B2B sales have changed and the future of B2B sales is virtual selling in this digital-first era. The year 2020 has pulled everyone out of their comfort zones and made everyone think differently and sell differently. According to consulting firm Mckinsey, since the pandemic began, almost 90% of sales have moved to a remote selling model. The face-to-face, in-person meetings and presentations and other traditional selling methods in the current scenario are no longer available.

Virtual selling is the way ahead and even Gartner says that sales leaders must implement a clear virtual selling strategy to support the Salesforce. Gartner also says that by 2025 80% of B2B sales interactions will occur digitally. Therefore building virtual and digital competencies should not be an option, it has to be a must to stay ahead of the competition.

Having said that the sales leaders need to start doing an assessment on their virtual and digital selling readiness at the earliest to understand what all the skills, tools and technology they have and what all the skills they need to build because there is an entire list of skills that a seller needs to master to sell digitally and virtually For example, how to build their digital presence, how to correct their digital body language, how to start digital communication, how to curate digital assets to build trust and rapport with decision-makers. Because digital and virtual selling is not limited to mastering Zoom meetings, light placement, mic placement, background set-up, it is more than that it is about building digital relationships, trust, fixing meetings, filling the top of the sales funnel, showcasing business acumen through digital and virtual channels.

For sellers credibility is still the key to success and therefore they need to start focusing on building their digital credibility because just like you can't go to a customer place wearing a T-shirt and shorts, similarly your digital persona can't go to your customer place wearing informal clothing. It is the time for a digital fix to have a greater impact with virtual selling.