When the 2020 COVID pandemic turned life upside down, businesses were forced to scramble to figure out how to sell in the new virtual first world. Pro Course: Virtual Selling Fundamentals According to Spotio, external sales accounted for more than 70% of all sales in the United States before the pandemicWith face-to-face sales out of the Whatsapp Mobile Number List question and business travel all but at a standstill, how have those millions of sellers and hundreds of thousands of businesses been able to adapt? Unlike previous financial downturns, the pandemic has hit different industries very differently, causing some companies to plummet while others have grown rapidly. All in all, the pandemic has brought a series of challenges and opportunities for sales teams of all shapes and sizes. As author Marcus Sheridan puts it, it's like COVID has made a rapid advance and we've jumped five years into the future . Suddenly, meetings that used to take place at trade shows, on golf courses, or in boardrooms were all happening on Zoom. The long-term effects of the Whatsapp Mobile Number List pandemic on sales will not be understood for some time, but it is safe to say that we will never fully return to the pre-COVID situation. Virtual sales have too many advantages to abandon the practice once the virus is under control. Therefore, the companies that adapt quickly to this new reality are the ones that are poised to succeed in 2021 and beyond. And why not? According to research from HubSpot, 63% of sales managers believe that virtual sales meetings are just as effective or more effective than traditional face-to-face meetings . Why video is here to stay The world now lives online, more than ever. Kids go to school on video, doctors see patients on video, and people buy cars and houses online without being seen. Really, anything can be sold virtually these days , as long as the process works for buyers. The Whatsapp Mobile Number List key, according to Marcus, comes down to three things:Product presentation with video Risk mitigation through a buyer-friendly return policy Provide detailed reviews from other real customersVirtual selling allows for faster meetings, more touchpoints, and more natural follow-up. If you're skeptical about the effectiveness of virtual sales, consider this: Research published in November 2020 by McKinsey found that approximately 75% of B2B customers prefer remote sales interactions over traditional face-to-face interactions .