Perfect Your Screen-to- Screen Selling w/ Doug Devitre [Episode 446]

Doug Devitre, Founder of Doug Devitre International, and author of Screen to Screen Selling, and wannabe sushi chef, joins me on this episode to walk through some concrete steps that reps can take to power up their sales process and improve sales conversations.

Key Takeaways

• Screen to screen selling involves the latest technologies to communicate your message or sell your product.
• Advances in technology have removed the fear of whether or not the connection will work. New avenues of creativity are opening. Video shows visual cues.
• More companies are mainstreaming video conferencing into their strategy. There are numerous screen sharing technologies today. Doug explains some advantages of Zoom.
• The best tool is the one the customer uses. Don’t make it unfamiliar to them. Doug says, if you can’t get your camera to work, you have a mindset problem!
• The major solutions are easy to operate. Engagement goes up when you can see somebody. Prepare 30 minutes before the meeting, with your links and content.
• Know the desired result of the call and have an agenda, then close down your instant messengers, so they don’t open in your sales presentation. Close windows except ones you will use. Don’t say, “Let me find that,” and waste time searching.
• Hide your phone and distractions. Be ready. Maintain eye contact. Save visuals until the customer says, “Tell me more.” That gives you permission to show what you have.
• Camera position is critical. You want to focus on the camera, so people see your eyes. Don’t have the camera in an awkward place. In a busy office, go to a conference room, or use a backdrop like Webaround. Use light, such as ChatLight.
• Doug demonstrates screen sharing. Doug and Andy roleplay a sales call, with drawing on the fly, using Doceri.
• Drawing on a sales call can reach multiple influencers at once in different locations.
• Doceri can overlay your slideshow to make annotations based on customer responses. Doug suggests marketing and sales can collaborate closely to prepare the presentation, and save prospect time. Doug discusses tech.
• Zoom can share your presentation as a PDF summary, including all the visuals diagrammed. Or use Revenue.io ConversationAI for a recording and/or a transcription of the call.

Episode Transcript 

Andy Paul  0:32  

So joining me today to talk about how to sell virtually for a second time is Doug Devitre. He’s the founder of Doug Devitre International and author of a really excellent book called Screen To Screen Selling. So Doug, how are you doing?

Doug Devitre  3:35  

So the whole idea of the premise of screen to screen selling is how to communicate your idea or your message, or maybe that’s to sell your product or service or maybe it’s to influence others and arrive at a decision using some of the latest technology. Now, I know from before we did the podcast just kind of through audio, but now we’ve got video, which is cool because we’ll be able to kind of do demonstrates, some of those concepts that are going to be different in terms of not just the conversational flow, but also how we articulate and communicate complex ideas, especially when we get into the consultative type of sales process.

Andy Paul  4:16  

Yeah, and I think that, there’s a catch up field, almost tired of talking about this and so many interviews recently, people are talking about automation and sales technology and this desire to sort of take the human out of the sale. And, you know, you look at the investments companies are making in this technology really reinforces the idea that, the human part is as essential even more so than it used to be we may be more remote than we used to be, but a lot of the same things in terms of building relationships, rapport, looking at visual cues, all that stuff is still there.

Doug Devitre  4:57  

Yeah, what’s I guess what’s different Now that the technology has kind of caught up now we can be a little bit more creative. Now we don’t have to worry, you know, is it going to work or is not going to work just because you know, the internet’s getting faster and we’ve got much better tools today.

Andy Paul  5:12  

Yeah, if we haven’t clogged up our computers with having too many apps open less as I did before we started this interview and had to force quit many of them but talking about zoom. So yeah, this virtual selling is really a thing but,I think they passed a billion dollar valuation right. So with our latest round of investment, that’s pretty significant. 

Doug Devitre  5:49  

You know what made Zoom so powerful. It’s just it puts all the other software’s or service companies to shame. Because they built, from the ground up of Eric Juan, who’s the CEO, brought a bunch of engineers over from Cisco and then said, how do we make the most usable software? And just because I’ve studied usability with technology, interface and design, I knew right away that the Zoom was a contender, and even kind of a platform that I could use with my own clients. So after talking about how great it is that I actually use it on a regular basis. 

Andy Paul  6:49  

I mean, that certainly has become my increasing platform for talking with clients. Partially because of the quality, partially because it’s a little bit, the user interface is a little bit more business friendly.

Doug Devitre  7:19  

Yeah, a question that I get asked and something we covered on the first podcast, but I just want to kind of reinforce it or for your listeners to miss the first one. And the question I get asked is, which is the best tool? Because the Vedas use Skype and they’re not familiar with Zooms that’ll look and be a little bit hesitant but something doesn’t work. They’re gonna blame the technology or they’re gonna blame you.

