What are the Benefits of Face-to-Face Sales?​

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Throughout the pandemic, we’ve all been forced to reckon with the pros and cons of remote work.  Our in-person interactions have been radically reduced and every organization is trying to identify what the future of work is going to look like in this new paradigm.

 

One specific area which is a key debate is that of sales.  While some selling can be done effectively in a virtual setting, there is something magical about face-to-face sales that just cannot be replicated over a video call.  Here at Smart Circle, we’re firm believers in the benefits of face-to-face sales and as such, we thought we’d run through 6 of the key features that make it such a valuable proposition for your company.

6 Benefits of Face-to-Face Sales

Benefits of Face-to-Face Sales
  1. Human Connection

We are social creatures at our core, and even with all the technology in the world, you’re simply not going to be able to achieve the same level of human connection as you can when you’re sitting in front of somebody.  Sales is all about building rapport and a relationship, and that can be accomplished much easier when you can read someone’s body language, respond to their tone, and share the same space as them.

People do business with people, at the end of the day, so the more you can do to facilitate that true human connection, the better the transaction is going to feel for both parties.  This is one of the transcendent benefits of face-to-face sales.

  1. Real-Time Problem Solving

Much of the sales process is about hearing objections or concerns from your prospective customer and educating them about how the product you’re selling can navigate through them.  This is significantly more effective when it’s done in person because it allows for a true two-way dialogue that isn’t interrupted or mediated by technology.  As such, salespeople can adjust and adapt to where the buyer is at, leading to much more success overall – thanks to the benefits of face-to-face sales.

This allows for true one-on-one specialization which is immensely precise and bucks against the trend of one-size-fits-all solutions.  Customers appreciate this attention to detail, and you’ll save yourself lots of back and forth by getting right to the meat of the matter from the start.

  1. Builds Trust

Trust is at the heart of every business transaction and it’s much easier for your customer to trust you when they can meet you and get a sense of what you’re all about.  Doing this in person is very different from interacting on the phone or via email and it accelerates the conversation as a result.  Your appearance, charisma, and social skills all come into play to gain a buyer’s trust and show them that the product is actually going to benefit them. 

In-person sales efforts can craft a narrative for your company that you can control.  All of this leads to closing deals more quickly and/or identifying unsuitable leads earlier so you can re-deploy your time and efforts elsewhere.

  1. Demonstrates Value

If you’re selling a physical product, you can use your in-person time to give a physical demonstration of what it looks like and how it works – which can be a game-changer when it comes to persuading customers about its effectiveness.  And even if your product is not tangible, you have an opportunity to show other visual aids that can help ease your prospect over the line.  There’s something about seeing things in real life that makes the entire transaction feel more legitimate and trustworthy.

Product demos are some of the most powerful ways of getting the sale done and it’s a great way to leverage the benefits of face-to-face sales.  Let your demonstration do the talking and you’ll be off to the races.

  1. Education

In a lot of cases, your prospective customer might require some education and knowledge transfer about what you’re selling in order to convince them of the value.  If they knew exactly what they wanted from the beginning, they wouldn’t need someone to sell to them.  So, customer education is very much a part of the process.

While this can be done virtually, it’s certainly more effective when you can go back and forth with the customer in person because they’ll feel more comfortable asking questions, and the salesperson can adjust their messaging according to what is being asked.  It also demonstrates that you know what you’re talking about when you can bring charisma and confidence to the conversation – something that can’t be replicated on a phone call.

  1. Customer Psychology

Face-to-face selling is not easy and just the act of doing it shows that you are confident about your product, and you want more people to experience its value.  The cost that you incur in terms of time and effort makes a strong signal that can influence a customer’s psychology around the value proposition.  It feels more direct, and your skin in the game makes for a higher stakes conversation.

All of this contributes to a more effective sales process and an even-footed conversation that tends to convert better than those where it feels like a salesperson is just going through the motions.  Don’t underestimate this psychology – it’s incredibly powerful on a subconscious level.  And it’s one of the benefits of face-to-face sales that remains slightly abstract and intangible.

Those are just 6 of the benefits of face-to-face sales but we hope you can see just how powerful this form of sales communication can be, especially in our modern world where so much has gone remote.  By going against the grain and investing in face-to-face sales, you put yourself in a different league entirely and that could be the secret weapon you need to transform your organization.

If you’re looking to outsource your in-person sales efforts and pour some fuel on the fire, be sure to check out what we can offer here at Smart Circle International. We are a broker of face-to-face sales and marketing campaigns, helping you connect with high-quality sales professionals who can grow your business.  If this sounds of interest, be sure to get in touch today, and let’s see how we can help!

Read more:

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