Meeting Tools that Make You Sell Better: Why It’s Time to Go Beyond Microsoft Teams and Zoom

Forty-four years ago the movie "Star Wars: A New Hope" first premiered, with a stellar plot, unrivalled computer-generated imagery and cinematic effects, and a SciFi universe of droids, holograms, and technology only a kid could dream up. Fast forward to 2021 and it’s safe to say that while we haven’t quite reached lightspeed when it comes to AI holographic technology, our video conferencing software and the scale of remote meetings might surely be enough to “wow” employees back in the 1970s.?

In fact, in the last couple of years alone the use of video conferencing has increased by 48%, even before the sudden surge in video use in 2020, and the meeting tool industry is set to grow rapidly (1). But looking back at the wild imagination of George Lucas and advancements in AI in other industries, I wonder if meeting tech has stalled. Failing to evolve for the needs of sales professionals, and failing to provide anything more than a virtual meeting space. So, what do sales professionals really want and need from the next big thing in online meeting software?

Video meeting tools and the new age of sales.?

Video meeting tools have not only been a lifeline for businesses all over the world during the Covid19 pandemic, but they have also long been growing in importance and popularity in the sales industry. Given that 98% of people agree that video conferencing helps with relationship building inside and outside of a company, it is no surprise that meeting tools are essential for any inside sales tech stack and for any sales rep that is genuinely interested in closing deals. 47% of meeting tool users have also cut their travel costs and 89% agree that video conferencing can reduce the time it takes to complete projects (2).

There is no doubt that meeting tools provide more flexibility in sales teams and greater opportunity to connect with customers. But it seems to me that the video meeting tools of today fail to do anything more than take the benefits of an in-person meeting and put them online. In other words, they simply create an online meeting room or space for sales reps to interact with clients. Of course, this is both more convenient and time-effective for sales teams and customers, but does it really add much value to your sales process?

But what do sales professionals really want and need from their meeting tools?

Structured sales calls that speed up sales cycles.

Effective goal-driven sales conversations have the power to close deals faster by reducing meeting times and unnecessary back and forth between sales reps and their prospects. "The Balance Careers" suggests that you can reduce meeting time by 80% by following a structured agenda, but having a structured agenda for a sales meeting does not guarantee you will easily stick to this structure (3).?

Because sales calls are truly a conversation between sales and clients, meeting tools must work with their user’s voice to help determine the direction of the meeting and provide real-time guidance to keep the call on track. Think detection of keywords and key topics and questions to help sales reps drive a deal forward with the right information provided by their meeting assistant tool.?

Meeting assistance for customer objections.

A versatile meeting tool should provide useful prompts for sales reps especially in the face of customer objections. Whether you’re an experienced sales professional or new to the job, facing customer objections can be daunting, but overcoming customer concerns is absolutely essential to closing a deal, that’s sales 101. A meeting tool designed for sales professionals should offer real-time battle cards that sales reps can access instantly during their meeting if and when a customer voices an objection, thereby offering an extra level of support and assistance for sales reps.?

Automated post-call insights that cut the need for sales admin.?

One of the biggest challenges facing sales reps is the hours of mind-numbing sales admin they have to complete as part of their deals, from note-taking to updating CRM databases, this sales admin takes concentration away from valuable sales activities. A meeting tool for sales teams should work for sales reps, saving hours of post-meeting documentation through automated meeting summaries and instant CRM updates.?

With recording and transcription services a meeting tool should provide all important post-call insights that help reps understand what to do next and pinpoint where deals may be at risk. In other words, your meeting tool could listen in to your sales calls and find all the key info to input in your CRM, allowing you to focus your time on your customer without the need for note-taking and hours deciphering your sales calls.?

Real-time sales coaching.

It’s proven that sales coaching empowers sales reps to close more deals. But real-time sales coaching that reinforces basic sales training is even more powerful for improving your team’s sales skills. Meeting tools should offer real-time coaching during the call and post-call feedback to help sales reps improve using contextual training. A meeting tool that provides complete overviews of your deals plus templates for each deal structure can also drive consistent sales messaging and reduce ramp times.?

We believe sales reps deserve this level of in-call meeting support today and not in some distant SciFi future. That’s why we’ve developed a new voice-powered solution that works as your all-in-one meeting tool to boost productivity, improve meeting outcomes, and reduce your sales tech stack. Ciara offers video conferencing with real-time meeting guidance for effective goal-driven meetings and contextual call coaching. The meeting assistant also provides automated transcription and post-call analytics to keep your deals moving forward, all visible in a sharable Deal Map and linked to your CRM.

To find out more visit our website or try Ciara for free and see what the next generation of meeting tools can do for your sales team.?

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(1) - ”20 Astonishing Video Conferencing Statistics for 2021”, digitalintheround.com, Jul 20, 2021

(2) - “Video Conferencing Statistics for 2019”, Erinn Wolfe: Lifesize, September 10, 2019?

(3) “How to Lead Effective Team Meetings”, Dan McCathy: The Balance Careers, December 07, 2019.

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