How Video Calls Can Help You Close Deals at Lightning Speed

Video conferencing has become a ubiquitous part of working in the modern world. Even before the outbreak of COVID-19, the number of companies using cloud-based video conferencing had increased by 880% over the past four years.

While the traditional phone call still has its place - 69% of buyers accepted one or more cold calls in 2019 - video is quickly showing itself to be the superior medium for closing deals, especially when speed is a factor. Sales professionals need to secure as many customers or clients as possible, and video is the best way to do this.

This is due to several unique advantages that video conferencing has over other electronic communication. While face-to-face meetings will always be the most effective type of interaction, it’s impractical to rely on them; especially given the increased emphasis on remote working. Here’s how video calls can help close deals quickly and efficiently.

They facilitate communication

When closing deals, effective communication is one of the most important aspects of the job. Anything that assists with that is therefore worth investing in. When it comes to calls, video is the clear winner thanks to the fact that as much as 70% to 93% of all communication is non-verbal.

While some of that incorporates things like tone of voice, a lot of the way human beings communicate comes from our posture, gestures and facial expressions. When negotiating a deal, people naturally start to mimic the body language of the person they’re trying to sway, which is a factor completely lost in a call or via email when video isn’t available.

This means relationships are easier to create and maintain when video conferencing is used. Some 93% of organizations believe using video calls improves interactions and strengthen their business relationships, which makes deals much more likely.

Screen sharing for visual learners

People prefer visual information, and while nonverbal communication is part of this, it’s only one piece of the puzzle. Video calls allow users to share their screen, enabling them to give presentations and enhance their meetings with visual aids.

This is an incredibly useful tool for making deals. Research shows that combining verbal communication with some kind of visual presentation enhances the persuasiveness of what is being presented. One study found that adding visuals to a presentation made it 17% more convincing, while another found presenters who used visual aids were 43% more persuasive to their audience.

Adding visuals also helps people retain more information. One experiment asked participants to remember a set of words, with one group seeing just the words and the other seeing the words with an accompanying picture. The latter group remembered an average of 1.8 more words than the former. This helps close deals when participants need time to think about things, as they’ll remember more of a product or service’s features and benefits.

Give your company a human face

People prefer to buy from people. This is why face-to-face meetings are the preferred option compared to phone calls, even though they’re not necessarily the most affordable option. However, when it comes to closing as many deals as quickly as possible, video calls are not only the best way to provide a company with a human face, but it’s also a cost-effective way to do so.

When compared to traditional phone calls, video conferencing provides a much bigger boost to happiness and emotional health. People enjoy seeing faces, and brains thrive on variety. A phone call doesn’t provide a contact with a change in venue, but a video call shows participants a new location; something that helps the brain retain even more information.

Something as simple as seeing somebody’s face can have a huge impact on a person’s feelings. When surveyed, 82% of employees agreed that video calls provided a greater sense of trust than phone calls, and 91% say they’re more engaged on video. These are crucial tools that help sales professionals close deals faster and more effectively.