--- title: How We Will Sell Virtually in the Future | The Sales Blog description: The value of virtual selling exists on a continuum, going from simple, transactional sales to large, complex sales. Because the outcomes on these poles are so different, virtual selling will operate differently depending on the type of sale. Larger, Complex Deals Will Include More Face-To-Face Meetings While many companies and sales leaders believe that virtual […] image: https://www.thesalesblog.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/shutterstock_728178127.jpg --- ### [Now booking SKO meetings for 2026/27! 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Because the outcomes on these poles are so different, virtual selling will operate differently depending on the type of sale. ### Larger, Complex Deals Will Include More Face-To-Face Meetings While many companies and sales leaders believe that virtual sales will eliminate the need to travel, that outcome is unlikely. Especially in larger, more complex deals, many sales conversations will still demand face-to-face meetings. Those deals require [a great deal of discovery](http://thesalesblog.com/2020/04/28/how-to-make-an-excellent-discovery-call-now/), to understand technical challenges and how your client can solve them strategically, a goal you can best pursue in person. Similarly, when presenting your solutions and asking for a large investment, you will benefit from being in the same room with your audience. That said, virtual contexts will work fine for shorter meetings. COVID-19 has normalized many tools for virtual collaboration, so what was once a thirty-minute office visit might now be a Zoom call. Pay attention to which stakeholders join these virtual meetings and how much they engage, as it will help you gauge the value of virtual venues. More people from your side can also join these meetings without additional expense, something that won’t happen if you have to travel to a meeting. ### Generating Advantage in Large Opportunities Don’t automatically elevate [efficiency over effectiveness](http://thesalesblog.com/2018/07/29/choose-effectiveness-over-efficiency-when-the-outcome-is-important/). Being efficient means reducing the effort necessary to produce a certain result, but when your approach doesn’t produce that result, you have wasted 100% of your efficiency. For example, sending multiple representatives to a meeting indicates how important the client (and the meeting) is to your company. When one company shows up in force and their competitor doesn’t, being onsite generates a massive advantage, as it demonstrates caring— a factor that shows the client they are going to get the outcomes they need. Time is another key investment, one that’s often overlooked in conversations around virtual selling. In larger, complex deals, you might have two hours of discovery. You might also spend time with different stakeholder groups who happen to be in the same building. Plan and use your time strategically, especially if you are applying [a domination strategy](http://thesalesblog.com/2018/11/25/an-overarching-strategy-for-winning-deals/) to deprive your competitors of time with the client. ### Leveraging Virtual Transactions In sales that are not complex, ones where a face-to-face conversation is not necessary and will not add anything to the decision or experience, virtual tools are going to be efficient and effective for both the sales organization and their clients. In fact, the more transactional a sale tends to be, the more you should rely on them. Still, if a certain outcome can be generated using only the phone, it can be better pursued on a video conference. Personally, I still have a romantic attachment to telephones, but the fact is that *seeing *your client is much better than only hearing their voice. You can communicate a lot more that way, creating an experience much closer to a face-to-face meeting. ### Learn the New Tools Salespeople will need [a new set of proficiencies](http://thesalesblog.com/2020/05/01/personal-development-is-proven-to-be-the-key-to-your-success/) to work effectively using virtual tools. They are going to need new and greater technologies when it comes to selling over video, so they can be more proficient in using virtual collaboration tools as they pursue the sales conversation. Don’t just choose your tools based on efficiency: sales effectiveness is still going to dominate your agenda, but it will include the ability to sell virtually for some or all of the sales conversation. Because the medium has changed, the way we sell is going to change. There are going to be new approaches and new innovations in how we handle our sales process, as well as in how we serve our clients as they pursue initiatives to solve their problems. What will *not* change will be [the need to create value](http://thesalesblog.com/2019/07/26/what-does-it-means-to-create-value-now/) for your clients— through your insights, ideas, and experience— regardless of the medium and format. You will still need to sell in a way that creates a preference to buy from you. [![](https://www.thesalesblog.