In-person vs. virtual selling: How modern sales teams can operate

The average cost of a face-to-face sales call is reportedly $250 – $500. With virtual sales calls, you can talk to your prospects for a much lower price. Virtual sales calls are an easy and inexpensive way to start building relationships and generating leads.

Virtual sales calls have become more and more popular in the past few years, especially during and now after the global pandemic. The most apparent advantage of virtual sales calls is that they can be conducted from anywhere and anytime. This means that companies can save office space while still conducting meaningful business conversations with customers and prospects. Salespeople can save time by using virtual sales calls to get on the radar of potential buyers or secure new leads.

Another advantage is the cost savings of not having a physical presence at an event or trade show. Virtual sales calls also offer a level of confidentiality.

There are some challenges with virtual selling, though, and I hope you read the full article linked in the button below.

Taking the Sales Agility Assessment is a great starting point for improving your current sales process. Use the unique report to help you implement new procedures to accelerate growth, revenue, and new sales.

Are You Coming To Beers & Biz?

Beers & Biz is an excellent opportunity to connect with other business leaders in the Cincinnati area and join some relevant conversations about today’s business challenges. It is probably the best networking event in Greater Cincinnati.

If you want to meet other B2B professionals and understand how to solve targeted business problems, this is the event to put on your calendars and attend.

There is no cost to the B2B professional networking group featuring topical roundtable discussion groups, open networking, and a featured charity. The group meets on the 4th Thursday of the month. We typically talk about business, have a drink (water, soft drinks, beer, and bourbon, too), and learn from each other. We stress networking with business-to-business professionals trying to expand revenue and offer great products and services to businesses.

Our next event is at Xavier’s Center for Innovation at 1605 Dana Ave, Cincinnati, OH 45207. We will be at XCI on October 27 and December 15 (we don’t have a November event due to Thanksgiving), and if everyone likes the venue, we hope to have this be our permanent home for all of 2023.

Please register at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/beers-biz-b2b-networking-tickets-244535701867 to reserve your spot and learn about the locations of future meetings.

Marketing and Sales is like football

In a complex B2B sale, the salesperson’s job is to enhance and personalize the marketing message for the buyer. The salesperson is supposed to deliver the information from the company to the decision-maker in a way that effectively shows the product and company in the best light for that particular prospect.

In American football, the quarterback and team don’t go straight down the field. They do a series of plays going left and right but always trying for a net forward position. Some plays will be a run to the left, a pass to the right, or a run up the middle.

Football is very analogous to a sales campaign. The amount that the player travels sideways doesn’t matter. It is only the forward progress that matters. The goal of the football team is to advance the ball to cross the end line, and it doesn’t matter if that is through the middle of the field or in either corner.

Your goal is the same as the football team. You are responsible for getting the ball into the end zone or, more accurately, for closing the order. In football, the offensive team has the goal of moving the ball down the field to the touchdown. They have this goal if they receive the ball on their 49-yard line. They also have this goal if they receive the ball on their 2-yard line. The goal doesn’t change based on the ball’s position on the field. It also doesn’t change for you based on the quality or source of the lead.

If this analogy sounds interesting to you, I hope that you will click the button below to learn more about how football strategy aligns well with sales strategy.

CEO Workshop: Manage The Networking Efforts Of Your Sales Team

We all understand that networking events are important to drive relationships that can be the foundation of sales success. Aside from tips on effectively networking, which are already prominent on LinkedIn, let’s discuss some training, tools, and expectations that managers can do to ensure their team is effectively networking and driving new sales.

This is a LinkedIn Live event, so please click the link below to register and attend. Even if you cannot make the specific date, by registering, you can watch the recording at your leisure.