Andy Paul  7:52  

Well, I’ve had this issue though, with Skype now. So Skype is around forever, and I interview people. They’re pretty smart people on my show and you’d be surprised how many have an issue with Skype now there’s an issue meaning, I don’t know how to use it. I mean, you’re like one guy was pretty smart in terms of training and technology based training. It’s like, you’re trying to tell me that you’re freaked up by Skype?

Doug Devitre  8:20  

You have a mindset problem, not a technology problem. 

Andy Paul  8:33  

Yeah, I mean, hopefully these people are probably still ones sitting at home looking at what used to be their VCR and maybe they still have a VCR blinking 12 at them all the time, right?

Doug Devitre  8:42  

I mean, seriously, if you’re going to hold a meeting and every time you need to hold a meeting or have a conference call yet a call, technical support will not be a drain on your resources rather than actually improving the productivity condition.

Andy Paul  10:22  

But I mean, is there anything else on top of, good conventional sales practice that you need to really focus on preparing prior to a good screen to screen call like this?

Doug Devitre  10:36  

So I mean, just the simple things you wouldn’t think about until you made the mistake and you embarrassed yourself and other people who you know, number one is closing down all your messengers. Yeah. The last thing you want to have happen is a screen share conversation. And then there’s a Facebook instant messenger Skype in semesters that talks about something embarrassing that you did that you would want your customer to see or invitations or something embarrassing at that moment.

Andy Paul  12:40  

Well, and eliminate eliminate distractions as well, right. So turn your phone off, put it away. Don’t be tempted. I mean, part of the reason I think the wait time looks so long is when you’re waiting for somebody if you’re in a meeting like this, and somebody says, Hey, let me find that if you’ve got everything on your desktop, you can sort of look at it.

Doug Devitre  13:04  

Well, I’m asking you questions about what some of you know, you know, go basic, or you can go to Advanced financial relationship, you know, what’s your biggest challenge? Or specifically in your budget line? Which item do you need to look at? Well, once you ask that question, and then the customer says, tell me more, that then gives you permission to pull up the visual on the screen share. 

Andy Paul  14:02  

Interesting. So how I mean, so you start triggering a thought when you talk about the tell me more question, because that’s a bilateral question. Right? It’s a great question to ask your prospects. 

Doug Devitre  14:29  

What I would suggest is your responsibility is kind of the facilitator of that conversation is to make sure that the customer is asking the right questions, that they’re kind of taking this overall big picture so they can then filter it down to a decision rather than wait.

Andy Paul  15:20  

So what are some of the tips you have for people to say, look, we get on a call like this, I mean, one things that’s the research has shown that, hey, just the mere act of smiling, yeah, you know, predisposes the customer to open up to be more receptive to And one other advice you have for people along those lines right at the beginning of a call just get started.

Doug Devitre  16:06  

You know, I think I think camera position is also critical early on because when you start a call, it depends on what software you’re using. You have your camera that you actually see yourself on the computer screen, right? So many times it might appear on the far right hand side of the screen, or top or my beer at the far bottom right of the screen. Well, the problem with that actually, this is what is what zoom does really well is if we center it right, centered underneath the actual standard two laptops, which is you know, it’s a it’s a design fee or a design that they put into the software that just makes it a little bit more user friendly.

Andy Paul  16:46  

Right. Yeah, good. Well, I was gonna say that you talk about camera position. That’s a great one, right? So you’re not you actually people on the other side, feel like you’re actually looking at them in the eye. And, yeah, as much as you can. Yeah. Keep your eye focused on the light or the cameras. And that’s, that’s really making a connection there. But the thing is also is making sure that you’re not having your camera, either sitting on your lap looking up at the ceiling. That’s a common one.

Doug Devitre  17:17  

You do, right? Even if you do have a you’re in that situation where the laptop is facing the ceiling, it will turn the camera off. Just because you have the option to use the software doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to use it.

Andy Paul  17:31  

True, but if the customer has the camera and you need to reciprocate, right? Yeah, man that is and sometimes if you’re making these calls, right, I’ve seen this on Skype and I do this all the time as my default is I’m gonna turn the camera on. They’re like, Oh, are we doing video?

Doug Devitre  17:52  

I guess maybe it’s wrong to assume that somebody else is going to use video. I think that’s going on even one of those questions early on. That if you kind of pressure too much, even though I mean, the reason why we’ve discussed this earlier was don’t do this because they’re afraid of video.

Andy Paul  18:08  

But hey, yeah, more and more, I just sort of do it as the default. And I would say 95% of people are fine with it down, but there’s always gonna be a few percent and so that’s fine if they don’t want to do it. Yeah, we’ll turn it off. That’s not not an issue. 

Doug Devitre  18:52  

You know, right now it’s not an issue for you and me because we’ve got white walls behind us. But you know, if you have a say in a busy office, office environment. I don’t know if I have one here. Yeah, I’ve got one right here. Actually, this is a web around the backdrop. Oh, yeah. That you can put Reno’s actually latches on right around the back of your chair. Right. So then that way what it does actually signals everybody else that’s in the office and environment that you know, he’s busy right now he’s got his screen up.

