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Virtual Selling: How to Build Relationships, Differentiate, and Win Sales Remotely
From bestselling author of Rainmaking Conversations and Insight Selling.
Do you want to connect with buyers and win more sales in the new world of virtual selling?
Do you want to learn how to develop strong relationships with buyers virtually, lead masterful virtual sales conversations, and become a top performing seller in this new environment?
Recent world events have flipped sales on its head and driven unprecedented levels of virtual interaction. As a result, sellers are faced with more challenges than ever before.
You can’t sell the same way you did pre-2020. If you do, you won’t achieve the same results. You need to adapt. Pivot. And change almost everything you did previously. If you want to thrive in sales today, it will require that you transition to the new world of selling remotely…take the “new norm” by storm.
Change isn’t easy.
Whether you’ve been in sales for years or you’re just starting out, learning how to sell virtually can feel intimidating.
From the best-selling authors of Rainmaking Conversations and Insight Selling, this book helps sellers to navigate these uncharted waters.
With practical advice, virtual selling techniques you can apply immediately, and the latest groundbreaking research, Virtual Selling: How to Build Relationships, Differentiate, and Win Sales Remotely will take you step-by-step through everything you need to do from mastering the medium to sharpening your virtual selling skills. You will discover how to overcome virtual selling challenges and reach your sales goals without face-to-face meetings.
You will learn:
• The #1 thing virtual sellers needs to focus on to achieve higher win rates
• 4 key areas of virtual selling that, when mastered, will differentiate you from the competition
• How consultative selling has changed and how sellers must adapt
• 4 principles of rapport and 20 questions for building rapport online
• How to run the most effective virtual sales meetings
• Virtual selling best practices for mastering the medium, including meeting mechanics, setup, and technology
• How to uncover aspirations and afflictions and lead a virtual needs discovery
• 17 common business factors affecting financial impact and how to build a strong ROI case
• 5 keys to delivering a powerful convincing story online
• How to collaborate with buyers online and virtual meeting tools you can leverage
• Keys to growing existing accounts with virtual value labs
• 9 Habits of Extreme Productivity to overcome distractions and boost your sales productivity
• How to deliver powerful virtual sales presentations
• Surprising research on what factors most influence buyers’ decisions and how virtual sellers stack up
• How to capture buyer attention and maintain high levels of engagement throughout virtual sales meetings
Plus, gain access to exclusive guides, checklists, templates, and more to help you succeed in today’s new sales environment.
Do you want to connect with buyers and win more sales in the new world of virtual selling?
Do you want to learn how to develop strong relationships with buyers virtually, lead masterful virtual sales conversations, and become a top performing seller in this new environment?
Recent world events have flipped sales on its head and driven unprecedented levels of virtual interaction. As a result, sellers are faced with more challenges than ever before.
You can’t sell the same way you did pre-2020. If you do, you won’t achieve the same results. You need to adapt. Pivot. And change almost everything you did previously. If you want to thrive in sales today, it will require that you transition to the new world of selling remotely…take the “new norm” by storm.
Change isn’t easy.
Whether you’ve been in sales for years or you’re just starting out, learning how to sell virtually can feel intimidating.
From the best-selling authors of Rainmaking Conversations and Insight Selling, this book helps sellers to navigate these uncharted waters.
With practical advice, virtual selling techniques you can apply immediately, and the latest groundbreaking research, Virtual Selling: How to Build Relationships, Differentiate, and Win Sales Remotely will take you step-by-step through everything you need to do from mastering the medium to sharpening your virtual selling skills. You will discover how to overcome virtual selling challenges and reach your sales goals without face-to-face meetings.
