As someone who’s been deeply involved in helping businesses with sales growth through better sales strategies, I’ve always been fascinated by the role of body language. It’s one of those often-overlooked elements that can make or break a sales meeting. Last year, I shared a 4-part series on LinkedIn about the importance of body language in sales, and the response was incredible.
I’m Andrew Milbourn, CEO of Kiss the Fish. For over 30 years I’ve worked with sales teams and leaders across multiple industries, helping them improve performance through better communication, presence, and behaviour, both in person and on screen.
One of the key takeaways from the conversations and comments was a question:
Is body language as important in virtual meetings as it is in person?
To explore this further, I posted a poll to gather insights.
Here’s what you told me:
- 63% of you believe body language is equally important in virtual meetings.
- 25% think it’s even more important in virtual settings.
- Only 13% feel it’s less important.
- 0% said it’s not important at all.
This feedback confirms what I’ve observed: while virtual meetings have changed how we communicate; body language is still critical to creating trust and connection. With that in mind, I wanted to share practical lessons I’ve seen make a real difference in virtual sales calls and ultimately boost your success.
This same mindset sits at the heart of consultative selling, where connection comes before persuasion.
1. Dress to Impress—Top to Bottom
I know it’s tempting to wear a smart shirt on top and stay in joggers or pyjamas on the bottom, but here’s the thing: how you dress affects how you feel. If you’re dressed to impress, even when working from home, you’re more likely to exude confidence and professionalism, and that will shine through in your communication.
2. Create a Professional Setup
Your environment matters. A messy background or poor lighting can distract from your message. Keep it simple and tidy, or use a virtual background that aligns with your brand. Lighting is key, position yourself in good natural light or invest in a ring light to keep your face clearly visible.
3. Eye Contact is Key
In virtual meetings, making eye contact means looking directly at your camera, not the screen. It can feel unnatural at first, but it creates a stronger sense of connection. A quick tip: place a sticky note near your webcam as a gentle reminder to focus there.
4. Let Your Body Speak
Even on a video call, body language speaks volumes. Sit up straight, lean in slightly when listening, and use purposeful hand gestures to emphasise your points. Just be mindful not to overdo it, keep your movements natural and aligned with your message.
5. Be Fully Prepared
Virtual meetings might feel less formal, but they require just as much preparation as in-person ones. Know your audience, have all materials ready, and rehearse key points. When you’re well-prepared, you naturally appear more confident and in control.
6. Minimise Distractions
Background noises and interruptions can derail even the best virtual meeting. Silence notifications, let others in your household know you’re on a call, and use a good-quality headset or microphone to ensure you’re heard clearly.
7. Bring Energy to the Room
Let’s face it, virtual calls can sometimes feel flat. That’s why your energy is so important. Smile, speak with enthusiasm, and vary your tone to keep the conversation engaging. Your energy sets the tone and helps maintain your prospect’s interest.
Try this:
When on a pitch or in a meeting that matters, always stand up on the call. This will free your breath (which is the secret to better communication) and most important of all, enable you to inject raw enthusiasm more easily. It does mean that you’ll need to position your laptop (or camera) on a level with your eyes so it is easy not to bother but take it from me, it will make a huge difference to your effective trusted communication
8. Close with Confidence
End the call with a clear summary of what was discussed and agreed upon, as well as the next steps. This reinforces professionalism and ensures everyone is on the same page moving forward.
Confidence at the close also plays a huge role in how objections are handled and resolved.
Your Virtual Sales Advantage
The rise of virtual meetings hasn’t diminished the importance of body language, it’s simply reshaped how we use it. By being intentional about your presentation, from how you dress to how you engage on camera, you can create stronger connections and close more deals, even through a screen.
If you want to develop stronger presence and influence in sales conversations, you can watch our 4 part video series on body language here.
This is something our Fractional Sales Directors work on inside businesses every day.
