5 Things Salespeople Can’t Do Now

Posted by John Livesay in blog0 comments

As a salesperson, are you COVID-ready? Salespeople today have to be like Neo from The Matrix and learn to be a Shape-Shifter Salesperson during COVID through storytelling. This is a new reality that is not going away anytime soon.

Storytelling is more important than ever right now because salespeople have to work even harder to get in the virtual door and build rapport.

5 things salespeople can’t do:

1. Face-to-face meetings
2. Read body language
3. Hear laughs (People on Zoom mute themselves!)
4. Social time with clients at tradeshow and events
5. Meals with clients

Salespeople used to have to work to get in the right room — or, as Hamilton says, “The Room where it happens.”

Now they have to get in the “Zoom where it happens!”

Salespeople need to craft a compelling story, starting with the subject line of their email, to get people to see them virtually.

Plus, Zoom burn-out makes it even harder to get in the virtual door. 

Salespeople have to learn how to look and sound good on Zoom.

Here are 5 tips:

1. Stand up and dress up (Most people sit on Zoom and lose energy)
2. Lighting must be good so people see your face to build trust
3. Gesture on camera, not at the waist
4. Good mic, even more important to hear subtle nuances in your voice
5. Frame Yourself! Like a picture, you need a good frame.

Not only do salespeople need new ways to get a virtual meeting, but they also need a new way to sell on Zoom once they look and sound good.

They need to turn boring case studies into compelling case stories! People expect to be entertained on a computer screen vs. in person. They are used to watching Netflix on a computer screen, so you have that as competition to grab and hold people’s attention.

How can you improve?

John Livesay, speaker and author of Better Selling Through Storytelling, has been working with clients like Olympus Medical to craft case stories that make their sales team memorable and irresistible. They have created a repository interactive map of all the stories to help break down the silos between divisions. Now all the salespeople can access the successful case stories to share with clients.

Keith Griffis, Executive Director of Marketing, Olympus, said, “John is part artist, philosopher, and sales crushing storyteller. He pulls on your heart, opens your mind, and makes you better with every conversation.We have had the good fortune to virtually teach 200+ sales people, marketers, and leaders using John’s Better Selling Through Storytelling. If he is this effective during a pandemic virtually, I can’t wait to bring him back for a keynote in person. Highly recommend John for any organization looking to change their selling style to be relevant, impactful, and to rise above the noise. #GameChanger”

Times like this call for everyone to embrace a new shape and a new way of doing sales. Crafting stories on Zoom is the crucial step to adapting and getting the jump start on the new virtual way of connecting. Check out John’s Better Selling Through Storytelling course, and contact him to see if and how he can help you and your salesteam.