You will learn:
• The #1 thing virtual sellers needs to focus on to achieve higher win rates
• 4 key areas of virtual selling that, when mastered, will differentiate you from the competition
• How consultative selling has changed and how sellers must adapt
• 4 principles of rapport and 20 questions for building rapport online
• How to run the most effective virtual sales meetings
• Virtual selling best practices for mastering the medium, including meeting mechanics, setup, and technology
• How to uncover aspirations and afflictions and lead a virtual needs discovery
• 17 common business factors affecting financial impact and how to build a strong ROI case
• 5 keys to delivering a powerful convincing story online
• How to collaborate with buyers online and virtual meeting tools you can leverage
• Keys to growing existing accounts with virtual value labs
• 9 Habits of Extreme Productivity to overcome distractions and boost your sales productivity
• How to deliver powerful virtual sales presentations
• Surprising research on what factors most influence buyers’ decisions and how virtual sellers stack up
• How to capture buyer attention and maintain high levels of engagement throughout virtual sales meetings
Plus, gain access to exclusive guides, checklists, templates, and more to help you succeed in today’s new sales environment.
- GenresBusinessNonfiction
266 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 17, 2020
186 people are currently reading
148 people want to read
About the author
Mike Schultz
6 books5 followersMike Schultz is a world-renowned speaker, researcher, and sales expert. He is author of several books, including WSJ Best-seller Rainmaking Conversations (Wiley, 2011).
As President of RAIN Group, Mike has grown the firm into a global leader, named a Top 20 Sales Training Company by Selling Power and Training Industry. In 2020, superior client results earned RAIN Group a Brandon Hall Award for Best Unique or Innovative Sales Training Program and four Gold Stevie Awards for Sales Training Practice of the Year, Sales Training Program of the Year, Sales Training Professional of the Year, and Business Development Achievement of the Year.
Mike and the team at RAIN Group have worked with national and international organizations such as Toyota, Citibank, Canon, Bright Horizons, BDO, Hitachi, Lee Hecht Harrison, Hologic, Optus, and hundreds of others to unleash sales performance.
As Director of the RAIN Group Center for Sales Research, Mike and an analyst team study buying and selling relentlessly. Studies include Virtual Buying and Selling Challenges, Top Performance in Sales Negotiation, Extreme Productivity Benchmark Report, Top Performance in Sales Prospecting, The Value-Driving Sales Organization, What Sales Winners Do Differently, Top Performance in Strategic Account Management, Top Sales Leadership Challenges and Priorities, and The Top-Performing Sales Organization.
Business Week, Forbes, Inc., Entrepreneur, MSNBC, and hundreds of others have interviewed and featured Mike's articles, research, and white papers. He frequently appears on top-ranked radio, TV, and podcast programs to discuss various sales topics and new research findings.
Named an influential sales professional by LinkedIn, Mike has presented at major events, including HubSpot INBOUND, Strategic Account Management Association’s Annual Conferences, Sales Leadership Conference, and Sales Operations Institute. In 2019, he was honored as a leading keynote speaker by Top Sales World.
Passionate about raising awareness of congenital heart defects (CHD) and organ donation, blogging at www.echoofhope.org, the American Heart Association (AHA) of Central Massachusetts honored Mike with the Heart of Gold Award in 2018.
Mike is a graduate of Brandeis University in Waltham, MA with a B.A. in American Studies, and holds an MBA from the F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business at Babson College. He was an adjunct professor at both schools, teaching courses in marketing and sales.
You can download his free white papers, guides, and eBooks at www.raingroup.com/resources and watch his videos at www.youtube.com/raingroup. Follow Mike on Twitter at @Mike_Schultz and LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/mikeschultz50/
In addition to Rainmaking Conversations, his other top ranked sales books for sellers and sales leaders include:
• Professional Services Marketing (Wiley, 2013)
• Insight Selling (Wiley, 2014)
• Virtual Selling: How to Build Relationships, Differentiate, and Win Sales Remotely (2020)
•Not Today: The Productivity Code Revealed (2021)
As President of RAIN Group, Mike has grown the firm into a global leader, named a Top 20 Sales Training Company by Selling Power and Training Industry. In 2020, superior client results earned RAIN Group a Brandon Hall Award for Best Unique or Innovative Sales Training Program and four Gold Stevie Awards for Sales Training Practice of the Year, Sales Training Program of the Year, Sales Training Professional of the Year, and Business Development Achievement of the Year.
