The Art of Selling from a Distance: Engaging and Persuading in Remote Sales

When selling remotely, maintaining engagement is one of the biggest challenges. Without the physical presence and body language that traditional sales rely on, you need to be intentional about how you present your message. Here’s how to maximize impact in a virtual sales setting:

1. Craft a Memorable Core Message (Your 10% Message)

People tend to remember only about 10% of what you say, especially in virtual meetings where distractions are everywhere. This is known as the hammock effect—once the brain determines there’s no immediate threat, it relaxes, making it harder to retain information.

🔹 How to make your 10% message stick:

• Clearly state the key takeaway you want your audience to remember.
• Reinforce it multiple times during the presentation.
• Keep it concise and compelling—less is more.

2. Use Dynamic Visuals to Capture Attention

Virtual presentations lack the natural energy of in-person meetings, so your slides need to do the heavy lifting.

🖼️ Ways to enhance engagement through visuals:

• Animations: Add movement to emphasize important points and recapture attention.
• Color Contrast: Highlight critical insights with bold colors.
• Size and Emphasis: Make key words or numbers larger to signal their importance.

3. Make Your Audience Think (Ask Thought-Provoking Questions)

Rather than presenting information passively, guide your audience to arrive at insights themselves.

💡 Use the Data + Insight + Question framework:

• Show a surprising data point (e.g., "80% of buyers…")
• Offer an insight based on the data (e.g., "This suggests that buyers are prioritizing…")
• Ask an open-ended question (e.g., "How does this align with what you're seeing in your organization?")

4. Encourage Participation (Annotate & Draw Along)

Passive listeners disengage quickly. Keep them actively involved:

🖍️ Ways to drive interaction:

• Live Annotations: Mark up slides in real-time to highlight key points.
• Ask Buyers to Draw: Have them sketch ideas or write down priorities—this boosts retention.

5. Leverage the Power of Numbers

Numbers create intrigue and trigger curiosity. Use them to make your message more compelling.

🔢 How to do this effectively:

• Show a number (e.g., "12,487") before explaining what it means.
• Ask your audience to guess its significance—this gets them mentally involved.
• Reveal the insight behind the number and connect it to your solution.

6. Turn On Your Webcam (and Get Theirs On Too!)

A simple yet effective way to build rapport in remote sales is to create a more personal connection.

📹 Why this matters:

• Seeing faces makes interactions feel more human.
• It’s harder to mentally check out when on camera.
• If they turn on their webcam, they’re more likely to stay engaged.

Pro Tip: If they don’t turn their camera on immediately, don’t hesitate to ask them to. It’s a small but effective win in grabbing attention.

Conclusion: Sell Smarter, Not Just Harder

Remote selling isn’t just about delivering information—it’s about creating an interactive and engaging experience that holds your buyer’s attention. By using these techniques, you can ensure that your message is heard, remembered, and acted upon.