COVID has been a catalyst for the evolution of sales and marketing processes. It demonstrated that we don’t always need to run physical events or meet face-to-face to gain prospects or close deals. We realized that we could have important conversations and close deals over virtual channels like Zoom. Even as we continue to move away from the pandemic, the number of face-to-face meetings are significantly reduced compared to pre-pandemic numbers.

For some sales representatives this can be quite daunting, because the relationship building, they achieved through physically meeting someone was hugely valuable. But the very best sales representatives have found ways to add their personality into virtual interactions. For example, one sales representative I dealt with recently did not send me long emails or incessantly call me. Instead, he sent me cleverly titled emails with pictures of him holding a white board, with handwritten questions, data, or updates, complete with a hand drawn logo of our company. This was very clever, very personalized and very engaging and it helped him stand out from the crowd and close the deal and I didn’t meet him live even once! The more that sales reps move away from sending boring, templated emails or cold calls with no context, and find innovative, engaging ways to speak with their prospects, the more engagement and success they are likely to have.