Mike and the team at RAIN Group have worked with national and international organizations such as Toyota, Citibank, Canon, Bright Horizons, BDO, Hitachi, Lee Hecht Harrison, Hologic, Optus, and hundreds of others to unleash sales performance.
As Director of the RAIN Group Center for Sales Research, Mike and an analyst team study buying and selling relentlessly. Studies include Virtual Buying and Selling Challenges, Top Performance in Sales Negotiation, Extreme Productivity Benchmark Report, Top Performance in Sales Prospecting, The Value-Driving Sales Organization, What Sales Winners Do Differently, Top Performance in Strategic Account Management, Top Sales Leadership Challenges and Priorities, and The Top-Performing Sales Organization.
Business Week, Forbes, Inc., Entrepreneur, MSNBC, and hundreds of others have interviewed and featured Mike's articles, research, and white papers. He frequently appears on top-ranked radio, TV, and podcast programs to discuss various sales topics and new research findings.
Named an influential sales professional by LinkedIn, Mike has presented at major events, including HubSpot INBOUND, Strategic Account Management Association’s Annual Conferences, Sales Leadership Conference, and Sales Operations Institute. In 2019, he was honored as a leading keynote speaker by Top Sales World.
Passionate about raising awareness of congenital heart defects (CHD) and organ donation, blogging at www.echoofhope.org, the American Heart Association (AHA) of Central Massachusetts honored Mike with the Heart of Gold Award in 2018.
Mike is a graduate of Brandeis University in Waltham, MA with a B.A. in American Studies, and holds an MBA from the F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business at Babson College. He was an adjunct professor at both schools, teaching courses in marketing and sales.
You can download his free white papers, guides, and eBooks at www.raingroup.com/resources and watch his videos at www.youtube.com/raingroup. Follow Mike on Twitter at @Mike_Schultz and LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/mikeschultz50/
In addition to Rainmaking Conversations, his other top ranked sales books for sellers and sales leaders include:
• Professional Services Marketing (Wiley, 2013)
• Insight Selling (Wiley, 2014)
• Virtual Selling: How to Build Relationships, Differentiate, and Win Sales Remotely (2020)
•
Ratings & Reviews
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
December 16, 2020
Good books on sales are hard to come by. There is the inevitable promise of revelation, riches and rewards if you just follow their tried and tested formula. It worked for them, so why not you? Or, worse, you get those books that just sell you the 'it's yours if you just try hard enough and want it as much as I did' pipe dream (looking at you, Iannarino).
The best sales books do something different. Using relevant data and psychology, as well as insights into how these apply in the real world, they bring the science and art of sales together. This is one of those books.
To say that it is timely is an understatement. Virtual selling is totally relevant right now. If you haven't read Insights Selling or any of their other titles, don't worry; the core of their approach is outlined in the book. It takes the ideas and concepts the RAIN group have written about for years and does an excellent job of applying them to the world of virtual sales. I kept a notebook and pen with me every time I picked this book up and have a solid set of tactics and resources developed based on the concepts it describes.
Each chapter starts with a review of where the key differences between face to face sales and virtual meetings are. I found this really useful as I can't deny I began to read this with a great deal of scepticism. After all, most salespeople use a telephone for their daily work, and isn't that 'virtual' selling? Well, yes, but... now we're using Zoom, Teams, WebEx and other technology to engage clients. These tools offer opportunities to salespeople that most are blissfully unaware of or haven't really considered as potential competitive edges. The authors do a great job of framing the challenges salespeople face and how this technology, combined with insights from data, psychology and research, can produce results.
