Mastering Virtual Negotiation: Essential Skills for Salespeople
As virtual communication becomes the norm, salespeople must adapt their negotiation strategies to thrive in an increasingly digital landscape. Very few sales teams have received formal negotiations skills training. When faced with professional decisionmakers and buyers untrained salespeople can leave money on the table or fail to close orders they should have closed. Couple the lack of negotiations training for salespeople and now virtual negotiations we see many sales teams struggling.
I just trained a large team of salespeople and procurement team members at a new client, and they shared 90% of their negotiations are virtual today. Prior to the pandemic 70%-90% of their negotiations were face to face.
How is virtual negotiation different than face to face negotiations?
Unlike in-person meetings, virtual negotiations present unique challenges like:
• Missing non-verbal cues
• Establishing rapport remotely
• Maintaining focus in a sometimes
• Distracting online environment.
To succeed, salespeople must develop specific negotiation skills suited for virtual spaces. Here are some key abilities to master:
1. Establishing Rapport Virtually
Building rapport is a critical aspect of negotiation and doing so in a virtual setting requires extra effort. Without the advantage of a physical presence, salespeople need to be more intentional about creating connection. They must be equipped with strong rapport and discovery questions.
Key Tactics:
• Personalize the conversation: Start with small talk and show genuine interest in the other person’s life or business. Ask questions about their work environment or shared experiences to create common ground. In our training we provide professional rapport building questions we ask the trainees to make their own in their own language.
• Maintain strong eye contact: On video calls, this means looking directly at the camera to simulate eye contact.
• Show empathy: Acknowledge the challenges of remote work and virtual negotiations. Empathy fosters trust and makes the prospect more comfortable.
2. Effective Active Listening and Communication
Listening is essential in any negotiation, but in a virtual setting, active listening becomes even more important due to potential distractions. Salespeople need to focus not only on what is being said but also on what might be implied through tone and context. If salespeople do not understand something said they must ask what and how questions. We have discovered far too many salespeople listen to reply and not learn. We must train our sales teams to have active listening skills.
Key Tactics:
• Ask clarifying questions: Ensure you fully understand the other party’s needs by restating their points and asking for clarification when necessary.
• Pause intentionally: After making key points, allow brief moments of silence to give the other person time to respond or raise questions.
• Summarize regularly: Virtual settings can cause misunderstandings, so periodically summarizing agreed-upon points helps keep everyone on the same page.
3. Preparation and Research
Preparation is crucial in any negotiation, but virtual meetings allow for quick access to additional information. This can work to a salesperson’s advantage, but it also means the other party might be more informed as well. Good negotiators prepare before the negotiations and bad negotiators “wing it.”
Have the proposal in front of you.
Review the tactic the buyer used in the last negotiation and be prepared with approved gives and gets.
Know your walk away point, your reservation price.
What are the key criteria and requirements the buyer is looking for?
What are the market prices and market indexes sharing today about costs?
What are the expected outcomes of the buyer agreeing to your proposal?
What is the cost of doing nothing?
Key Tactics:
• Know your offer inside out: Ensure you’re well-versed in both the product and any relevant data that supports your position.
• Understand the buyer’s needs: Research the client’s industry, business model, and current challenges to tailor your proposal effectively.
Conduct strong discovery and qualifying conversations.
• Prepare resources: Have case studies, product demos, or data ready to share instantly via screen-sharing tools.
4. Controlling the Virtual Environment
Unlike face-to-face meetings where you have control over the setting, virtual negotiations require you to optimize your digital environment to minimize distractions and enhance professionalism.
Key Tactics:
• Check your tech: Ensure your camera, microphone, and internet connection are reliable before the meeting. Virtual negotiations can easily be derailed by technical issues.
• Maintain a professional setting: Choose a quiet, well-lit space with a neutral background to create a focused and polished atmosphere.
• Use screen-sharing effectively: Avoid cluttering the screen with unnecessary content. Share only the most relevant materials and be prepared to switch quickly between visuals as needed.
