5 top tips when pitching remotely

As sales processes are rapidly evolving due to COVID-19 and working from home becomes the new ‘normal’, now is the time to upskill in pitching remotely. Video calling apps like Zoom and FaceTime are already widely used by real estate professionals to interact and conduct business, but there is an art to mastering virtual pitching and successfully gaining new clients.

Here are our top five tips to help you nail your pitch.

1. Set up your environment 

Set the foundation for a smooth pitch by finding a quiet and well-lit space within your home that has access to a good internet connection. If your wifi connection is poor, turn off other connected devices and close software that is not required during the pitch. Otherwise, ensure you have back up presenters to avoid disruption if your connection cuts out. 

Get the virtual meeting up and running 10 minutes before the pitch starts to ensure everything is working well. Ensure team have familiarised themselves with the video calling software so you look like experts. 

If using Zoom, set the pitch to ‘Record and Transcribe’ to capture the questions and answers from both parties. It is also ideal to have the recording on file so your team can continue improving. Always mention to your client that the meeting will be recorded – it’s important to explain why you’d like to record it and gain their approval.  

2. Set responsibilities for each member of your team beforehand

Nominate an MC and a note-taker prior to the meeting. The MC will be responsible for passing the baton between speakers, offering everyone a chance to speak and be heard. Avoid interrupting others as this appears unprofessional. The note taker will manage the client experience, updating any information on file that has changed. Your client may say something in passing, not realising its relevance. 

Find a quiet and well-lit spot in your home to use as the backdrop for your meeting.

3. Utilise other platforms and consider the meeting’s content 

We recommend starting a social channel that includes all people involved in your meeting. Whether you choose Slack, Facebook or another media platform, this will be the place where everyone is able to make regular updates, send information (including meeting invitations and links) and presentation slides relevant to each meeting. 

We don’t recommend playing videos over your video calling platform. You can’t be certain how the colour contrast, resolution or quality will appear for those with weak connections so there is a chance members will have differing experiences. Instead, create slides for screen sharing and remember less is more – busy and detailed diagrams may miss the mark. If you are screen sharing, ensure you have control over slide transitions. Ending slides or sections with "does anyone have comments’’ will ensure the note taker can put people against specific action points that have been discussed. 

4. Making yourself heard

Particular speech mannerisms are far more noticeable through video compared to in-person – so try to speak confidently, slowly and clearly. Speakers who have expressive voices will capture the attention of all in attendance as opposed to those with flat or monotone voices.  

5. Wrapping up and closing the meeting

Be very concise when wrapping up the meeting. Final questions should be directed at only one or two individuals whose opinion you most want to hear – not open to all those in attendance to keep to your time constraints. The MC will direct the questions to avoid everyone speaking at once. 

After the pitch is over, the note taker will either distribute their observations and the auto-transcription (if agreed upon) via the social channel. This is also the time to distribute videos or diagrams that weren’t included in the presentation slides. 

 

We are all learning and adapting, expectations and confidence in this area will change as we adjust to the ‘new normal’. Optimise your sales process by incorporating our pointers above and continue to win business in this new virtual era.