As a small bonus, there is a final section on productivity for those working from home or focussed on virtual selling that was as unexpected as it was helpful.
Don't assume Virtual Selling is going away after the pandemic clears. Buy this book and get ahead of your competition - it will be years before they catch you up.
The best sales books do something different. Using relevant data and psychology, as well as insights into how these apply in the real world, they bring the science and art of sales together. This is one of those books.
To say that it is timely is an understatement. Virtual selling is totally relevant right now. If you haven't read Insights Selling or any of their other titles, don't worry; the core of their approach is outlined in the book. It takes the ideas and concepts the RAIN group have written about for years and does an excellent job of applying them to the world of virtual sales. I kept a notebook and pen with me every time I picked this book up and have a solid set of tactics and resources developed based on the concepts it describes.
Each chapter starts with a review of where the key differences between face to face sales and virtual meetings are. I found this really useful as I can't deny I began to read this with a great deal of scepticism. After all, most salespeople use a telephone for their daily work, and isn't that 'virtual' selling? Well, yes, but... now we're using Zoom, Teams, WebEx and other technology to engage clients. These tools offer opportunities to salespeople that most are blissfully unaware of or haven't really considered as potential competitive edges. The authors do a great job of framing the challenges salespeople face and how this technology, combined with insights from data, psychology and research, can produce results.
As a small bonus, there is a final section on productivity for those working from home or focussed on virtual selling that was as unexpected as it was helpful.
Don't assume Virtual Selling is going away after the pandemic clears. Buy this book and get ahead of your competition - it will be years before they catch you up.
January 31, 2025
Some of this book is really dated. For example, it came out early in the pandemic and talks about that a lot. And the technical advice isn't applicable anymore.
Some of the stuff is good--but not unique. Just standard sales advice (and said better elsewhere).
But I did get some nuggets, including...
Find a way to quantify your benefit - put it in numbers.
Tell a before and after story. This is the most powerful way to demonstrate the ROI of working with you.
To get maximum buy in, collaboratively build for them, their unique ROI situation, using their numbers. Then they really own that this is true.
Collaborating with buyers is a huge boost to your selling success. Use virtual whiteboards to collaborate in real time. Leave it up even after you're done as it sparks more thought and they often say they should share this with someone else.
Surveys are underutilized collaboration tool.
Some of the stuff is good--but not unique. Just standard sales advice (and said better elsewhere).
But I did get some nuggets, including...
Find a way to quantify your benefit - put it in numbers.
Tell a before and after story. This is the most powerful way to demonstrate the ROI of working with you.
To get maximum buy in, collaboratively build for them, their unique ROI situation, using their numbers. Then they really own that this is true.
Collaborating with buyers is a huge boost to your selling success. Use virtual whiteboards to collaborate in real time. Leave it up even after you're done as it sparks more thought and they often say they should share this with someone else.
Surveys are underutilized collaboration tool.
Read
October 5, 2020In this pandemic environment, outstanding salespeople are failing because they aren't comfortable with the virtual tools, a flexible approach, and a conversational map to create customer value. We need to assume that physically getting in front of the customer will continue to be difficult. In fact, I'm sensing that buyers are finding that virtual platforms are efficient for weeding out contenders. I have worked with some of the modules of "Virtual Selling" on how to engage with the customer, and build rapport and trust. They are invaluable. Over the years, I've noticed that Rain Group does an incredible amount of research before building their sales methodologies. Mike Schultz and his team have created a very timely must-read for B2B salespeople and executives. Good Selling!
August 16, 2025
The guys at Rain group not only made the book Virtual Selling digestible, but easy to understand.
I like sales books for salespeople written that way. If you have bought a sales management text book, you'll sometimes find the rigours of academia within it. And it's great! But "everyday" sales books benefit from communicating ideas succinctly.
And you'll find that sales are not the same as they were just 20 years ago. The book conceptualizes what you need to know simply. Of course, to master these concepts you'll have to be thorough with details throughout time.
