If you’re thinking that video is a part of everything these days, well, you’re right. Video has been, and will continue to be, immensely popular; YouTube would not be the world’s second largest search engine if this weren’t so.
So how does video fit into sales? What kind of video works in a sales context, and how should it be employed? Let’s explore some winning strategies when it comes to using video for sales.
Introduce Yourself With Video
Tom DiScipio of Impact suggests one of the first ways to incorporate video into the sales cycle is right at the beginning. Use video as a better way to get through introductions and early meetings. Using video calls instead of telephone conference calls can be a great way to understand a prospect quickly and more accurately. Body language, after all, is an extremely useful tool to judge a prospect’s mood.
DiScipio also suggests a video follow-up to such meetings. Clients (especially in B2B settings) are as busy as you are. They can understandably forget parts of your presentation and value proposition. To prevent this loss of retention over time, make your follow-up more engaging than the average email or voicemail.
Make a video that shows yourself, lending a personal touch to your communication. Express your gratitude for your meeting, and keep it brief.
You want the prospect to say “Oh, a nice little video from So-and-So,” not “I don’t have time to watch this”.
Make a short, personalized video, and you’ll increase your chances for the prospect viewing—and acting—on your follow-up.
Be Thoughtful of your Surroundings
Writing for HubSpot, Aja Frost argues that to maximize the effect of these kinds of videos (short, personal, engaging), one must consider the background, and employ some creativity.
The introduction video, and the follow-up, can both be easily shot in the office. Just be careful which part of the office you choose. Make sure your background matches the tone of the video, and the message you want to send. In other words, if you’re attempting to cultivate an image of professionalism and preparedness, don’t film your video walking through a cluttered hallway.
On the other hand, think about using your surroundings for entertainment value. When you include upbeat material in your sales video, you give the prospect something valuable and increase their engagement.
Frost also suggests using props, for customization as well as levity. Hold up a whiteboard with the prospect’s name on it. That way, there’s no question that you made this video just for your prospect’s personal attention. And for that matter, while we’re on the subject of whiteboard—let’s talk about some video in sales that doesn’t rely on live action.
Whiteboard Video for Sales
When you want an affordable sales video that doesn’t rely on the above tactics (or maybe you’ve already had a video call introduction and sent a thoughtfully-made follow-up video) of live, on-camera content, consider whiteboard.
Whiteboard video is great for prospects further along the sales journey. It’s not quite as cheap as the single-person introduction. But it’s far better than that format at explaining products and services. And it makes engaging, retainable content out of your value proposition and message. When you close your introduction/follow-up videos, you’ll want to include a call to action. This is a clear next step for prospects to act upon the information they’ve received about your brand.
Keep prospect engagement high by targeting that call to action at your website, social media, or wherever you’ve chosen to post your middle-of-funnel video. Especially if this video is a whiteboard video, your prospect will be engaged by the hand-drawn images reinforcing your voiced script. This leaves them with a well-retained understanding of your company’s offering.
And, unlike the customized videos that you might use to meet and greet prospects, whiteboard videos can be made to be evergreen. In this sense, evergreen simply means content that remains relevant and useful over time, often even to various audiences. So while you’ll need to make new customized videos with new prospects, you won’t have to remake your whiteboard explainer videos (until and unless the product information changes, of course).
Consider the Numbers
So, with some great ideas for sales-focused videos in mind, let’s consider some numbers. Wyzowl found that 83% of video marketers said video helped them with lead generation, 87% said video has increased traffic to their website, and most stunningly, 80% of video marketers said that video has directly helped increase sales.
Let there be no question: video can improve your sales numbers.
How can you get started making whiteboard or other videos for use in your sales efforts? For one, you can contact a whiteboard video production company like TruScribe.
We live to partner with people and teams trying to send a message. Our team of experts is ready to supercharge that message with great drawings and a strongly voiced script. TruScribe’s production process comes with one of the most important parts of video content creation guaranteed: a high level of collaboration.
The more input on your video, the better. Whiteboard video production is great for ensuring rounds of review and approval throughout the process. Even if you’re working alone on an introduction video, share it with a coworker or superior first. Get as much perspective as you can before you send your sales video.
With collaboration, a plan for which type of video, where to use it, and when on the prospect’s journey, and a few other considerations around production and style, you’ll be ready to pursue video in your company’s sales initiatives. Make them engaging, and try to add that personal touch. It’s hard to overstate the difference it can make, especially in B2B communications.