posture, eye contact, and other subtle nonverbal signals. To improve my eye contact, I invested in a Teleprompter I use as a 3rd screen that is positioned at eye level where I place Zoom so I can see my buyers while giving them direct eye-to-eye contact. Remember to smile often. There are multiple studies showing the impact and engagement from smiling.
6. Troubleshoot and Prepare for Technical Issues: Anticipate potential connectivity or equipment problems and have backup plans in place to ensure a seamless virtual experience.
7. Foster Genuine Connection and Rapport: Actively listen, read between the lines, and use virtual tools to create an engaging, interactive experience that builds trust and rapport. I do encourage people to pop on to video to improve our levels of connection and rapport. I also seek to lead by example and be more interactive and engaging to help people want to reciprocate and pop on to video.

By implementing these strategies, you can transform your virtual selling approach and unlock new levels of success in the post-pandemic landscape. Remember, your web meeting game is a critical component of your value proposition as a “Trusted Advisor” – so invest the time and effort to get it right.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Bruce Scheer is the President of InspireYourBuyers.com. Author of the book "Inspire Your Buyers". He has applied and honed his Go to Market Narrative development model with industry giants such as IBM, SAP, Microsoft, HP, Oracle, Google, DXC Technology, Adobe, Infosys, Citibank, Alcatel-Lucent, McKesson, Motorola, and SITA, plus with “scale-ups” such as Concur, FinancialForce, SuccessFactors, Tableau, and others across the Americas, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. He is a featured keynote speaker for industry and client events. He has worked with his clients to grow revenue and win industry recognition, including winning HP’s Marketing Circle of Excellence and the Corporate Executive Board’s Marketing Campaign of the Year awards.

To see Bruce in action, here’s a link to a fun video featuring Bruce talking about the Big Problem, Desired Outcome, and Big Solution and in what order to sell each. Yes, Bruce had fun at the beginning of the pandemic, putting this video together. See what being stuck at home will do to you!

You may also contact Bruce at Leadership Speakers Bureau to schedule him for speaking or leadership engagements.