Enterprise sellers are reporting that sales cycles are lengthening. Simultaneously, Virtual meeting platform usage is still increasing as companies leverage WFH to save on operational costs (source).
Is there a correlation? I believe so. Let me explain.
Gaining the trust of a champion or decision-makers at a prospect is key to moving your solution sales cycle in the right direction towards a close. After all, your prospect is sticking their neck out for their career and credibility.
So, how does the brain build trust? Our primal brain is always evaluating Fight or Flee, even in this modern age of virtual meetings. The brain uses all its sensory capabilities to assess this decision point. However, in a virtual meeting, you are limited to only two elements: Sight and Sound. Since you are already at a disadvantage with three senses being eliminated, Sight and Sound play an even more crucial role.
What triggers the brain to mistrust in a virtual meeting:
Lack of eye contact: The seller must look at the camera for the recipient to feel a connection. Looking at the virtual meeting video on a second screen is a trust detractor.
Virtual backgrounds: The brain can detect that this is not real and simply goes into mistrust mode. To make things worse, when more than one person from the same company is on a call with different backdrops, that amplifies mistrust as the brain goes into a deciphering mode rather than a listening mode.
Unable to see hands: The primal brain instinctively looks to see where your “opponent’s” hands are. No hands = no trust. Move back on a virtual call so your camera can show you from the waist up and show your hands. Use your hands when you talk. Make sure to show the palm of your hands (an instant trust amplifier). Use a 4K widescreen camera to enhance the video experience for the user.
Tone of voice: Use a respectful, empathetic, honest, confident, and friendly tone to gain trust. Also, use an HD microphone for that radio announcer quality that exudes confidence and gains trust.
Technical issues: Anytime video cuts out, voice lags, or a break-up in transmission occurs, etc., the brain falls into mistrust mode. Avoid this by making sure you have a powerful computer with sufficient bandwidth to support your HD video experience. Be careful; a shameless plug might be around the corner.
In conclusion, rethink your virtual experience for maximum impact and differentiation from the competition. You can control many elements of a call to build trust. To deliver a high-quality meeting without technical glitches, consider a predictive call troubleshooter for your IT organization like Martello for Teams.
Please share your best practices or ideas on holding stellar virtual calls in the comments.
Being heavy on rapport building upfront always feels like a way to lose trust. Executing the agenda for the meeting and doing a rapport build at the end is often a better way to build trust.
As I was reading your post, I naturally started thinking about how I try to build trust remotely.
The foundation of trust is rapport.
So how do you build rapport in a virtual world?
Based on my personal experience, I decided last calendar year to take a strategy of “leave the door open to discuss another topic”. I feel like in sales we want to cover so much in a meeting, we close with a variety of action items.
With that in mind, I reduced the number of topics I want to discuss with my customer to bake in time for small talk/rapport building upfront and construct a meeting where the content is consumable.
If you think about it, we are all (including customers) are back to back to back virtual meetings. How many meetings have you been on throughout the day where a organizer says, “we have a jam packed agenda today and have a ton to get through.”
Personally, I am already starting the check out process. Especially if they say the session will be recorded. Just record it and send it out. Don’t waste my time.
Anyway, I have found by structuring my meetings in a way that is consumable and allows for small talk has helped me build trust and respect. It also helps me build more frequent meetings with my customers.
Just to cover all basis, follow up and follow thru is always a best practice. If you committed to an action item, deliver it.
Not as scientific as Victor’s research, but has been street verified. LOL!
I’m sure there’s some science to small talk, but the fact of the matter is that it feels really good to feel like you’re making a connection with someone else beyond the agenda.
I’ve always felt you can spot a passionate person a mile away with the way they carry themself (in the way that they walk, how they make eye contact, the volume of their speech.)
In the virtual setting, almost all of that of that is reduced to how they first appear when the Zoom window opens and a face appears.
That being said, I make as much of a conscious effort to join a Zoom making eye contact to the camera beforehand, already smiling, and ready to jump in with an enthusiastic “Hey!” Where the conversation goes from there is always an unknown, but I am always ready to ask questions, make an observation, or bring up something I can speak passionately about, or deliver in a high energy way. If you want people to meet you halfway, you have to deliver your end of the rapport (and be ready to call an audible if you need to, and adjust accordingly.)
@victor.mate, your post is full of great info (some scientific, some personality-focused.) I would just double down on being authentic as much as possible. Get the tech you need to be successful, but bring your real self and don’t shy away from who you are.
To be memorable isn’t about being high volume or showy. It’s way more about being a real individual that is armed with empathy and set of ears that are ready to listen. Bring the passion, but also give the floor to the other side so they feel comfortable sharing their true self along with you.