Virtual Sales Meeting Etiquette

I might get hate mail for this: Appearances and first impressions still matter—big time. Zoom calls and remote work culture erupted over the past decade, and somewhere along the way, we stopped caring about the 'little things'. Salespeople, missing the details = lighting cash on fire 🔥. 💰 Every call on your calendar costs your marketing team a few thousand dollars. Each meeting could be thousands in commission for you. That CMO you’re meeting with? Her 30 minutes is worth $500. When she brings her team, they spend $3k in salary just showing up. So, why do we show up like we don’t give a sh*t? Sweating the details can often be a waste of time, other times it's worth the effort. 💡 Here are 6 details you should never skip: 1) Do your research.  Asking where they live or what their company does—things you could Google in 5 seconds—doesn’t build rapport; it just makes you look unprepared. Instead, come in with a point of view on something you've already researched. 2) Use a good webcam & mic.  Who would you rather spend 30 minutes with in the screenshot below? You don’t need to break the bank—a solid cam/mic setup costs under $100. 3) Get your lighting right.  Clear the shadow from your face. Sit in front of good lighting. A $20 ring light can do wonders. 4) Dress like you care.  Would you rather be over-dressed or under-dressed when you're presenting to the C-suite of a $2billion dollar company? Toss the wrinkly T-shirt and baseball cap. Throw on a button-up or polo. Maybe even take a morning shower and comb your hair. 5) Send a follow-up the same day.  Buyers appreciate a quick recap they can share internally. Tools like WINN.AI, Gong, or Sybill can automate this, so you can get the email out in minutes instead of hours. 6) Send a pre-meeting brief.  An engaged audience = a better meeting. Prime their brains before the call. *Bonus tip: Send personalized messages to each stakeholder - this takes more effort, but it's worth it. A CMO has different interests/problems than a Sales Manager. Make it clear that you took the time to curate messages for each person. These details might seem trivial, but it's worth it if they make you even 1% more engaging. I get it—some of you will think I'm an old-fashioned grandpa. (Probably true.) Some will think, "it’s 2025, and this stuff doesn’t matter anymore." 🎲 But are you willing to gamble your company's hard-earned pipeline (and your own commission) on that? Deals are won or lost by tiny margins. Skimp a little here, skimp a little there, and watch your win rates suffer. (Legit, I had a rep almost lose a deal because he presented a deck using the customer's outdated logo <- the CMO was not smiling about it. We did damage control for 2 weeks.) ⚖️ My stance: obsess over the details. Alone, they might seem minor, but together, they will tip the scales and split success from failure. Would love to hear what details you swear by? 

So I joined a demo last week and the rep joined three minutes late, camera off, and the first thing I hear is "sorry, can you see my screen?" No, dude. No I cannot. Because you didn't test anything. This is the stuff that drives me bonkers. Everyone wants to talk about MEDDIC and value selling and consultative approaches. Meanwhile reps are fumbling the absolute basics that cost them deals before they even start. Here's what I mean: 1. Join the call 3 minutes early. Not on time. Early. Because early IS on time. Plus, remember that is so, so easy to be early. You literally have hours to do so, whereas “on time” lasts only for a single minute. Anyway, when you show up early, test your audio. Test your screen share. Make sure your background isn't your unmade bed. The prospect shows up to a room where you're waiting, composed, ready. That's how you signal professionalism before you say a single word. 2. Camera on. Always. Don’t worry, your hair looks fine. People buy from people, not from profile pictures and disembodied voices. If you're not willing to show your face, you're already communicating that you're not fully present. 3. Have your deck/demo queued up. Don't make them watch you navigate folders like you're Magellan searching for the East Indies. Have everything open in separate tabs. Know exactly where you're going. Confidence comes from preparation, not winging it. 4. Use their name. Correctly. I was on a call a few months back when a rep kept calling me "Mike" for 30 minutes. Name's Matt. It was on the Zoom screen, buddy. This is basic respect stuff. If you can't get someone's name right, why should they trust you with their budget? BTW - if you're unsure how to pronounce someone's name, simply ask them. "Hey I want to make sure I pronounce your name correctly - is it [NAME]?" 5. Follow up the same day. Not tomorrow. Not when you "get a chance." Ideally within 2 hours of the call. Send a recap, next steps, and anything you promised. Speed signals commitment. Look, I get it. This feels remedial. But you know what? There are reps that are fucking this up. And in a world where everyone's got the same deck, the same demo, the same pitch, these tiny details ARE the difference. Your buyer isn't comparing you to the perfect rep. They're comparing you to the last three reps they met with who showed up late, forgot their name, and never followed up. Do the basics. Do them every time. Hate to say it, but that alone will separate you from the pack.

