Using Video Collaboration in Channel Sales

It wasn’t long ago that a communication method we once only saw in science fiction became a reality. Now anyone can video chat with their loved ones, and of course, business partners and clients. As with many other technological advancements, some people are unsure as to how video conferencing can benefit them.

Here are four ways face-to-face communication can make for effective channel sales collaboration and help your team close more deals.

1. Instant Connection

It can be hard to connect with a disembodied voice. How can you build rapport with customers if they never see your face? Your customers won’t be able to put much trust in you or your product without a visual connection.

Video sales can help validate your words in several ways. Not only can your customers see you, but they also have a chance to see your workspace and possibly even your product or service in action. A display of professionalism and a demonstration of your wares can go a long way to ensure you connect and build trust with your customers. 

2. Building Empathy

Research suggests that about 55-70% of human communication is nonverbal. That might seem like a lot, but it does make quite a lot of sense. Shakespeare’s dialogue on paper can sometimes appear dry, wordy, and meandering, but with proper acting and oration, it comes alive on stage. Surprisingly enough, your sales collaboration is the same way.

Subtle and subconscious as it may be, body language and facial expressions convey a lot of information. If you want to be able to empathize with your customers, you’ll need to be able to take advantage of this information during your conversations. After all, to make the best sales pitch, you need to understand your customers’ needs and meet them where they are.

3. Keep Audience Engaged

As many as 73% of people report being more engaged in video calls, and 82% make more of an effort to prepare. Even seasoned veterans who’ve spent decades with a phone as their only means of collaboration report a drastic increase in effectiveness when video is involved. This rings true for both your sales team and their customers, meaning your sales conversations will be all-around much more effective.

Maintaining engagement is crucial to your success in sales. You’ve most likely been doing this already with things like emails and blog posts. If that’s the case, your customers have already read those things. If they’re going to stay engaged, you’ll need to mix things up with something they haven’t seen before. A video call may be just the kind of visual stimulation they need.

4. Improve Time-Consuming Process

Empathetic connections and more in-depth engagement are great, but how are you going to save time and money with sales video collaboration? There are simple things that video conferencing provides for anyone and everyone: convenience and flexibility.

Outrageous travel expenses don’t need to be a problem anymore. Now you can collaborate with team members and customers alike from your meeting rooms with ease. Not only that, but you can also schedule more meetings more frequently and expand your overall sales focus.

Sales team members will be happy with the less time-consuming collaboration. At the same time, your prospects will be pleased with your now more flexible schedule. With video sales collaboration, meetings will be much easier to plan and pull off at short notice. Some apps such as Microsoft Teams have features that make scheduling meetings particularly intuitive. Your prospects won’t be pressured to commit to inconvenient times, and you won’t need to worry about being hung out to dry with unfortunate rescheduling. Time is a precious resource for you and your customers alike. Help them save it, and you’re sure to close more deals.

Achieving meaningful video collaboration as a sales professional is critical, but there's more to success as a sales professional. Learn more about it by downloading our Channel Partner Success Guide below: