3 Success Points and Cautions for International Online Business Meetings
release 2021.01.31 update 2024.5.22
I heard that you recently participated in an online business meeting,
How do you like it?
Hmmm…
It is quite a struggle.
Online business meetings are not that easy to begin with, as the prerequisites and level of preparation are different from those for real business meetings.
Oh, I would like to hear more about it.
Why are international online business meetings so difficult?
1 International Online Business Meetings Require “Almost Seminar-Like” Preparation
One of the reasons why international online business meetings are so difficult is that it is assumed that the sales person (you) will provide perfect presentation materials and delivery (conversation flow), almost as if you were holding a seminar.
In addition, since a remote interpreter will be involved, it is not unusual for a 30-minute meeting to take twice as long as an hour in total, and since it is difficult to convey nuances in a first meeting, the conversation can take a long time and both sides cannot concentrate.
In fact, it is impossible to succeed in sales pitches to international companies, whether online or in real life, if you do not have a clear understanding of the issues they are facing.
2 Be aware that improvising at international online business meetings is a highly technical skill
At international online business meetings, it is often the case that the other international company is having an online meeting with another company up to five minutes before the meeting.
In other words, it is common practice in dealing with international companies,
- Don’t waste time
- Speak from the conclusion
- Focus on solving the customer’s problem
- Prepare multiple options for price and terms of business and answer immediately
- Allow more free time for questions and answers than for the presentation
- Presenters must behave in a trustworthy manner from start to finish
The basic premise is that the above items must be provided to the international company in a single integrated manner.
If you can even improvise on top of that, you will be highly evaluated,
However, if you improvise in the absence of the style of business meetings between international companies that they have enjoyed until five minutes ago, you may be misunderstood as making a haphazard presentation and not respecting your customers.
Three ways to improve international online business meetings
1 First to align with international firms
Even though this is an online business meeting, we are both busy and have made time for each other. At the beginning of the business meeting, it is a good idea to briefly go over the objectives and goals of the day.
・How to proceed today
・Reason for attending today
・Mutual Goal of the Day
・What is the current problem of the recipient?
・Exchange of local and regional market/industry information
It may be a little, embarrassing, but please make sure you moderate the event properly yourself.
In face-to-face meetings, it is often not necessary to say every single thing, but online, it is a good idea to declare it at the beginning and watch the other party’s reaction as you proceed.
The worst thing you can do is to start a presentation without making eye contact. It is difficult to get an order from them, and the most they will do is say, “We will contact you if there is anything else we can do for you.”
How many times I’ve heard “we’ll call you if we need anything else.” (gasp)….
(Don’t mind..)
2 One-person funny man and straight man Practice for international online business meetings is a must
In online business meetings, the other party’s passivity is quite high, but this means that you can take the initiative in all aspects of the meeting, depending on your efforts.
At this point, let’s create a script for the business meeting.
This means that you should prepare your sales talk in advance, assuming a variety of reactions from customers.
Well, wasn’t that something you usually did?
We’re doing it at home, right?
Yes, that’s about all we do all the time.
Sales talk is in my head, and I’m flexible on a case-by-case basis…
Hmph, that’s where the pitfalls are.
It is the resourcefulness of real business meetings,
It’s a preparation that worked in real life.
The word “script” is not an exaggeration,
Because I want you to try to write it all down.
3 Optimization of presentation materials for overseas online business meetings
B2B,
・If they ask me something like this, I will answer like this, or show them this document,
・If interest is low, explain this case study and its results with this URL,
・If interest is quite low, switch to providing industry information,
・The topics at that time were first automobiles, then semiconductors, and finally medical equipment.
and so far, 3 minutes and 30 seconds
・Competitor information will be known so far, but the response will determine whether or not additional information is disclosed,
・If they bite, lead them to talk about the product and emphasize the difference between the product and the competition by including it in the benefits of purchasing the product,
・The reason why the competition cannot follow suit will be explained in objective figures along with other materials,
・This will be a barter that will provide details of the evidence when we receive the purchase order.
Anticipated Q&A during this time can be found at ・・・・
Such as,
The point here is to make effective use of presentation materials and manual sales talk, but also,
We never overlook the needs and questions that are revealed at every turn of the conversation, and we work together to create a small sense of satisfaction by using data, images, charts, and photos as needed,
Or it is to explain in simple words and share the sense of conviction.
On the other hand,
For B2C
・Evidence images of being in the TOP 10 selling online shopping or being in the TOP 10 niche sales
・Store display images and retailer testimonials and reasons for repeat business
・Provide specific examples and documentation of shelf-wide product measures for tying in.
and 4 minutes and 30 seconds so far
・SNS and media recognition
・Characteristics of sales in the Corona Disaster, and future assumptions
・Evaluation from a buyer who has recently started doing business with us.
・Specific trading conditions, concerns about price increases due to raw material shortages and rising transportation costs, and PR that now is the time to buy.
And so on…
Practice speaking these things in a timed, crisp manner while actually operating the material-sharing system as if the customer were behind the screen.
Unlike face-to-face presentation materials, when practiced,
The documents, data, and images that are shown according to the needs of the customer at the time may be required in detail, or direct URL sharing may be sufficient,
We also realize that we need to be more flexible and switch to talk-only depending on the response.
That’s why, over and over again, I try to practice my one-person blurring and funny man and straight man with an international client in mind.
Good, you’ve never gone that far, as I’m sure you’ve never done that at our house.
・・・・・・.
There is no such thing.
What in the world is the practice of a one-man funny man and straight man? 。。。。
(Please don’t be silly, Mr. President, you’re getting into the swing of things, aren’t you?)
Even if the result of online negotiations does not lead to an immediate purchase,
Nice talking to you today, can I call you again?”
If you can get a potential international client to say, then, for starters, you’ve done a good job.
Because it is an international expansion of After Pandemic.
Don’t look down, Just Keep Going !
