Virtual Selling would likely have never been written without the pandemic. Professional salespeople discovered abruptly in 2020 that traditional models of sales engagement were failing abruptly. Direct prospecting was impossible, face-to-face discovery meetings were improbable, and closing deals required an added, if not extreme, dose of arms-length relationship building. The good news in this mix is that the tools required to move forward with sales success are at our fingertips, including the humble telephone. Fold in social media, video messaging, and email—among other technologies—and salespeople are now empowered to be more effective than ever. Virtual Selling can be read as a how-to directory; it can also be read as a motivational narrative. Just be prepared for a deep dive. At 36 chapters, this material will inspire, reprimand, and encourage for many hours. The crown jewel of the book may be the case study, “Selling Invisible Trucks.”
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Virtual Selling
A Quick-Start Guide to Leveraging Video, Technology, and Virtual Communication Channels to Engage Remote Buyers and Close Deals Fast
Jeb Blount
What do you do when your proven, tried-and-true sales process is decimated by a pandemic? One solution is to shut-down the company; a better solution is to view the crisis as an opportunity to redefine your business approach and style. At our firm, we systematically re-evaluated our efforts in markets worldwide with an eye toward growth, not retrenchment. During a period when the world was as isolationist as ever, we moved even more aggressively into distant markets through the magic of content marketing and virtual selling. This book was a foundation stone that helped us with that transition.
Institutional finance is a slice of the industry that is deeply infused with relationship managers, not sales activists. Yet, however pleasant the conversation, taking a client to lunch may not be an option when the world economy is collapsing, as we collectively experienced in 2020-2021. In many cases industry-wide, corporate survival demanded hard-core sales tactics, not a redoubled expense account. The only viable angle in the thick of the pandemic was to focus exclusively on virtual-selling techniques. And that meant companies had to answer some ill-defined questions fast. What is the right balance among knowledge of social media, ability to write content, skill at business correspondence, and willingness to call a cold lead? One important message in Virtual Selling is that the telephone is our most important ally. We are not sure how many times the author writes, “Pick up the damn phone.” It seems like a mantra. Of course the telephone can be defined liberally to include new technologies such as video calling or video messaging.
Jeb Blount is among the world’s foremost sales trainers. Armed with rich, front-line experience and infectious enthusiasm, he is a prolific writer and speaker. His corporate site salesgravy.com includes links to his podcast, among the world’s most listened to sales programs. Notably, Virtual Selling was completed from concept to galley proof in about two months, signaling an untiring commitment to helping others with their digital pivot in turbulent times. ■
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