Fundamental Video Sales Skills - Program Recap
pelotonRPM is excited to present you with a short recap of the Fundamental Video Sales Skills program the MicroCare sales team has just completed. They have been engaged, professional, and a pleasure to work with! Here are some high-level observations:
- The team was very capable with the technology! Some of them are already experimenting with some more advanced video concepts and tactics.
- They were open to coaching and feedback. They had a learning mindset, were curious, and asked great questions.
- Some members of the team do have technology limitations that should be addressed (i.e. old laptops, etc.)
- Everyone seems to agree that live video will have a significant role to play in their relationships going forward. It won't be 100% in-person, all the time.
- While we understand some of the benefits of Teams (including cost), we would suggest maintaining some Zoom licenses as well and ensuring that your team is comfortable with both applications.
In terms of overall performance, the MicroCare team was right on par with all of our other clients. This is an impressive feat - they were up against some tough competition, including some inside sales teams at technology and media companies that have been using live video for a long time.
Some Things to Know Before Reviewing the Results
The program included twenty learners. Eighteen of the learners have completed the process at this point (90%). Of the remaining two, one has completed his simulation but has not responded to several requests to schedule his feedback call and the other has completed his coaching but has yet to schedule his simulation. There were two sessions cancelled with penalty.
The program consisted of five segments: (1) a live online kick off class; (2) review of learning materials; (3) a one-to-one coaching session; (4) a 30-minute simulated sales conversation; and (5) a 30 minute live video feedback call.
LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT THE RESULTS
4.3 / 5.0
OVERALL SCORE
This overall score puts your team right on the average for all of the learners who have completed our Fundamental Video Sales Skills program. This is tough competition so it’s a number to be proud of. Our long list of learners includes insides sales teams at technology companies who have been using video extensively for a long time now.
58:07
94% MORE THAN EXPECTEDAVERAGE COACHING TIME
Your team rolled up their sleeves and did the work! We commit to 30 minutes of one-to-one coaching time and, on average, your team spent almost twice as much time. This says a tremendous amount about their learning mindset and commitment to self-improvement.
37:08
24% MORE THAN EXPECTEDAVERAGE FEEDBACK TIME
While not as substantial as coaching, your team also spent significantly more time than required on their video feedback calls. Not only did they receive the feedback in a positive and constructive manner, but they often asked for additional guidance an coaching during the calls. They were very eager to learn and improve.
COMMON CHALLENGES
Screen sharing was a trouble spot for many of the members of your team. Certainly not everyone, but a significant percentage. Screen sharing can be tricky, even for people who are comfortable with the technology. Do you share the window or share the application? Do you select “Optimize for Video” and “Share Computer Sound?” Have you shared the correct monitor? Are you showing their slides in edit mode, presenter mode, or presentation mode? Their comfort with screen sharing definitely increased thanks to the coaching, simulation, and feedback, but they will need to continue to practice in order to improve. The more successful video meetings they have, the greater their skills will be.
The Fundamental Video Sales Skills program is the first step in helping your team develop more competence and confidence around using live video technology – it won’t be the last! As we mentioned to your team during their feedback calls, we are always happy to address any questions they may have and help them troubleshoot if they are having tech issues. Many still struggled with different aspects of the technology and we are here to help in any way we can. That said, the more video meetings they execute, the better they will get. The technology continues to improve and become more intuitive as well, which will certainly help. They’ll do great!
This falls into the ‘do the best you can category’ but it’s important. Many on your team use branded virtual backgrounds. Virtuals have a bunch of technical issues and are really most effective when the user’s lighting is dialed in perfectly (which is rare) and, ideally, they have an actual green screen. The ‘wakes’ and ‘halos’ virtuals cause can actually be more distracting than a suboptimal physical background. We suggest you consider branded physical pop-up backgrounds or, alternatively, plain backgrounds with a virtual logo for branding purposes. Also, we believe having consistency among all of your reps would be preferable from a branding perspective.
