Hybrid selling demands a different toolkit — My Quest for the Best with Bill Ringle

Interview Insights

Top Takeaways

The pandemic caused a major shift in the seller-buyer dynamic. While face-to-face selling has been proven effective, companies should train their people in new ways to engage with their buyers, like when a transaction is done on a Zoom screen where reading body language is harder than it is in-person.
It is time for people to acknowledge the importance of learning virtual skills, as remote transactions are now even more normal than face-to-face meetings.
Both types of selling are “new-normals.” Being an efficient virtual seller is good, and being an efficient face-to-face seller is good, but being a great “hybrid-seller” is far better!

Show Notes

Andy talks about Randy Gage, the thought leader who studied prosperity in modern times and how his writing caused the biggest shift in Andy’s life. [01:26]
As the volume of sellers increased, Andy noted how competition made many sellers devalue their offerings, and he encourages listeners always to know the value of what you have to offer. [05:15]
What were the obstacles to adapting during the Pandemic for to salespeople used to meetings in person? How can they get back on track? [08:20]
What is the most helpful mindset, attitude, and approach to how sellers can thrive over this new challenge of selling remotely? [10:36]
CASE: One of the first companies that Andy helped with this new way of selling was a water company. They were well known in their market as one of the best vendors for their product until the pandemic hit, and they had to learn how to sell to their clients without the face-to-face selling. [15:20]
Why do sales teams need different tool kits to respond to drastically different situations? Are there ways to prevent members of your sales team from giving away too much leverage to the buyer? [23:44]
What do most people miss about the importance of the discovery stage in a virtual environment? [27:00]
What are some of the secrets you’ve learned about how sales professionals can use the virtual environment to their advantage? [30:42]
Additional tips for those who want to learn how to be great at virtual selling. [32:04]

Expert Bio

Andy Springer is an expert in sales high performance and co-author of Virtual Selling: How to Build Relationships, Differentiate, and Win Sales Remotely.

As Chief Client Officer of RAIN Group, Andy drives the design and delivery of client results for the firm that’s been named on the Selling Power and Training Industry’s Top 20 Sales Training Companies list for numerous years.

Andy has worked with hundreds of sales teams to drive long-lasting sales improvement for SME, mid-market, enterprise, and government clients.

Leading many of RAIN Group’s highly popular digital seminars on virtual selling topics, Andy is a regular contributor to the firm’s award-winning sales blog. His white papers, 9 Principles of Virtual Learning Success and The Guide to Sales Training Success, have also been downloaded by thousands of sellers and sales leaders around the globe.

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In addition, Andy co-founded two successful consultancies and has been a lead advisor to many thriving start-ups in the Australian Business community.

Andy received his B.A. in Business from the University of Newcastle, Australia.