YouTube has over a billion users–almost a third of all people on the Internet–and every day, people watch hundreds of millions of hours of YouTube videos and generate billions of views.
Therefore, it’s no surprise that video is widely touted as the most critical focus for sales and marketing organizations. To be sure, most companies with any degree of digital presence have made some effort to embrace the video movement, usually with a couple of videos hosted on YouTube for safe keeping.
But, as a salesperson, how can you make best use of those videos? How can you get started with video selling without a massive video budget?
Let’s say your company has a couple of videos available for your use. Maybe you have an ‘About Us’ video introducing your CPA Firm, or an animated explainer video that describes your unique approach to staffing, or you work in a software company and have some recorded demos at your disposal. These three ideas will get you started with video selling pronto:
If your company has an ‘About Us’ video, add that to the ‘Experience’ section, under your current position. While it might be tempting to list all of your daily responsibilities a la worn-out resume, take advantage of that real estate to position yourself as a helpful expert to your prospects. You can also include video in your LinkedIn updates, rotating a healthy balance of educational and promotional content.
According to Forrester Research, including video in an email can increase click through rates by 200-300%. That’s astounding! Now, keep in mind that your video should appeal to the recipient and provide a clear, relevant message. If you have a simple introductory video, that may be best placed during your exploratory conversations. If you want to send your pre-recorded demo, do so at the correct time in the sales process -- when your prospect is already considering a purchase. Finally, if you really want to go next level on this experiment, try including a personalized video in your introductory emails. You have a web cam, right?
Video is not solely reserved for the interaction of one individual with her or his computer screen. Video can be a powerful addition to an in-person presentation. If you’re a tech company, imagine bringing your marquee customer to every on-site demo meeting. If you can’t, video is the next best thing (if you do have customers who are willing to fly out to your prospects’ offices just to gloat about you, call me and teach me your ways). Instead of that obligatory intro slide that shows your audience where your HQ is located (they saw that on your website) or what your mission statement is (your mission is to make them happy), try letting your best client introduce you via video instead.
Remember, just because video is the cool new thing, it doesn’t negate the need for quality and relevancy. We’re often tempted to embrace the novel and forget the basics. So, use video when it aligns with your prospects’ needs. If you can do so with the ideas above, give them a try! Bonus points if you send us a video email to let us know how it goes.
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