Setting the scene for success in virtual prospecting

By taking advantage of online meetings, we can handle any case at any point in the process, no matter where the client is and no matter how busy prospects are.

Online meetings are ideal for quick drop-in virtual visits with prospects, which is important for building relationships with them. For example, you can ask a client to introduce prospects to you so they can participate in the first 10 minutes of the meeting. With in-person meetings, this may be time-consuming and burdensome for prospects. With online meetings, though, it is easy for prospects to log in for the first 10 minutes for a quick introduction. You can reach out to the prospect later to schedule another meeting.

Ensuring quality and professionalism

To impress clients and prospects, it’s important to have the right equipment for online meetings. These days with so many people watching videos online, it’s expected that we present well in front of a camera. This means that we should provide high-quality image and sound, as well as appropriate lighting in our virtual meetings and videos. When we do this, prospects will be impressed by the quality of the video and ready to listen to us.

This is approximately what it cost me to get the equipment I needed for high-quality online meetings:

• Webcam: $100
• Microphone: $50
• Lighting equipment: $50 to $100

Helping clients feel heard 

Even with online meetings, people want you to look at them, so I trained myself to look at the camera. This way, the person I’m speaking to feels like I’m connecting with them. Think about a TV news anchor’s eye line. They look at the lens of the TV camera as they speak. The viewer, however, perceives the anchor as looking at them. My gaze inevitably lowers when I look at a client’s face on the monitor, so I look at the lens and speak with enthusiasm. This means that the camera and your eyes should be at the same height so you appear to be looking at people in the eye.

Keeping their attention during online presentations

In an online meeting, if when presenting there is a visual pause for two seconds, the listener loses attention and concentration. So, I use monitor switchers for two or more computer screens to avoid creating pauses. If you have a lot of information to show, the switchers allow you to go seamlessly from one computer screen to another. The more material I must show, the more I’m able to keep the client’s attention, and my meetings proceed well. I also have my iPad connected with a switcher, which allows prospects to see me write by hand.

During the pandemic, clients at large companies refused to have face-to-face meetings with me due to health and quarantine concerns. Today, though, large companies conduct business online, and payments can be made online too. With virtual meetings, there are fewer obstacles to meeting with prospects and clients anywhere and at any time. We should learn then how to best use this technology to set ourselves up for the best chance for success. 

Kou Takaku is a 17-year MDRT member from Tokyo, Japan. 

For more ideas about how to use technology effectively: 

• Read “Practical ways financial advisors can adapt to new technology” 
• Read “Top tech trends that will impact the financial services sector in 2022”
• Listen to “The unexpected intricacies of using technology”