by Emilie Desmonde
3 min read
Wabel B2B Smart Meetings went fully online when the pandemic made it clear that would be the only way to survive. Consumer habits changed, and very quickly, we changed our business model and started hosting efficient one to one meetings through an in-house platform. The main advantage of our methodology is that we provide our clients with a meeting schedule with pre-qualified leads, who have declared an interest in their specific product. So in a way, all that’s left to do is nail the pitch. Despite our efforts to design intuitive, simple-to-use software, pitching a product in front of a camera can be a bit scary, and takes some getting used to. This is why after several months of observation and use cases, we’ve put together some tips that will help you give a successful online sales pitch!
Sound check — one, two…one, two
The main downside of online B2B meetings is that body language and meta communication are limited or nonexistent. You’ll only have the top half of our body to convey an idea and convince your audience, so it’s important you can be seen and heard properly. Check your internet connection, your camera and your microphone and headset are functioning properly.
Make sure you have just the right amount of light: never sit with your back to the window, because back-lighting will make you look like a black silhouette. If it is dark outside and the room needs artificial lighting, favor cold colored lights, white or blue shades. Avoid warm lighting which will give a dark lounge-y unprofessional tint to the image.
It is an extremely common mistake to position the camera below eye level, which will show a very unappealing angle of your face. Place the camera slightly above eye level, tilt it so it’s completely parallel to your face – not pointing upwards or downwards – and whenever possible, look straight at the lens. This makes it appear as though you’re looking into the eyes of the person you’re having a meeting with, therefore making you look more engaging.
Show must go on!
As I mentioned before, the problem with online meetings is the lack of physical contact, so when you’re selling a product like food, drinks or cosmetics, overcoming the virtual barrier of the screen is a whole new challenge.The buyer will not be able to taste, smell or touch the product, you therefore have to be better than ever at marketing your vegan crisps or solid shampoo.
Start off by conveying the story behind the brand through your presentation. Share a document which contains videos, testimonials, music, any kind of marketing support which will illustrate the philosophy and the vision of your brand.
Use the space around you to recreate a booth, or small store. You can use any old bookcase or shelf to present your products, make a bright and tidy set-up behind you, as if you were selling the product to a customer – because basically this is what you’re doing. If you want to take it one step further, why not present standing up? This will bring your presentation to life!
To finish, don’t forget that etiquette will always be noticed and appreciated, be it for a physical or a digital meeting. Over the years of doing business face to face, we have developed a certain code of conduct – we knew to shake hands, to give a business card with both hands in some countries, with our right hand in others- the rules were clear. The age of online meetings, however, is quite young and many of us just have no idea how to behave.
Just keep it simple: arrive on time, pay attention from start to finish, look at the buyer, not at yourself. It’s best to plan accordingly when you have an important meeting, but if your kid climbs onto your lap, or starts screaming, so be it. Been there, done that.
What remains, is that one of the main takeaways from our use cases and informal conversations is that after one or two tryouts, online B2B meetings tend to become the new normal. The survey we conducted after the Frozen/Meat/Seafood Summits in March showed an impressive 96% of our buyers and suppliers wanting to continue doing online meetings after the end of the pandemic. Save time, money and CO2 to make the whole experience 100% worthwhile.
To find out more about Wabel B2B Smart Meetings, please get in touch!
