Imagine you are part of the sales team for a venue with a spectacular ballroom. It features opulent crystal chandeliers and an open-air terrace with a prime and coveted view of the city lights.
Imagine, too, that you are thousands of miles from your property, sitting in a café with a potential client who is looking for a premium venue. You take out your Virtual Reality (VR) headset and offer your prospect not just a look, but a walkthrough. With little obvious effort you have instantly melted the miles and immersed your potential client in an engaging and magical experience.
You have employed VR to close the sale.
VR is here
VR is no longer the future of the events industry—it has arrived. Already, early adopters are experimenting with applications of the technology to revolutionize collaboration, provide unique experiences, and increase revenues, especially through converting sales.
If you’re overwhelmed by the idea of introducing such a new technology into your business model, concentrate on the ways VR will help you grow more profitable by taking your sales presentation to a new level. Try to remember: email was new and unheard of once, too!
Accessibility
VR is very accessible today. Many brands are coming out with VR goggle headsets and making them available at retailers such as Walmart. Facebook is even planning to bring VR to one billion people with the introduction of Oculus Go, the first standalone headset, scheduled to be released in 2018. The goggles have no connector wires, so the user enjoys more flexibility to use VR in a variety of contexts.
Once you own the hardware, you’ll need software and applications to use it. Many businesses that serve event pros are adapting their products, like their apps, to give you ways to apply VR technology.
“The early data strongly suggests that your return on investment via VR technology will be big—possibly the biggest in the history of event technology.”
ROI
The good news is that adding VR to your sales process will require just the small investment of the goggles. Oculus, for example, is set to sell for goggles for $200. VR has a minimal learning curve, meaning less time needed for training. Voice activation with the headsets will also make VR even simpler to use. The early data strongly suggests that your return on investment via VR technology will be big—possibly the biggest in the history of event technology. One of the best things about VR is that it is available at a variety of price points and thus appealing to businesses of all sizes.
Destination events & VR
Destination event planning, in particular, will benefit from VR technology. Clients who can’t travel from site to site during venue selection and planning can walk venues and make an informed decision about their setup and use of space. You can expect clients to take a more active role in their planning once they have regular access to VR.
By learning what you can now about VR technology, you can prepare your business to become more profitable, collaborative and successful. With a moderate effort and investment, you too can close more sales with VR.
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