A Quick Guide to More Engaging Virtual Sales Calls

Ever had a prospect stare blankly at their screen while you make a sales pitch? You’re not imagining it — video call fatigue is real. Research from Stanford University shows that professionals are more drained than ever by virtual meetings.

But don’t ditch video calls just yet. Instead of letting fatigue compromise your pitch, transform your next virtual sales call into one of the most powerful tools in your pipeline.

In this guide, you’ll learn how to choose the right video call tool, set up a distraction-free call, captivate prospects from “hello” to close, and follow up like a pro.

Why should you use video for sales?

Video has become an important part of many sales leaders’ marketing strategies. From outreach to sealing the deal, sales reps can use video to connect with prospective customers in a way that feels just as personal as face-to-face contact.

Video is more engaging

Humans are visual creatures. The human brain processes images 60,000 times faster than text, and as a result, viewers retain 95% of a message when they watch it in a video.

This makes video the perfect medium for your sales process. Sales videos play to people’s visual nature by delivering important information in a digestible, captivating way.

From engaging sales videos comes increased ROI. Customers who end up on an ecommerce site through a sales video are 184% more likely to purchase a product or service.

And most marketers agree that video delivers a higher return on investment than images and text, so creating an engaging sales video is a surefire way to generate new leads and nurture these relationships before you close on the deal.

Plus, sales videos are easy to make and share. You don’t need extensive video knowledge or editing tools to make an engaging, effective video. Start with a basic selfie video to introduce yourself, or a screen share video to highlight your product’s new features.

Build trust and boost reply rates

With sales videos, you have the unique opportunity to put a face to the name. When creating sales videos, you can position yourself as a friendly expert, opening the door for leads to reach out with questions.

Plus, you can boost your reply rate by 26% by prospecting with sales videos. You can nurture existing customers with video marketing, too.

Video content showing off new features or products, how-to videos, or periodic check-ins help you stay in touch and foster important business relationships in a personal, meaningful way.

Step 1: Pick the right video tools for your sales calls

As a sales professional, you need a video call tool that can keep up with all of your calling needs. To speed up the process of choosing a tool, keep these tips in mind.

Does the video tool run in a web browser?

Expecting prospects to download and install an unfamiliar app is a lot to ask for a sales call. That's why we recommend using a video calling app that runs directly from your web browser.

In particular, we recommend choosing a video call app that works well with Chrome because it's the most popular web browser (over 70% market share according to Statcounter). Video tools that run directly in your browser make it easier for your prospects to attend your calls.

Is the video call tool flexible for different situations?

Sales teams need tools that can handle every aspect of virtual selling — from discovery calls to product demos where you need to share your screen with prospects. Some tools come with automated recordings that can be sent to prospects after the event in a follow-up email.

Does the video call tool make engagement easy?

When selling online, you want your prospects to be as engaged as possible with you and your product or service. For example, some prospects may want to type quick questions, technical details, or links in a chat during a virtual call.

Step 2: Plan your virtual sales calls in advance

Planning is your greatest ally in running a successful virtual sales call. Start with the fundamentals of removing potential distractions and disruptions.

Choose your virtual call location

The ideal space for a virtual sales call is one where you know you wont be interrupted by any noises or external factors. If you have a dedicated office or a phone booth, that's ideal.

Test out virtual backgrounds with a friend

Virtual backgrounds can help project a professional image and save you the time and expense of setting up a real background. Instead of reusing the same old backdrop, browse Livestorm's virtual background library.

Test your sound and video hardware before the call

Avoid surprises by testing your hardware before the call begins. Use Livestorm's microphone test for the sound and webcam test for the video.

If necessary, consider a few purchases to improve your appearance during video calls. Take a look at our favorite lights and our top picks for microphones.

Practice virtual call body language

To create a successful sales experience, you have to listen carefully and stay engaged. In a virtual sales call, your body language habits may need to adjust.

For example, your hands and arms may not always be visible during the call. In addition, the prospect may have an unstable connection, so you need to practice active listening.