Regardless of how great your ideas are in your virtual sales pitch, webinar, or team meeting… People are most likely checking their email, browsing social media, or working on other things while you present. How can you prevent that and actually get your audience to pay attention? Here are 4 of the most powerful techniques we use for our own virtual training courses: 1. Win the first five seconds According to research from the University of Toronto, people need only five seconds to gauge your charisma and leadership as a speaker. In virtual environments, this first impression is even more critical. To establish instant rapport: - Keep your posture open and inviting (avoid fidgeting, crossed arms, and closed-off postures) - Use open gestures that welcome the audience into your space - Gesture with your palms showing at a 45-degree angle - Speak with clear articulation and energy from the very first word The quickest way to lose your audience? Starting with tentative body language that signals you’re unsure or unprepared. 2. Design your presentation for virtual viewing When designing slides, assume varied viewing conditions. Design for the smallest likely device and the slowest likely Internet speed. Make your slides accessible by: - Using larger fonts (24-32pt) - Applying higher contrast colors - Limiting each slide to ONE clear idea - Adding more space between lines when using smaller text - Stripping excess content (you can provide additional information in a separate document) 3. Vary your delivery Our research shows the optimal length for linear presentations is just 16-30 minutes, while interactive ones can maintain engagement for 30-45 minutes. People’s attention will go through peaks and valleys during that time, so try these techniques to keep their attention: - Vary your speaking pace (faster to convey urgency, slower to express gravity) - Use intentional pauses to let key points land - Adjust your vocal tone (lower pitch for authority, higher for approachability) - Shift between slides, stories, and data at regular intervals Each change helps reset your audience’s attention and signals importance. 4. Build in structured interaction Don’t make your audience wait until the end of your presentation to interact. According to our research, presentations that incorporate audience engagement through polls, chat responses, or breakout discussions maintain attention longer. For the highest engagement: - Use a variety of interaction types throughout your presentation - Incorporate breakout rooms for small-group discussions - Switch modalities regularly to keep it interesting Remember: In virtual environments, you need to recreate the natural engagement that happens in person. Your virtual presentation success isn’t measured by perfection…it’s measured by action. Master these techniques and your audience won’t just pay attention, they’ll respond. #VirtualPresentations #CorporateTraining #WorkplaceLearning

If you’re in a customer-facing role, the way you show up matters. First impressions set the tone and you’re far more likely to win trust (and business) if you lead with a strong introduction and professional presence. Here are 4 practical areas with Do’s ✅ and Don’ts ❌ to sharpen your customer interactions: 1. Introduction: Focus on Value, Not Tenure ✅ DO: Lead with your name, role, and how you help the customer. “Hi, I’m Freya, part of the solutions team here at [Company]. My role is to help you find the right setup so your team gets value faster.” ❌ DON’T: Open with how long you’ve been at the company—it can signal inexperience if short, or sound irrelevant if long. 2. Appearance: Dress for the Customer, Not for Yourself ✅ DO: Match the audience (smart casual for tech, formal for finance, practical-polished for manufacturing). Dress one notch above their expected standard. Stay consistent across touchpoints. ❌ DON’T: Show up underdressed (signals lack of respect) or overdressed (creates distance). Wear distracting logos, patterns, or accessories that pull focus away from you. 3. Tone & Presence: Read the Room ✅ DO: Be clear, confident, and warm. Mirror energy and language without mimicking. Project positive authority (helpful and confident, not overbearing). ❌ DON’T: Apologize for being “new” or “not knowing everything.” Monopolize the conversation - ask, listen, and adapt. Let nerves flatten your energy - customers feel it. 4. Practical Habits That Go a Long Way ✅ DO: Use the customer’s name naturally, early, and often. Have a one-liner that connects your role to their success. Keep eye contact (camera on if virtual). Smile - authentic warmth builds trust. ❌ DON’T: Start with “I’ve only been here X months.” Default to jargon unless you’re certain they share the same vocabulary. Multitask or glance at other screens - presence is everything. These are all general tips and many roads do lead to Rome. In my experience, the most successful customer facing professionals always keep in mind that your introduction isn’t about you - it’s about how you’ll help your customer. Show up prepared, aligned, and focused, and you’ll immediately separate yourself from 90% of the pack.

Great to be back London Business School this time delivering virtually. Virtual doesn’t mean distant. But it does demand intention. Some hasty soft furnishing improvisation to get the camera at eye level and pushed back to allow natural movement and gestures. Connection starts with presence. If you want engagement through a screen, you have to work harder than you would in the room. A few non-negotiables for speakers and leaders presenting virtually: • Multiple screens - (my preference) One for content, one for faces, chat and polls. If you’re not collecting input, you’re broadcasting, not engaging. • Eye contact Camera placement matters. It’s the difference between talking at people and communicating with them. • Body language & gestures Hands, posture, movement, and facial expression create meaning and energy. If the audience can’t see you gesture, they can’t feel your emphasis. • Energy creation Tone, pace, variation, and intentional pauses matter as much online as on stage. • Confidence in delivery Clarity plus calm presence builds trust fast even through a lens. Virtual audiences don’t lack attention. They lack connection. That’s on us as speakers and leaders to create it. Different medium. Same responsibility. Inspire people to lean in!

Most remote meetings are a waste of time. Here's how top performers make them count: I've been in 2000+ virtual meetings in 5 years. These are the 15 micro-habits that separate top performers from everyone else: 1/. Login 3-mins early, camera on ↳ Sets the professional tone immediately 2/. Use hand-raise feature deliberately ↳ Shows respect for speaking order 3/. Nod visibly when others speak ↳ Signals active listening without interrupting 4/. Position light in front, not behind ↳ Ensure your face is clearly visible 5/. Keep eyes focused on camera ↳ Creates perception of direct eye contact 6/. Use participant name + @ mention in chat ↳ Personalized engagement drives attention 7/. Scan faces every 30 seconds ↳ Read the virtual room constantly 8/. Mute/unmute with keyboard shortcuts ↳ Eliminates awkward fumbling 9/. Keep water nearby but off-camera ↳ Stay hydrated without visual distraction 10/. Use "pause for questions" every 5 mins ↳ Creates natural engagement points 11/. Leverage chat strategically ↳ Drop links/resources without interrupting flow 12/. Frame shoulders-up in camera ↳ The "news anchor" position commands authority 13/. Speak 10% louder than in-person ↳ Compensates for audio compression 14/. End contributions with clear handoffs ↳ "Over to you, Sarah, regarding the budget..." 15/. Close with action item ownership ↳ "I'll own the follow-up on points 1-3..." The best part? → These require zero special technology → Just intentional practice → Start with one, master it, add another 🙌 Which micro-habit will you implement first? Leave a comment 👇 ---- Repost if this resonates & follow ⚡️Harvey Lee ⚡️ for more.