Like any other sales tool, technology is only as good as the people operating it.

So, before rolling out your immersive sales strategy, make sure to observe industry best
practices. Here are some tips and tricks to help you stay the course and ultimately close more deals.

1. Tell a compelling story. Everybody loves a good story.

In fact, a 2022 NielsenIQ survey found that 56% of consumers like knowing the story behind the brands that they patronize. When employed as a sales strategy, storytelling allows you to hold your audience’s attention, add more depth to factual data, and help customers establish a connection with your product to purchase.

To make your product’s story compelling, here are a few tips to keep in mind:

• Paint a picture. Dive into details. Describe the context vividly and explain the goals of your characters. This makes it easy for the customer to put themselves in the shoes of the characters you created.
• Place focus on the customer. Let your customer be the story's hero and position your product as the supporting role. That said, try to focus on the customer's pain points before diving into how your product can resolve them.
• Use a bit of humor. A stiff delivery can dampen the impact of a story, no matter how good the story may be. To avoid this, try to use a bit of humor to add color to the narrative or to break the ice. Just be careful not to overdo it.
• Make it personal. Share real stories that your prospect can relate to as often as possible. Perhaps tell them success stories of previous clients or failures that they can learn from. You can also share personal anecdotes to bridge the gap between you and your prospect.

2. Back up your facts with numbers.

No matter what it is you are selling, be sure to know your numbers. Remember, it’s one thing to say that “a product has X, Y, and Z features,” and it’s another to say that “a product’s X, Y, and Z features were able to help a business increase productivity by 20%.” By supporting your sales narrative with factual data, you can assure customers that you can provide them with quantitative results.

The data you should add to your presentation will generally depend on your product or service. However, here are a few of the most common statistical data that you will need:

• Number of clients
• Units sold
• Market penetration
• Cost savings
• Time savings
• Productivity savings
• Client performance
• Return-on-investment

Numerical data aside, customer testimonials and case studies are also great for backing up your sales pitch. These serve as social proof of the tangible impact of your products and services.

If you are engaged in channel partnerships, it is best to ask your partner companies for statistical information about their products and services. This enablement strategy will make it easier for you to develop a data-backed presentation.

3. Highlight your product’s strengths.

Just as you want to take photos from your most flattering angles, your sales pitch should showcase your product’s strengths. For instance, try raising a problem and offering a solution only your product can provide. Before you can do this, however, you must first define your Unique Selling Proposition (USP).

The USP is the quality that separates your brand from your competitors. Determine what your is by following these steps:

• Identify your customer. Narrow down their demographic, their purchasing behavior, and the concerns they have that your product can address.
• Find out why customers buy your product. Customers have different reasons for choosing one item over another: affordability, ease of use, or aesthetics. By understanding why they would choose your product, you might be able to uncover angles for a sales pitch that you have not considered previously.
• List down product strengths. Aside from the reasons why customers choose your product, list down other strengths of your product that come to mind. These can include features that you know are unique to your product.
• List down product weaknesses. Understanding the weak points of your product is also key in framing your sales presentation. It allows you to determine what discussion points to focus on and which to avoid. Alternatively, you can also mention these weaknesses and how you intend to improve them in the future.

Noting these will ultimately make it easier to map out a product demonstration or sales presentation that will play to your product's strengths.

4. Prepare to handle objections.

Many sales presentations are often met with some pushback from the prospective buyer. So, knowing how to handle these objections is a crucial part of the sales strategy. Among the most common concerns that we’re sure you’ve heard a million times over are:

• “We don’t have the budget for it at the moment”
• “I don’t have the authority to make the purchase”
• “I’m okay with the one I have now; I don’t need it”
• “I need to think about it”

These roadblocks are just that: roadblocks. Hesitancy isn’t a ‘no’! Sometimes, all you need to do is reemphasize the value that your product has to offer. That said, you can prepare to handle objections with these tips:

1. Listen closely. When the customer objects, stop pitching and listen closely. This way, you can provide a meaningful response that addresses the concern. This allows them to feel respected, which is critical to building trust.
2. Validate the prospect’s objections. In line with listening closely, you should also empathize with your prospect. Let them know that you understand their point of view before offering a solution that can mitigate their concern.
3. Know when to walk away. Sometimes, a sale just isn’t meant to be. As such, you should know when it’s time to disengage. This way, you won’t waste time on dead-end leads and can keep an open line of communication with the prospect. You never know; perhaps they’ll get back to you when they’re ready.

Bring Your Sales Strategy into the Future

If you still rely on PowerPoint presentations to carry your sales pitches, we hate to break it to you, but you’re shooting yourself in the foot. People admire innovation because it’s bigger than them, and they want to be a part of it. Simply put, the future belongs to companies that can offer customers a more immersive sales experience. With the help of augmented, virtual, and mixed reality, you can bring your sales strategy into the future and close more deals.

Xureal is a cloud-based metaverse solution created to facilitate sales enablement and training. It helps users gain access to 3D product visualizations, virtual sales rooms, and similar functionalities to improve the sales experience. It also offers a variety of sales training options that can help you provide skill-building opportunities for your team.

If you’re ready to step into the future to level up your sales strategy, request a Xureal demo today.