MetaSales: From Virtual Reality to Business Reality

In an increasingly digital world, the digital customer experience is becoming ever more important. Rapid technological progress is opening up a wealth of opportunities for companies to use digital solutions in order to boost emotional appeal, improve customer experience, and stand out from their competition. Some digital pioneers are already using virtual reality (VR) in sales, service, and product development. Customers and suppliers facilitating VR can now, for example, meet in virtual spaces to work collaboratively on digital twins of all kinds of physical products. From technical tools to machinery to entire building systems, near to no limits can be found. VR is revolutionizing the way in which buyers and customers interact. This chapter will focus on an example project conducted by a top player in the pharmaceutical industry, which illustrates how VR can be used to create an exciting, interactive, and immersive product experience, even in cases where the products concerned are highly complex. Products are becoming more interchangeable, and customers are quicker to switch suppliers. At the same time, the rapid development of digital technology brings with it more and more opportunities to improve the customer experience and retain customers in the long term—it’s just a matter of using the right technology. This may sound like a futuristic fantasy to many, but for some companies, it is already a reality: As an example, companies are using virtual reality in sales and product development to secure an immense advantage over competitors. Those who act quickly to integrate VR into their sales activities can become digital pioneers, with the power to improve USPs and win market share. What can VR do today? And why should every company learn how to harness it as quickly as possible?