5. Reading Non-Verbal Cues
In a virtual negotiation, body language is harder to read, but not impossible. Salespeople need to be more observant of subtle visual cues and vocal tones to gauge the prospect’s interest and emotions.
Key Tactics:
• Watch for micro-expressions: Even on video, subtle facial expressions and gestures can reveal hesitation or enthusiasm.
• Listen to tone: Pay close attention to shifts in tone or pace in the conversation, which can indicate interest, frustration, or agreement.
• Ask for feedback: Don’t hesitate to ask how the other party feels about certain points, especially when you can’t read their body language.
6. Building Trust Virtually
Trust is foundational to successful negotiations, and building it remotely requires transparency and consistent communication. Without in-person interaction, salespeople need to work harder to establish credibility and strategically build trust.
Key Tactics:
• Be transparent: Clearly communicate expectations, timelines, and pricing. Hidden fees or unclear terms can erode trust quickly in virtual settings.
• Follow through on commitments: If you promise to send follow-up information or schedule the next meeting, do so promptly.
• Leverage video calls: Whenever possible, use video instead of audio-only calls to build a personal connection and demonstrate professionalism.
7. Handling Objections Remotely
Objections are a natural part of any negotiation but handling them virtually requires a slightly different approach. Since it’s harder to read the room or establish a sense of urgency, salespeople need to be tactful and patient.
Key Tactics:
• Acknowledge objections immediately: Validate the buyer’s concerns by acknowledging them before presenting a solution.
• Provide detailed responses: Use the screen-sharing feature to show data, case studies, or other resources that directly address their concerns.
• Stay calm and flexible: Maintain a composed demeanor, even if you sense resistance, and be willing to adjust your offer or terms when necessary.
• Show Empathy: Train your salespeople not to argue but show empathy . Stamens like: I understand how you can feel that way. I have heard others share that.
8. Creating a Sense of Urgency
In virtual negotiations, it can be challenging to create urgency without being in the same room. However, a lack of urgency can lead to stalled deals or drawn-out decision-making.
Key Tactics:
• Set clear deadlines: Offer time-sensitive deals or suggest a follow-up meeting to finalize decisions within a specific timeframe. Every virtual meeting should have a shared agenda sent in advance and add discussion topics the buyer requests.
• Highlight potential loss: Emphasize what the buyer risks losing by delaying action, such as limited time offers or competitive advantages.
• Leverage social proof: Reference other companies or clients who have benefited from acting quickly to create a sense of urgency.
9. Invite Decision Makers
One big advantage in virtual negotiations is the ability to have all they key decision makers and influencers in the meeting.
Key Tactics:
• Understand who are Decision Makers and Influencers: We have the ability to invite all they key decision makers and influencers on virtual meetings and answer everyone’s questions and collaborate.
• Persona Messaging: Develop messaging based on the persons of those attending the meeting and prepare value-based messages ideal for each persona.
• Build Your Relationship Matrix: In our course on how to build business relationships we train salespeople how to identify five to six decision makers at each customer. Virtual meetings help you quickly identify the decision makers and start building relationships with each.
Have your salespeople received formal negotiation skills training?
Do you believe your salespeople are leaving money on the table?
Could your salespeople be avoiding negotiations by leading with your best price?
On average how much of a discount did sales give your customers last year?
Do your salespeople have strong relationships with five to six decision makers at your large accounts?
Have your salespeople received training on building business relationships?
Has marketing equipped your salespeople with persona based value messages?
We need to embrace the “New Normal.”
Virtual selling and negotiations are here to stay, and salespeople who excel in this space will be at a distinct advantage. By developing the skills needed to build rapport, communicate clearly, and manage objections remotely, you can navigate virtual negotiations with confidence and close deals effectively.
Adaptation is key—those who embrace these new tools and techniques will thrive in the evolving sales landscape. Those who fight this shift and do not embrace training and coaching will be left behind. They will have low close rates and lower profit per sale.