Move Prospects Down the Pipeline with Sales Videos
Integrating sales videos into your sales strategy is an innovative and effective way to engage your audience and drive conversions. There are various methods and communication styles for engaging prospects, the best of which, in our humble opinion, is video. The incredible impact of video marketing is no secret to marketers. But what does this mean for the sales team? How can businesses use sales videos as a catalyst for conversions? Find out by uncovering the different touch points that impact your prospects. Hit them at the right moment with the right content, and the sale is yours!
Breaking down the Sales Pipeline in 3 Steps
The benefits of marketing videos can be a sweeping topic… and many a blog has shown how impactful video is for businesses. Most marketers not only know this, but 66% are already using video in some capacity for their marketing campaigns. So, what’s new here? Targeted. Sales. Videos. This video is not just generating interest, this video is answering specific questions at specific instances in the sales process.
Of course, every organization is different with its own unique processes and style for selling their products and services. This is where homework comes in.
- First step: break down your sales cycle and identify key points that indicate conversion (or lack thereof).
- Second step: ask yourself the critical question “what could make or break this deal?”
- Third step: Imagine, if you could say anything to this specific prospect right in that moment, what would it be?
Take the results of the exercise above and use them as a springboard for pitching the creation of a targeted video solution to critical points along your sales journey.
Strategic Sales Videos at Every Touch Point
No matter your budget or level of experience, there are ways to integrate video into your sales strategy. As discussed in the previous section, defining exactly where engagement is most important varies by industry and use case, so this blog will lay out some of the most popular places where targeted sales videos can make the biggest impact.
First Impressions
The most basic and often first touchpoint when reaching your target market is of course, your main landing page. According to After Marketing, 76% of businesses say that sales videos provide good return on investment. Featuring a video on the main page of your website can fulfill several goals. First, it introduces your company and/or product. It keeps potential customers on your website for longer and increases engagement. Video is a fast and convenient way to provide information and tell a compelling story. Adding a video to your first landing page can increase conversions by 80% and lead directly to sales.
Timely Messaging
Your customer’s journey is often a complex path. Spend some time evaluating the different questions and concerns they might have along the way. You might send a video answering FAQ’s a few days after you submit a quote to re-engage in a non-pushy way. The sky is the limit for the types of videos you can create, they key to success though is timely delivery and thoughtfully curated content.
Use Video in Email Campaigns
Whether you’re sending prospecting emails, relationship building emails, selling emails, or a combination, you should include your sales video. When included in emails, your sales video introduces your company and captures potential buyers’ attention. Including your sales video in prospecting email provides a point of interest and differentiates your company and product from your competitors.
Emails that feature sales videos see 5x higher open rates—which helps with prospecting and relationship building in addition to sales. Sales videos can be used for every different part of the sales funnel in email campaigns, below you can see how.
- Prospecting Emails: If you’re reaching out to a new lead for the first time, it’s critical to stand out from the crowd. Using video in prospecting emails helps capture readers’ attention, establishes credibility, and provides a personal touch.
- Relationship Building Emails: If you already know your leads, they already know who you are and that you are established in the market. However, you want to remain top-of-mind for when the time comes to close a sale. Video at this stage should be hyper relevant and encourage dialogue.
- Closing the Sale Emails: Once a lead has been introduced to the company and a relationship has been established, customers need to know how a company will provide value to them. Video used at this point should be personal and confident—but not too pushy.
Integrating a video platform into an existing sales strategy can seem daunting, but there are ways to leverage sales videos effectively no matter your budget or video experience.
Leverage User-Generated Content
User-generated content is incredibly powerful, especially when it comes to showcasing products. Encourage customers and brand advocates to create videos of themselves using your product or services, when appropriate. This content can be sourced through contests, giveaways, or other incentives. That content can then be repurposed into a video campaign or can be integrated into your regular sales videos.
Customer stories are an excellent way to advertise your products in a meaningful, authentic way. Satisfied customers make some of the best advocates. Using customer success stories shows how other customers can achieve similar success by purchasing your product or service.
Keep the Conversation Going
The competition to catch and keep viewers’ attention is steep, so making a creative sales video is crucial. Depending on your industry and selling style, video can be an amazing differentiator even after they’ve signed on the dotted line. Use strategically timed videos to enhance the entire customer experience from start to finish. A brand that creates a fun “thank you” video to send to their clients upon completion of projects is much more likely to be top of mind the next time that business need arises.
What are some of the pain points in your sales cycle? Share below to begin the brainstorming process towards a video solution!