SOME OTHER THINGS TO THINK ABOUT AND WORK ON
Forty-seven percent of the team did not confirm time at the beginning of the meeting. The unfortunate reality is that it is more likely that you will get short on a video call than an in-person meeting. If you have traveled across the country to meet a prospect, they will probably give you some extra time due to reciprocity (“Well, you’ve come all this way.”) For video calls, their schedule is stacked and 30 minutes can easily become 23 minutes due to conflicts. It is critically important that every video meeting be started with “Alex, I have us down for 30 minutes today. Does that still work for you?” If you are going to get cut short, you want to know at minute one rather than minute nineteen so you can avoid a weak closing.
Seventy-six percent of the team did not set a specific day and time for the next conversation with the prospect. Recognizing that this may be a little awkward during a simulation like this, this tactic still needs to become complete muscle memory on every single sales call (be it in-person or virtual). The beauty of live video sales meetings is that everyone’s calendar is, literally, one click away. If the prospect is not willing to commit to a specific day and time, even if it’s just penciled in, perhaps that is a qualification signal. Maybe there are still objections that need to be addressed. Maybe the budget isn’t there. Maybe this isn’t the real decision-maker. Time to dig a little deeper and find out.
Fifty-three percent of the team did not explicitly align with the prospect on the agenda for the meeting. Regardless of whether the meeting is in-person or via live video, it is critical that the sales professional confirm they are covering the topics the prospect wants to cover! Ideally they have shared the agenda in advance of the meeting to get the prospect’s input but they should still include it in their presentation materials and walk through it at the start of the meeting. After listing the agenda items, they should explicitly ask “Alex, is there anything else you wanted to cover today that I may have missed in this agenda?” It sounds simple, but a startling number of people neglect to do this at the beginning of their sales meetings.
Eighty-Eight percent of the team did not ask for the business. Now, this does not mean they need the old “What do I need to do to get you into this car today?” Not at all. But every sales conversation needs to include some expression of interest in doing business together – regardless of how soft it may be. Even if it’s a complex, nine-step sales process and this is step three, telling the prospect you want to earn their business is always good move. “Alex, we have a fast-growing list of exceptional clients and we would be excited to add you to that list…” or “Alex, hopefully I’ve shown the value we can add to your process. We’d love to earn your business. Does Thursday work for a call with Anne to address her concerns?”
Being a salesperson with 30 years of experience, it can be difficult to focus on all the nuances that come with selling via a new medium. Often times, the greatest hurdle in sales can be overcoming the obstacles we may present ourselves. PelotonRPM has helped me to overcome the hurdles I have with the technology of live online sales. By removing those hurdles, I can do what I do best… sell.
LEARNER SATISFACTION SURVEY RESULTS
We are thrilled by the feedback we have received from the MicroCare team and are grateful for their support!
4.9 / 5.0
SOME OTHER COURSES TO CONSIDER
We have a growing menu of learning programs to choose from. Here are some options to consider. We’re including Fundamental Video Sales Skills as well given the new folks who will be joining your team!
FUNDAMENTAL VIDEO SALES SKILLS
This module will teach your team how to be more effective selling using live video. Used properly, video is an incredibly powerful sales tool. We’ll provide deep perspective on how to use it to your advantage.
ADVANCED VIDEO SKILLS
This module focuses on teaching members of your sales team how to transform their standard video calls into live, interactive ‘programs’ that will completely engage the prospect and tell your company’s story in a highly differentiated way.
CUSTOM SALES SCENARIOS
We also offer customized learning programs in which we develop content and an application / simulation that addresses a specific challenge your sales organization may be facing (i.e. integrating a new sales team, messaging a new product launch, handling objections in a consistent manner, etc.)
DELIVERING TOUGH FEEDBACK
This module is a cornerstone of our Talent Development offerings. Aimed at managers and executives, this scenario gives the learner the opportunity to navigate a live, simulated situation in which they need to gather information about an employee’s performance and communicate difficult feedback in a direct yet empathetic way.