Summary

Engagement in sales is crucial for building genuine connections with clients, especially in the context of virtual interactions due to COVID-19.

Abstract

The article emphasizes the importance of authentic engagement in the sales process, highlighting that mere listening is insufficient. It advocates for a two-way conversation where salespeople actively involve clients by asking open-ended questions and showing genuine interest in their concerns. Drawing parallels with comedian Katherine Ryan's interactive stand-up routines, the author suggests that salespeople should adopt a similar approach to make clients feel part of the sales experience, thereby appearing more approachable and human. The piece also acknowledges the challenges of virtual meetings amidst the pandemic and offers strategies such as thorough preparation, asking insightful questions, and demonstrating curiosity to foster meaningful connections with clients online.

Opinions

Engagement is defined as a dynamic, back-and-forth conversation that goes beyond active listening to include open-ended questions and genuine curiosity.
Katherine Ryan's method of involving the audience in her comedy is presented as a model for salespeople to emulate in their client interactions.
Sales scripts should be abandoned in favor of ad-libbing and authentic engagement to create a more personalized and memorable sales presentation.
The author believes that customers are weary of traditional, impersonal sales pitches and seek genuine interactions that offer stories and experiences rather than just products or services.
The article suggests that taking risks and being vulnerable can enhance the sales process by making the salesperson appear more relatable and trustworthy.
COVID-19 has necessitated a shift towards virtual sales interactions, which requires salespeople to adapt their engagement strategies to maintain effectiveness.
The author recommends doing homework on clients, asking open-ended questions, and maintaining curiosity to ensure successful virtual engagements.
The article encourages readers to support the author by becoming a Medium member, emphasizing the value of stories like the one presented.
A cost-effective AI service, ZAI.chat, is recommended as an alternative to ChatGPT Plus(GPT-4), highlighting the author's endorsement of practical

Why Engagement is Important in Sales

Be open and genuine

COVID-19 restrictions shouldn’t limit your ability to engage with your clients. Photo by **Edward Jenner** from **Pexels**

Who you are and what you sell doesn’t matter if you can’t engage with your clients.

By engagement, I don’t mean just actively listening to what your clients are saying, although that’s important. We’ve all read articles and books advising salespeople to speak less and listen more if they want to get an order.

If you are speaking more than your customer, you lose.

I define engagement as having a back-and-forth conversation with your clients and asking open-ended questions to learn more about their concerns and pain points. But beyond just having a conversation, you must show a genuine interest and curiosity in the people you are speaking to.

I recently watched two stand-up performances by Katherine Ryan, a comedian, writer, and actor, on Netflix. Her shows were performed in 2017 and 2019, respectively. While some of her content is dated, it’s still enjoyable to watch.

From a sales point of view, what I found interesting is the way Ms. Ryan would bring in audience members into her comedy routine. Rather than stand on stage and recite her rehearsed script, she would ask audience members questions and involve them in ad-lib funny conversations.

Throw away your sales scripts and learn to ad-lib and engage more in your presentations. by **Alena Darmel** from **Pexels**

Her method makes the audience feel that they are part of her show. But more importantly, Ms. Ryan appears more approachable to her fans.

For example, in one segment, she argues that single mothers don’t always need or want support from men to raise their children. She has a three-minute conversation with two single mothers who came together for the show to make her point. As the single mothers are standing on baloney, Ms. Ryan asks them questions and supports their position of being single.

As a former single mother herself, Ms. Ryan has previously said –

“I am an undisputed gangster. To me, that means playing by my own rules.”

In short, while Ms. Ryan is now in a civil partnership, she didn’t need a man for financial support in the past. She could raise her daughter on her own, thank you for much!

Ms. Ryan is taking a certain amount of risk during her stand-up routines. Since she doesn’t know how audience members will behave, her approach could backfire and set a sour mood for the rest of the show. However, by being funny, vulnerable, and candid, Ms. Ryan has avoided falling into that trap.

Why is this important to salespeople?

Because by being engaging, you appear more human and sociable to your clients. Customers are tired of listening to the usual canned sales pitches and the predictable fake responses.

As Seth Godin, author and speaker said –

“People do not buy goods and services. They buy relations, stories, and magic.”

Yes, COVID-19 has made it more challenging to have in-person meetings. Many trade shows and conferences are either totally virtual or are using a hybrid approach, with mixed results.

So, like it or not, many of us must continue to use virtual presentations or meetings to ramp up our sales numbers.

But how can you connect with your clients over Zoom or other virtual meeting programs?

Here are three suggestions –

First, do your homework. Before speaking with your clients, take the time to read their websites, the company business profiles on LinkedIn and other sites. Understand what makes your client’s company tick and what problems they are trying to solve.

Second, ask good open-ended questions. Open-ended questions are better than closed-ended questions because you will get better insights into what’s on your client’s mind. And more importantly, it will encourage a two-sided conversation rather than making you sound like an interrogator.

And finally, be curious. Curiosity may kill the cat, but lack of curiosity can kill a sale or deal. Show that you care about your client’s company and let him know that you want to develop a long-term business relationship.

Key Takeaway — Don’t let COVID-19 restrict your ability to engage with your clients. Take risks. Be human. Until in-person meetings finally return, use virtual presentations and calls to your fullest advantage.

Special Note — If you enjoy reading stories like these and want to support me as a writer, consider signing up to become a Medium member. It’s $5 a month, giving you unlimited access to stories on Medium. If you sign up using my link, I’ll earn a small commission.