So much has changed in recent years. From a business perspective, many pre-pandemic "absolutes" are teetering on extinction, with old-fashioned sales tactics being towards the top of the list. But as any company that’s adjusted even fairly well to a virtual, remote selling model will attest, change isn't always bad.
As I’m about to discuss, it's the sales and marketing teams that embrace the right processes and tools first that stand the most to gain. And given our expertise on those exact processes and tools here at OneDay, I thought it only right to share some of our insights and best practices on the topic.
It’s Not a Mad Men World Anymore
It wasn't so long ago that companies exclusively closed deals in person. But much to the chagrin of your accounts payable department, those deals got expensive quickly. Between cross-country flights, accommodations, and meals for multiple team members across multiple days, many of the more "traditional" ways of doing business weren't exactly easy on the P&L.
That's not to say that those once-in-a-lifetime, multimillion-dollar deals that require some face-to-face time are completely antiquated. But at this point in the evolution of business, most companies now realize that those cases are exceptions to the rule. Today, relying on a primarily digital, remote sales model can drive both the top and bottom lines, a notion that the Mad Men methods of decades past could never claim.
Video Is the New Normal’s Sales Superstar
One of the biggest lessons stemming from the coronavirus pandemic has been the significant role technology can – and will – play in business operations going forward. In a very short time span, four billion employees, consumers, and leaders across the world had to stay home. In that sense, it was a virtual-or-nothing proposal, teaching countless organizations that remote selling models deliver benefits many leaders hadn't thought of yet.
That's where video plays such an essential role in the future of the sales environment. Combine the right video platforms with the right places and times and good things will happen. Most importantly, video allows companies to still build and foster the relationships so critical to the entire sales process.
As much as things have changed in recent years, the human element will always sit front and center in sales. Even looking down the road a decade or two, when a technology like virtual reality steps out of the operational shadows and into prime time, relationships and connections between people will still be the driving force behind successful sales and marketing. That notion makes video the undisputed champion in sales, both today and tomorrow.
Choosing the Right Video Tools Is Key
Of course, video platforms come in all shapes and sizes, so choosing the most appropriate tool for a given situation and environment will always be essential. And that choice really comes down to two different options – asynchronous and synchronous video solutions.
Asynchronous Video
This is the category that OneDay’s platform fits under. As an example, when your team wants to create content to use later, an asynchronous solution like OneDay is an ideal fit for tasks like:
- Dispersing the video content to multiple people
- Sharing the content across several social media platforms
- Embedding the video into a website
- Using the video in a future presentation, both live and web-based
In other words, if you have no need for a lifestream, an asynchronous video solution like OneDay’s will almost always fit the bill perfectly. That would include the ability to record, re-record, edit, or add graphics or music to a piece of video content, especially handy when all of that functionality exists within a single mobile app like OneDay.
Synchronous Video
A synchronous video solution like Zoom or FaceTime shines for general meetings, check-ins, or other scenarios where a live solution fits best. Going back to dealmaking and building relationships, there will obviously always be a pressing need for live interaction between a salesperson and customer.
However, a virtual sales solution like synchronous video drastically reduces the cost of those interactions, all without sacrificing effectiveness given sufficient training across your sales team. Remember, there will inevitably a learning curve when adopting new processes and tools, so training will always be crucial to your success.
The (Virtual) Road Ahead
Looking ahead, it's safe to assume that many of the lessons companies learned during the pandemic will become standard practice, virtual selling included. Here at OneDay, we've more than doubled our customer base in the past 12 months, expanding into nearly 5,000 senior living communities.
While I can't honestly say we’ll always see such intense levels of hyper-growth and attention, one thing has become abundantly clear – the organizations and people stepping up to the virtual selling plate and embracing video sales and marketing are reaping massive rewards. As is usually the case with technology, it's the early adopters that create the biggest competitive advantages for themselves. And that's exactly what the combination of remote selling and the right video tools is generating for forward-looking organizations.