As I wrote in my previous
No Jitter post, conversational AI is an emerging technology that uses messaging apps, speech-based assistants, natural language processing, and chatbots to automate communications and deliver personalized customer experiences -- and
Chorus.ai is one company offering a platform for delivering conversational intelligence. In last week’s post, Parth Mukherjee, head of product marketing at Chorus.ai, shared insight into how companies can use conversational intelligence to coach reps on how to become top performers. The conversation continues here.
You shared a statistic showing that most successful interactions use some form of screen sharing. Describe what you mean by screen sharing.
Screen sharing is the ability of agents to share their computer screens with customers. This way, customers can see exactly what agents are doing on their computers without having to take any actions themselves. This tactic is often used for product demonstrations, slide deck presentations, or to show what actions an agent is taking in real-time.
Should the agent be able to see the customer’s screen? Is this a privacy issue?
Normally, the agent won’t need to see the customer’s screen. But if the customer chooses to share the screen, then privacy isn’t an issue.
Screen sharing has a positive impact on engagement and in overall close rates. The average product demonstration that wins deals is 29 minutes long. How do you hold the customer’s attention?
If the agent has gotten to this stage in the buyer journey, the customer is very engaged and interested in learning about the solution, so it will likely not be hard to keep their attention. There are tricks to keep the conversation impactful, however. The data indicates win rates increase as demo durations increase, and we believe engagement is a key factor in this.
Even during a demonstration, a successful rep asks questions to generate engagement. Specifically, successful reps ask a question once every four minutes during a demonstration and create an engaging moment once every eight minutes. The takeaways are:
- Ask relevant questions frequently to keep the prospect engaged in a conversation. But limit the questions to only five if the prospect is educated (high levels of awareness). You can identify education by how often a prospect asks questions.
- Don’t be afraid of a monologue, especially if it’s a customer story that relates to this prospect. The longer the demonstration, the more likely a rep is to close a deal.
- Create an engaging moment at least once every eight minutes (engaging moments occur when a prospect answers a rep for more than 30 seconds on a situational, pain, or value question)
Help me understand how the statement, “screen sharing helps drive close rates with slide decks and demos, but the most effective screen sharing takes place around conversation.”
According to the data, reps spent more time in the later stages of the funnel than in discovery, demonstrations, and solutions. During this time, a close rate was influenced positively if the rep was screen sharing or using video (reps and prospects that left video on throughout the call had better win rates [9% points higher]). On average, the prospect spoke more than the rep in these later stages, so the questions asked by the rep were of critical importance for engagement. The key is for the rep to use the presentation as a way to encourage a conversation rather than make the meeting one long sales pitch.
What do agents have to learn in order to be successful with this capability?
Be comfortable with video and screen sharing. Some key factors are:
- It’s OK to use a demonstration during a discovery call. It can result in more deals won. Don’t shy away from giving prospects a taste of what you have to offer.
- The average product demo lasts about 29 minutes and takes 79% of the meeting; however, in most deals won, demonstrations were spread over two separate calls. The first should focus more on discovery, while the second is almost completely focused on the demonstration.
- Get ready to go deep in the product with the customer. However, this doesn’t give you the green light for endless pitching. Do lead the conversation as you conduct the demonstration; be sure to engage the prospect. In a 30-minute demonstration, reps should aim to create about four engaging moments.
Are there impediments to the technique?
Poor latency, bad connections, and spotty service can be an issue. Since that’s out of the sales team’s control, we recommend using a communications service that offers best-in-class connection. Deploying a leading conference provider can help teams better engage and develop relationships with prospects.
