Tips For Using Video & Web Conferencing To Train, Manage And
Support Your Sales Team
If you have a large sales force, spread out over wide distances,
or if you have a small staff in various locations, then video
and web conferencing is an ideal way to train, manage and
support your team. In case you are wondering what online
conferencing has to do with managing and training a sales force,
here are a few ways to utilize this new technology.
1. Hold Virtual Online Sales Meetings
Instead of calling all your representatives to one physical
point, you can set up a web conference and meet with them
online. Your sales people only need a computer and a broadband
connection to the Internet and they will be able to take part in
the online sales meeting. The newest conferencing systems have a
real time notepad allowing online brainstorming.
2. Hold Meetings More Frequently
Whenever your organization holds a physical meeting, then you
have to pay a cost in terms of travel as well as in time lost
from normal work. For this reason meetings have to be scheduled
carefully and not too frequently. When the meetings are held
online, the "opportunity costs" of your meetings are reduced
because no one has to leave his or her location in order to
attend. This should make it possible to hold your sales meetings
more frequently, and take advantage of improved communication
with lower costs.
3. Show Your Staff How to use Video Conferencing to Sell to and
Support Customers
As you get more accustomed to online conferencing with your
staff, you can use these meetings to train your staff in online
conferencing skills so that they in turn can reach their
contacts, clients and customers using the same online
conferencing technology. Your sales people can meet a contact
"face to face" online, demonstrate products and even perform
after-sales service without leaving their offices once they
become familiar with online conferencing. Your regularly
scheduled online meetings offer a great opportunity to impart
these skills to your staff.
4. Get Valuable Feedback From Your Team With Online Conferencing
Meetings do not have be a one-way street where only the
organizer or presenter gives information or instructions to the
attendees. Rather, online conferencing makes it possible for the
executives to get valuable feedback from the field. For example,
you can take a poll of your organization or get information via
an online survey using the new instant polling and survey
features of the newer web conferencing systems.
5. Inspire Your Team With Guest Speakers and Special
Presentations
Once you have your online conferencing system set up, you can
announce and hold meetings whenever you like. Use this channel
of communication to educate and inspire your staff with the best
speakers in your particular field of activity. Your guest
presenters do not even have to come into your office, they too
can participate online which will save you a lot of money in
transportation and lodging costs.
Once you get the hang of online conferencing you will probably
be able to add to this list and come up with even more ideas on
training and supporting your sales team.