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/salescall-planner-ebook-v3-1-cover-Jun-14-2021-01-46-32-05-AM.jpg) ](https://resources.thesalesblog.com/sales-call-planner-ebook?ref=tsb-fullads) ##### Get the Free eBook! ### Sales Call Planner Guide Your dream client expects you to know how to help them and what that process should look like. Execute your best sales calls with this free sales call planner! [Download Now](https://resources.thesalesblog.com/sales-call-planner-ebook?ref=tsb-fullads) ###### Tags: [Sales](https://www.thesalesblog.com/blog/tag/sales) [2020](https://www.thesalesblog.com/blog/tag/2020) Post by [Anthony Iannarino](https://www.thesalesblog.com/blog/author/anthony-iannarino) on September 10, 2020 Written and edited by human brains and human hands. ![Anthony Iannarino](https://www.thesalesblog.com/hubfs/ai-blog-profile-crop.jpg) Anthony Iannarino is an American writer. He has published daily at [thesalesblog.com](https://www.thesalesblog.com) for more than 14 years, amassing over 5,300 articles and making this platform a destination for salespeople and sales leaders. Anthony is also the author of four best-selling books documenting modern sales methodologies and a fifth book for sales leaders seeking revenue growth. His latest book for an even wider audience is titled, The Negativity Fast: Proven Techniques to Increase Positivity, Reduce Fear, and Boost Success. Anthony speaks to sales organizations worldwide, delivering cutting-edge sales strategies and tactics that work in this ever-evolving B2B landscape. He also provides workshops and seminars. Connect with Anthony on LinkedIn, X or Youtube. You can email Anthony at [iannarino@gmail.com](mailto:iannarino@gmail.com) [Follow me on my website](https://www.thesalesblog.com/anthony-iannarino) [Follow me on Facebook ](https://www.facebook.com/thesalesblog) [Follow me on LinkedIn ](https://www.linkedin.com/in/iannarino/) [Follow me on Twitter ](http://www.twitter.com/iannarino) [![AISA-square-ad-SKOs-26-27](https://www.thesalesblog.com/hs-fs/hubfs/AISA-square-ad-SKOs-26-27.jpg?width=400&height=400&name=AISA-square-ad-SKOs-26-27.jpg)](https://www.thesalesblog.com/authority) [![ai-cold-calling-video-sidebar-offer-1](https://www.thesalesblog.com/hs-fs/hubfs/ai-cold-calling-video-sidebar-offer-1.jpg?width=318&height=179&name=ai-cold-calling-video-sidebar-offer-1.jpg)](https://www.thesalesblog.com/free-cold-calling-video) ![salescall-planner-ebook-v3-1-cover (1)](https://www.thesalesblog.com/hs-fs/hubfs/salescall-planner-ebook-v3-1-cover%20(1).jpg?width=768&height=994&name=salescall-planner-ebook-v3-1-cover%20(1).jpg) ### Free Sales eBook: Sales Call Planner Planning your sales call improves the likelihood of making a successful call, and it demonstrates to your dream client your professionalism. 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What we’re doing right now **is working**, even in this challenging economy. **Would you like some help?** [![Solve for Sales](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/2922376/d3a4938b-2008-4a27-8b44-7b2223f6d035.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/2922376/d3a4938b-2008-4a27-8b44-7b2223f6d035) ### Join my Weekly Newsletter for Sales Tips Join 100,000+ sales professionals in my weekly newsletter and get my *Guide to Becoming a Sales Hustler* eBook for FREE! --- ```json { "@context" : "http://schema.org/", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Anthony Iannarino" }, "dateModified" : "2021-09-17T1:27:50 PM", "datePublished" : "2020-09-10 10:19:47", "description" : "The value of virtual selling exists on a continuum, going from simple, transactional sales to large, complex sales. Because the outcomes on these poles are so different, virtual selling will operate differently depending on the type of sale. 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