That being said, selling virtually is a brave new world, and within these pages you'll find a map to reach your business destination.
I like sales books for salespeople written that way. If you have bought a sales management text book, you'll sometimes find the rigours of academia within it. And it's great! But "everyday" sales books benefit from communicating ideas succinctly.
And you'll find that sales are not the same as they were just 20 years ago. The book conceptualizes what you need to know simply. Of course, to master these concepts you'll have to be thorough with details throughout time.
That being said, selling virtually is a brave new world, and within these pages you'll find a map to reach your business destination.
September 8, 2020
Virtual Selling gives you a practical guide for how to succeed in selling when you aren't there face-to-face. As a business coach, I can tell you first hand, this is a skill set that organizations desperately need to develop. Mike Schultz and co-authors share tactical advice based on research and in the trenches experience. If you think things will go back to the way they were, and you can just wait it out... Think Again. Regardless of how long Covid-19 lasts, this pandemic has and will continue to change our world. Those that truly understand that and change quickly will be best positioned for long term success.
November 23, 2020
Up to date strategies for success!
I am fairly new to virtual sales and this book has provided me with great insights on how to get the job done. It has been very helpful with how to master conversations online and finding prime prospects and closing sales. It not only enlightens one of what sales were like pre-COVID but how to go about them online in the COVID and hopefully post COVID world. It goes on further to lay out strategies to master the world of online sales.
This book has been very helpful and enlightening for me and I would recommend it to all.
I am fairly new to virtual sales and this book has provided me with great insights on how to get the job done. It has been very helpful with how to master conversations online and finding prime prospects and closing sales. It not only enlightens one of what sales were like pre-COVID but how to go about them online in the COVID and hopefully post COVID world. It goes on further to lay out strategies to master the world of online sales.
This book has been very helpful and enlightening for me and I would recommend it to all.
January 25, 2021
2020 and 2021 represent a sea change in sales approach, as face to face meetings are replaced with an endless series of video conferences and remote work. This book, written in the midst of the pandemic shutdown, provides tips, tricks, and best practices for selling in this environment. From how to set your camera to how to manage your time, you will get walked through the basics of virtual selling. A timely and useful read.
August 29, 2020
Virtual Selling in the WFH Era
This book is completely full with great ideas and action steps to succeed in Virtual Selling. This is a great resource at this unprecedented time. Do yourself a favor, whether you're in sales or not, pick this book up. Schultz and his team are definitely top-notch in sales consulting and best practices.
This book is completely full with great ideas and action steps to succeed in Virtual Selling. This is a great resource at this unprecedented time. Do yourself a favor, whether you're in sales or not, pick this book up. Schultz and his team are definitely top-notch in sales consulting and best practices.
March 23, 2021
To improve your skills for Virtual Sales
Good advices and actionable proposals based on real experience in sales process. Recommend for people in sales to improve performance and adapt to virtual sales environments.
Good advices and actionable proposals based on real experience in sales process. Recommend for people in sales to improve performance and adapt to virtual sales environments.
November 30, 2021
Very informative, but definitely a book you'll forget about. The insights aren't very actionable, but they did provide me with some knowledge on how virtual sales differ from in-person sales, and some items that will help me become a better salesperson in the digital age.
February 17, 2022
Recommend this book for those selling online in a consulting-type fashion. Overall great insights into the art of selling online/virtually and how to stay productive.
It covers the nuances of virtual selling exceptionally well and is relevant to the current times amidst - IE: Covid pandemic.
It covers the nuances of virtual selling exceptionally well and is relevant to the current times amidst - IE: Covid pandemic.
July 23, 2020
Relevant
Up to date book that nicely fit into other books from the RAIN consultancy. Easy to comprehend and apply in these times.
Up to date book that nicely fit into other books from the RAIN consultancy. Easy to comprehend and apply in these times.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews