When organizations roll out virtual meeting and presentation tools to their sales team, they think the problem is technology. Teach them to use WebEx, GoToMeeting, or Adobe Connect, and set them out to sell. It seldom works. The biggest barrier to selling virtually isn’t technological, it’s mental. 

Here are the three biggest reasons sales people hate selling “by webinar” and what you can do about it.

1. They feel like something’s being taken away, and salespeople HATE that.

2. They are missing out on what they like best about selling, so they resist change.

3. Technology isn’t their core competence and it’s a really good excuse. 

Let’s take a quick look at each of these barriers to implementation, and some tips for overcoming them. 

They Feel Like Something’s Being Taken Away  

If you ask most salespeople why they’re being asked to use online presentation tools, the answers are usually negative: “They won’t let us travel.” “They are increasing our territory but shrinking our budget.” “They don’t want us to ever meet our customers face to face.” 

Salespeople often look at online presentation tools as making the best of a bad situation, rather than as a competitive advantage. That’s no recipe for acceptance. 

It’s important that sales people understand what the tools can do, instead of simply what they can’t. These tools actually allow you to: 

• See more clients in a day. (Have you ever tried to get to more than one client site a day in a Chicago winter?) 

• React just in time. (It’s easier to fire up an instant meeting and solve a problem than try to find time on each other’s’ calendars.) 

• Have richer conversations than a simple phone call. (Using the webcam lets you read body language, and being able to actually see exactly what your client is looking at reduces stress and misunderstandings.) 

The problem is that most sales people have never really seen these tools modeled before having those tools thrust upon them. Some 80 percent of WebEx users present for the first time with innocent victims on the other end, and 85 percent of users use only 20 percent of the features. 

If you don’t want to use a tool, don’t know what it can do for you and you don’t know how to use it, why would you graciously adopt it? 

They Are Afraid They’re Missing Out on What They Like Best About Selling 

If you ask sales people what they like best about their jobs, it almost always comes down to personal connection with their clients. They are, to at least some degree, “people people.” Virtual communication can feel impersonal. By taking advantage of the interactive nature of the tools, especially webcams and screen sharing and control, you can enhance the richness of the communication. 

Use of webcams is often resisted because sales people find it too complicated or leaders feel that their people aren’t technical. But after a couple of times, sales people realize how low-stress it really is. And if you aren’t at least as tech-savvy as your customers (many of whom use these tools every day) you may be damaging your credibility. 

There’s also the small issue of lifestyle; some sales people love the travel and personal schmoozing. It’s true that a virtual meeting isn’t as glamorous as meeting for coffee or dinner. If you take away part of a job that gives you joy, you’re going to get resistance.  I find when they sell more and get the “President’s Club” trips, it will take the sting out of that. 

Technology Isn’t a Core Competence and Makes a Really Good Excuse 

The human brain doesn’t deal well with stress. If we think about all we ask of our sales people—actively listen, probe, read body language and buying signals—it’s an awful lot. Now if we add the stress of using tools they don’t want to use (and aren’t comfortable using), something’s gotta give. That’s why most virtual demos turn into one-way data dumps rather than good sales conversations and they use the tools to their bare minimum.  

The good news, though, is it only takes a little training and practice (and practice is the piece that’s usually missing) to develop the muscle memory it takes to use a tool without it being a distraction. It only takes half a dozen times to use a presentation tool for that muscle memory to kick in, but if the first time you use WebEx is with a customer on the other end, and a deal on the line, do you expect sales people to be at the top of their games? 

Getting the most from sales people hasn’t changed much since the first rug was sold in the bazaar. Getting them to use new tools and change the way they work hasn’t either. If they don’t want it and don’t like it, they won’t use it. Your investment in presentation technology can be wasted. 

How are you and your organization preparing your sales people for the new world of work in a virtual and global environment? Share your best practices in the Comments section. 

Join us at ATD 2015 International Conference and Exposition, Sunday, May 17, Session SU213 -5 Ways to Help Your Sales People do Great Virtual Demos and Sales Calls.