Step 3: Do your research before the sales call

Use this 20-minute research process to prepare for virtual sales calls.

Know your potential customer (10 minutes)

At a minimum, read through the prospect's LinkedIn profile and company. Then, start focusing on key facts like the company's size (regarding the number of employees or annual revenue), the prospect's job title, and how long the prospect has been with the company.

Define your sales call goal (5 minutes)

Write down a few ideas for your sales call objective. For instance, a sales development representative (SDR) may have an objective to book an appointment for their account executive. On the other hand, your sales call objective might be to move an existing deal further along.

Think through potential sales objections (5 minutes)

Think back over the last 10 sales calls you had. You've probably heard a few objections come up over and over again.

For instance, you might hear prospects say something like, "I'm not sure your solution will work with our solution." Anticipate this objection by highlighting your integrations.

Step 4: Keeping your prospects engaged during the call

Are you concerned that your prospect is tuning you out? Use a few sales best practices to keep prospects engaged and close deals more easily.

Share your screen and demonstrate something

Sales calls tend to get more interesting when there's a demo involved. If possible, upload media and videos relating to the prospect in the call. For example, if you are demonstrating a business product, include the logo of the prospect's company in the demo account of your software.

Offer to record the call for their reference

In many cases, prospects will need to review what they learned with other stakeholders. Offer to record the call and send a digital copy to the prospect afterward. Recording the call is also an excellent resource for you because you can review it again later to improve your performance.

Plan your next step

Whether prospects are ready to buy right away or they need to consult with colleagues, plan your next step. For example, ask to schedule a follow-up meeting with the prospect before you end the call.

Step 5: Reflect on your virtual sales call to improve

Running a virtual sales call takes practice. You can get better at the skill by taking a few minutes to reflect on the experience. Give yourself a score on each virtual sales call with this simple checklist.

Was the call technically smooth?

While many prospects will tolerate some glitches during a virtual sales call, aim to minimize these as much as possible. When a call is free of technical issues, it's easier for you and the prospect to connect.

Did the prospect ask questions?

Listen for the quantity and quality of questions. If they ask no questions, that's a warning sign that they are disengaged.

It's often a positive sign when the prospect asks about implementation (e.g., does this product work with Microsoft Teams?), pricing, or mentions specific other people (e.g., I'd like you to present this to Jane Smith, my director).

How enthusiastic was the prospect?

Pay attention to the prospect's tone of voice, volume, and facial appearance as helpful clues. Keep in mind that some people may be more reserved by nature. If the prospect is silent or responds in a monotone manner, that is a red flag.

The next step should include a date and time (e.g., next Wednesday at 11 a.m.) and action (e.g., you'll present to the prospect's director).

How can you use video for sales?

Sales calls are just the beginning. Here are a few ways you can use video for sales to drive your business’s growth.

Virtual events

Hosting virtual sales events helps you expand your client base. They’re great for generating and engaging with new, previously unreachable leads. You can target global audiences that may have been out of the question when conducting business in-person, since virtual events are easy to join from anywhere.

Online events and webinars are also an excellent way to nurture prospects. Host events with relevant guest speakers, audience interaction through polls and live Q&As, or industry networking opportunities. Engagement is key: Make virtual sales events a conversation, not a lecture.

Personalized video marketing

Personalized marketing videos are customized and relevant to individual prospects or customers. Think thank you videos summarizing key takeaways from the latest virtual sales meeting you had with a prospect or personalized video invites to your next virtual event.

These sales tools create a special virtual environment that fosters conversation and engagement with your product. Create a custom user experience and develop one-on-one relationships with endless personalized marketing video formats.

Customer onboarding

Ensure that your customers know how to use your product from the get-go with customer onboarding videos. Onboarding videos walk customers through the process of using their new product to its fullest potential, which improves retention on your end.

Customer onboarding videos can look like an explainer video on your homepage, pop-up tooltip videos, a welcome video in an email, or even a library of onboarding videos answering FAQs about your product.

We hope these tips help you design more engaging virtual sales calls and events. For more helpful tips you can check out our sales content.