3 Tips for Turning Your Virtual Sales Call Into a Conversation

Virtual selling is more than the virtual process, and it's simpler than the tools you use. It's all about the conversation.

Your prospects must feel like they are dealing with an actual person they can relate to instead of a "salesperson" who happens to know a lot about the subject matter.

When you are creating your sales script, use words like "we," "you" and "us" as much as possible to connect with them on a more personal level.

Read your script out loud after you have finished and see if it flows naturally, or if you need to add more warmth and personality before you get in front of prospects.

Here are three more tips for using a virtual meeting to build a real connection.

1. It's all about them, never about you.

Salespeople tend to want their prospect to see how smart they are. They may use industry jargon or big words to convey the perception of being experts in their field.

I get it. That's not necessarily a bad thing. It's just that it may be as important, and sometimes more important, that you are understanding the prospect's experience, problems, and goals.

You want your prospect to really understand what you're talking about. Using too much technical language can make part of your content go over their head.

You prove to people how smart you are by communicating with them in a way that makes them feel like you get it.

Making it all about the prospects means you avoid being cute, or using sarcasm, inside jokes or anything that could be misconstrued.

Every element of your virtual sales script should be respectful, professional, and personable.

2. Keep it short.

You should only include the bare necessities to get your message across in your virtual sales presentation.

Failing to do so is the main reason why most virtual prospects are less likely to remember the key takeaways.

A recent study found that the average human attention span has fallen from 12 seconds in 2000 (or around the time smartphones hit the scene) to 8 seconds today.

3. Edit, edit and then edit again.

Do a few rounds of proofreading, editing and revising before you finalize your virtual sales scripts.

You may also want to have a fresh pair of eyes to read over the script to make sure that it's error-free, and, most importantly, that it conveys the right tone.

When I'm writing virtual scripts for my clients, courses, or training, I'm writing for the ears, not the eyes.

Prospects want to hear content virtually the same way they would in a face-to-face meeting.

If you were presenting to a live prospect, you certainly wouldn't speak the same way you write. Your virtual self should speak to your virtual audience the way your live self would.

Lloyd Lofton is the founder of Power Behind the Sales and the author of The Saleshero's Guide To Handling Objections.