The ABCs of Virtual Selling: How to Advance Every Sales Conversation (Without Pushing for the Close)

The old ABCs of selling, “Always Be Closing,” don’t always fit the way modern buyers buy. Pushing for the close too soon, especially in virtual environments, creates resistance and stalls deals.

At ASLAN, we call the new approach, “Advance Because You Care,” because momentum comes from securing the right next step, not forcing the finish line.

Instead of trying to win the deal in one call, top performers guide customers through a process of smaller decisions that build trust and reduce resistance. And when leaders coach their teams to adopt this mindset, they see fewer stalled opportunities, stronger customer relationships, and a healthier, more predictable pipeline.

If you prefer to take this topic on the go and listen to our conversation, feel free to check out sALES with ASLAN podcast episode 76:

Why Advancers Win in Virtual Selling

When a seller exits a virtual meeting without a concrete next step, re-engagement drops dramatically. We call this the Exit Principle: if you don’t get commitment before you log off, the door often closes behind you.

Think about it. “Can I follow up in a few weeks?” is vague. It gets buried in crowded inboxes and shifting priorities. What works is a specific, agreed-upon step—with a date and time attached.

So why do reps hesitate? Often, because they don’t know what to ask for. In transactional sales, the next step is obvious: the purchase. But in complex B2B sales, advancement requires smaller, intentional commitments. Without a defined playbook, reps default to passive check-ins.

That’s why Advancers outperform Closers. They rely on clarity, structure, and Other-Centered® offers, not pressure. And for leaders, this discipline isn’t just about one deal. It’s about creating a culture where every rep consistently moves opportunities forward, making pipeline reviews more accurate and coaching conversations more actionable.

3 Steps to Advance Every Virtual Call

Advancing isn’t complicated, but it does require preparation. Think of it less as a script and more as a playbook you can adapt to the customer’s level of commitment.

Step 1: Build Your Menu of Next Steps

Every deal requires movement. The question is: movement toward what?

In virtual environments, vague promises are even more dangerous. Prospects jump from one video call to the next, and without a clear, concrete step, your conversation is quickly forgotten.

But sellers who build a menu of logical next steps are always ready to suggest something concrete.

Your menu should include actions that help the customer experience your value and require reciprocal participation. For example, you might ask to:

• Share background information that will help tailor recommendations
• Schedule a short call to review specific materials or resources
• Attend a demo or trial session
• Speak with an existing customer reference
• Participate in a brief assessment or survey
• Review a proposal together in a live call

The point isn’t just to have a list. It’s to rank it. Line up your steps from lighter commitments to heavier ones so you can match the ask to where the prospect is in their journey. A first conversation might call for a short follow-up or demo, while a near-decision might warrant a proposal review.

Coaching reps to build and use this menu consistently gives leaders clearer visibility into real opportunity progression versus “phantom pipeline.”

Step 2: Make an Other-Centered® Ask

Once you know the right step, the real work begins: how you ask.

Too often, sellers make requests that only serve their own agenda—“Would you mind if we set a call next week?” It’s the sales equivalent of asking someone to grab you a coffee. Easy to ignore, because there’s no clear benefit to them.

Other-Centered offers flip the focus. They answer one key question: Why is this worth their time, even if they never buy from us? That’s the difference between a rep chasing a meeting and a partner guiding a decision.

For example:

• Virtual Content Review: “It sounds like you’re doing some internal training. Would it help to spend 30 minutes reviewing some of our content? It’s probably the fastest way to confirm whether what you’re already doing is sufficient or if exploring something new makes sense.”
• Proposal Review: “I’ll send over the proposal, but I often find it raises questions. Would it make sense to set a 30-minute call to review those? It’ll save you time and ensure nothing slips through the cracks.”

When you communicate the benefit to them, not you, you’re no longer pushing. You’re serving.

Managers who coach reps to phrase every ask in customer-value terms see both higher acceptance rates and a stronger brand impression of their team as trusted partners.

Step 3: Get It on the Calendar

Even the best offer falls flat if it isn’t anchored in time. Without a date and time, you don’t have a commitment. You have a maybe. And “maybes” kill deals. This is especially true in virtual selling, where schedules fill fast and “let’s touch base later” almost always turns into silence.

A simple way to secure it is to frame it as a time-saver:

“I’m not sure if we’ll need the time, but I’ve found it saves us both hassle to set a placeholder. Could we look at calendars now for two weeks out?”

Send the invite before you log off. This small act shifts the likelihood of follow-up from a coin flip to a near certainty.

Reinforcing this discipline as standard practice ensures reps don’t just leave with “next steps,” but with commitments leaders can trust in the forecast.

What To Do When Prospects Resist

Even with the right process, some prospects will hesitate.That’s not failure—it’s feedback. If they balk, don’t erode trust by pushing harder. Instead, recalibrate.

And in virtual settings, hesitation can be harder to read. Without body language or hallway conversations, you need to rely on their willingness to commit to even a small step as the truest signal of interest.

Maybe the ask was too big for where they are. If so, step down the ladder. Offer something lighter but still purposeful. Often, they’ll agree because it matches their level of interest, and it preserves momentum without pressure.

This shared responsibility is a signal. If the rep is doing all the work, the prospect probably isn’t serious. But when the customer accepts a small “assignment,” it shows genuine engagement. Relationships grow when both parties invest.

Advance Because You Care (at Scale)

The ABCs aren’t just for reps. They’re for leaders too. A single seller who advances deals creates results. A team disciplined in advancing consistently creates transformation.

Whether your team is selling virtually, in hybrid environments, or face-to-face, the principle holds: embedding an Advance Because You Care mindset ensures energy translates into measurable progress, not just activity. It turns maybes into commitments, and commitments into momentum.

The formula is simple:

• Have a ranked menu of next steps
• Make Other-Centered offers
• Lock in calendar commitments

But when leaders reinforce it, it becomes cultural—and that’s when results scale.

Master the ABCs of Virtual Selling

Virtual selling magnifies an old truth: if you leave a call without a concrete next step, re-engagement becomes unlikely. In a world of crowded inboxes and endless digital noise, vague follow-ups die quickly.

That’s why advancing matters. When sellers secure meaningful commitments before logging off—whether it’s a demo, a proposal review, or simply a short check-in—opportunities stay alive and momentum builds.

For leaders, the opportunity is even bigger. When advancing becomes standard practice across the team, virtual selling challenges like stalled deals, ghosted emails, and unreliable forecasts start to fade. The result is a healthier pipeline and a culture that values progress over pressure.

If your team is navigating the realities of virtual selling and struggling to keep deals moving, we can help. ASLAN's Virtual Selling Skills program helps teams transform digital interactions into real commitments and measurable results.

Schedule a free consultation to see how these principles can strengthen your team’s virtual selling.