Body language matters. A large part of communication consists of nonverbal communication: body posture, facial expression, and eye contact. Nonverbal communication is often more difficult during online sales meetings than having a conversation together in the same physical space.
However, that doesn't make nonverbal communication any less important in virtual sales meetings. Even when communicating with someone online, it is important to be aware of your body language. A good posture contributes to the communication and the relationship with the person you are talking to and, if possible, leads to a better sale.
1. Body language: posture and stature
One of the first things that - unconsciously or consciously - stands out during a conversation is the posture of your conversation partner. Your posture shows a lot about your interest in the conversation. For example, your body language shows whether you are relaxed or tense, whether you are confident or insecure and whether you have a warm or a closed personality.
During a virtual sales conversation, you probably want to have an interesting, energetic, relaxed appearance. The following tips will help you even when you are sitting at your computer.
Open posture
A closed posture creates a closed appearance. Therefore, make sure that your body looks 'open': no crossed arms and no crossed legs. It is also important that you do not sit hunched over and that you do not let your shoulders hang forward.
Relaxed posture
Relax. A relaxed posture comes across as reliable and puts your interlocutor at ease. Make sure your shoulders are relaxed, your face is not contorted, and you do not exhibit nervous traits (such as drumming your fingers or tapping your foot).
One way to appear relaxed is to loosen up your body just before the conversation. Turn your head a few times, shake your arms and legs loose, and then sit in your chair as relaxed as possible.
Posture that shows interest
Make sure your body posture shows interest. You can do this by making sure that your body (not just your face, but also your chest and legs) is directly facing your conversation partner. You can even lean forward slightly in the direction of your partner (without exaggerating, of course).
If we are very interested in the person we are talking to, we often have the tendency to lean a little closer to this person. In a physical space, we often do this automatically, but if you are sitting in front of your laptop this is sometimes a bit more difficult.
Therefore, even if you're just sitting at your desk during remote selling, it's important not to twist on your desk chair, or get distracted by things going on around you. Instead, keep your body directly focused on the computer (and therefore the camera).
2. Facial expression
In addition to posture and stature, your facial expression is also an important source of information for your interviewer. Your facial expression communicates your emotional state. Also, like posture, it can communicate what your energy level is and how much interest you have in the conversation.
Especially in virtual sales conversations, facial expressions often play an important role. This is because we usually see more of the face than the rest of the body during these conversations. The following tips will help you use the right facial expressions.
Relaxed facial expression
Make sure you have a relaxed face. Tension often manifests itself in a contorted face and this can create a negative atmosphere. So be aware of possible tensions and possibly do some relaxation exercises before the conversation begins.
Smile during the meeting
Never underestimate the power of a smile, it creates a positive, relaxed atmosphere. It can also improve the relationship with your conversation partner and you come across as reliable. Of course, make sure you do this in an appropriate way, often a simple smile is enough for a good atmosphere. Note: if you discuss negative or sensitive topics, it is counterproductive to laugh a lot.
Mirroring facial expressions
Match your facial expression with the appropriate emotion. If the conversation is about a heavy subject, it is not bad if this shows in your face. This is how you express empathy and reliability.
3. Eye contact
And finally, eye contact also plays an important role in nonverbal communication. Good use of eye contact communicates interest and self-confidence. It is often a matter of finding the right balance: try to make a lot of eye contact, but don't do it in an obsessive way.
If eye contact is constant, it can feel artificial or uncomfortable for your conversation partner. It is more difficult to make eye contact behind the computer, because you are looking at the face of your conversation partner while the camera is not there. Therefore, some tips for eye contact during online sales conversations.
Keep your eyes focused on the computer
Even though you cannot look directly into someone's eyes, it is still important to keep your gaze towards the computer. Often people tend to stray with their gaze during online conversations. But the person you are talking to may interpret this as disinterest.
Close programs you do not need
During a conversation, make sure you don't have any other programs open on your computer that require attention. If you get distracted by this, your conversation partner notices that he or she is not getting full attention anymore. And your conversation partner can also interpret this as disinterest.
Place the eyes of the person you are talking to close to the camera
If it’s possible, make sure that the eyes of your conversation partner are as close to the camera as possible. For example, don't put the conversation in the bottom left corner of the screen. The less distance between the camera and the eyes of the person you are talking to, the more "real" the eye contact will feel to the person you are talking to.
4. Energy
Keep the online sales conversation energetic. Your energy level often translates directly to your body, which is why it is important to keep your energy levels up throughout the day.
Of course, you don't want to look absent-minded, tired, or disinterested. But how do you make sure you have enough energy when you're sitting in front of a computer all day?
Take active breaks a few times per day
Take a quick walk around the block between meetings to get some fresh air and daylight. If you don't have enough time to do this, stretching for a few minutes will also help. This will improve your circulation and boost your energy levels.
Consider Doing Your Video Calls Standing Up
You can also consider video calling standing up, instead of sitting down during longer virtual sales meetings. This will increase your alertness and energy. It’s also healthier for your body not to sit for too long at a time.
Energy-rich food
Make sure you eat healthy, high-energy food. It may be tempting to snack when you're sitting in front of the computer all day, but an unhealthy snack inevitably leads to dips in your energy. It's better to choose healthy food that releases energy in a gradual way throughout the day. Think for example of cottage cheese, oatmeal, bananas, and nuts.
5. Tooling and preparation
Make sure you know who you are talking to. Modern customers will browse your services offered on your website. Before engaging in a conversation, they likely know already the majority about your offering. They want to learn more how you can add value for them. They want to hear success cases from similar companies. Preparation is key to build confidence, for the seller AND the buyer.
You can use powerful tooling such as Journy.io or similar to track areas of interest before the lead booked a meeting. Make sure to have relevant use cases to wow the customer and frequently asked questions prepared to counter arguments.
Customers should be able to connect with you easily - no downloads or logins. It should be as simple as picking up the phone. ☎️
Do you also want to conduct professional virtual sales meetings, be able to rely on the technology, and stay in touch with your coworkers? Then our sales enablement software is for you!
Feel free to contact us to discuss the possibilities for your organization!