Andy Paul  19:21  

I’ve found people making calls to me as well as me making calls to people where they’re in the completely open office and they’re just sitting there at their desk trying to do a video call and that’s again, if you have the choice, and you’re making an important sales call, going to find a conference room. Or you work from home when you’re doing that call and then go back into the office but it’s just polite to make it as quiet as possible.

Doug Devitre  19:52  

You bet you we talked about lighting a little bit. This is the chat light. This is what I put the glasses on right on top of the laptop. Well Other lights. And so you plug this in USB to charge it and that’s all it is. 

Andy Paul  26:30  

I think the other thing too, excuse me for speaking but if you read books from Dan Rome, you know, wrote the back of the envelope in his most recent book, draw to win was all about how to use drawing as a way to more effectively communicate concepts and ideas and so on. And this would be a great tool, do it you don’t have to, you can do it on the fly. And it can be quite effective, especially if you don’t have a whiteboard behind you. 

Doug Devitre  26:58  

Yeah. And so this is kind of like this is drawing on steroids because now we’re equipping it with some of the latest technology, we don’t have to be in the same room for us to demonstrate them. Typically, you know what you see, and maybe a highly consultative environment or if you’re selling an enterprise situation where you’re in the room with a group, and you’re selling by flip chart. So this is the same exact item. Except now we’re not only aware we do it more effectively, because we have some of this tech, but now we can shorten the amount of time that it takes from, let’s say, idea or concept into execution. We’ve got multiple people on the same kind of page, right, based upon whatever the facilitator decides, you know, the facilitator or the salesperson decides that this is the next visual that we need to be on together in order to move forward

Andy Paul  27:57  

I  think that spontaneity is what’s really important with this type of thing. So if you’re talking about something and what happens too often is people get into the middle of their slides, and we’re gonna power through the slides and the customer is bringing up a point that’s just, you know, it’s orthogonal. It’s really germane to what they need. As soon as they start changing it. Then suddenly, there’s some ownership taking place there.

Doug Devitre  28:42  

So here’s where sales and marketing can collaborate a little bit better, in my opinion, is the marketing team taking the conversation from the sales professional and architecting a diagram that acts as the visual frame to lead the conversation at a faster rate than your blank flipchart or whiteboard.

Andy Paul  29:44  

And, you know, this is something you created in Doceri, or the Korean PowerPoint and then imported into Doceri.

Doug Devitre  29:51  

So this is as far as how it was created was using another iPad app called Graphene. But all it did was just allow me to create the lines for this.So based upon whatever we’re talking about in the moment, I can then architect the visual, or kind of, I’m sorry, called fill in the blank together with a customer rather than just leading with bulleted slides.

Andy Paul  36:37  

Yeah, well, on top of what you can do with Zoom, you can use a system like Gong.io that will actually provide a transcription and a report that summarizes all of the key elements that were discussed during the call, you know, through the AI, they’re recognizing, you know, repetitive terms and things that are used. So, you know, think about that for a moment. standpoint that, that’ll be pretty powerful if you can help supply them with perhaps not even a decree at the recording of the call itself, which I think it’s always good to record calls and offer them. 

Doug Devitre  37:12  

Check your state law and have permission. 

Andy Paul  37:17  

Tell the customer. Let’s do it. We would like to record those. And we’ll provide you a copy of it. I think that’s, especially if you’re looking at say, look, what can we do with shorter calls, right. I mean, it’s an hour call, I’m not gonna go through, but maybe they would, if they remember a certain time they made a really great point, and they’ll make sure that they remember to tell somebody else. other vendors. There you go.

Doug Devitre  37:41  

You bet if you want to take it and put it into your project management or your checklist. Now you can go right to the visual to be able to do that, which is much easier to try to think you know what I’m talking about?

Andy Paul  37:52  

Yeah, well, I mean, it’s true. No one can remember. So unless you’re taking notes and you remember the key points, increasingly recording calls is going to be done on everything I think even you know in person calls now we’re seeing some technologies Spearfish and some others that are pioneering that. I think it makes sense. Yeah, we get rid of the sales operating purely as on the basis of anecdote and actually start saying out we’ve got a real record Well listen, if we can find a way to make it simply and easily available to people, more than better so, Doug, as always, it’s been fantastic talking to you. 

Doug Devitre  38:31  

Yeah, you bet. 

Andy Paul  39:13  

Alright, well, Doug, thank you and friends. As always, thank you for taking the time to join us. Remember to make a part of your day every day to deliberately learn something new to help you accelerate your success and an easy way to do that is make sure you join all my conversations with top business experts like my guest today, Doug Devitre who shared his expertise about how to accelerate the growth of your business. So thanks again for joining me. Until next time, this is Andy Paul. Good selling everyone.