Learn How to Use Video Prospecting to Improve B2B Sales
Prospecting isn’t just about reaching more people. A good prospecting strategy helps you stand out from the competition and create a lasting impression on potential clients and customers.
One way to do that is through personalized video messages. They are unique and help you communicate ideas with more impact than the routine text missive. No other outreach tool shows as much promise in influencing target markets as videos.
Here are some statistics confirming the effectiveness of videos in marketing and prospecting:
- 91% of consumers want to see more online video content from brands.
- 92% of marketers report growth in ROI after using promotional video content.
- Video marketers get 66% more qualified leads per year.
- 8 out of 10 American consumers say video content directly affects their purchase decisions.
As these figures show, video prospecting can help you reach, engage and nurture more quality leads than traditional methods.
But the question is, how do you build an effective video prospecting strategy? The answer: by implementing videos as part of a broader sales funnel.
In this article, we discuss why outreach is important for sales and five ways to use video prospecting as a part of your sales strategy.
5 Tactics for Effective Video Sales Prospecting
It takes an artful approach to extract the full benefits of video prospecting. Here are five tried and tested tactics to help you implement videos effectively within your sales outreach strategy.
1. Personalize Videos for Each Prospect
Creating customized videos for each prospect allows you to address their specific needs while demonstrating your commitment to their business.
Personalizing videos means researching your prospect's business and industry, understanding their pain points, and tailoring your message accordingly. This involves reviewing their website, social media profiles, and other available information to gain insights into their business and what they're looking for.
If you're selling a software product, for instance, you could research your prospect's industry to understand their software challenges. You could also review their website to check whether they've mentioned any specific pain points your product can address.
Once you have a comprehensive understanding of your prospect's needs and wants, create a personalized video that speaks directly. This could involve addressing a specific challenge, demonstrating how your product can help overcome it, and highlighting the overall benefits of working with your company.
This way, you can make great first impressions and build stronger connections with your prospects. Personalizing your video messaging makes them more likely to engage with your content and move further down the sales funnel. It’s a tactic that helps set yourself apart from the competition and demonstrate your commitment to your prospect's success.
Communicating these ideas with your prospects is an integral part of what makes a good business development representative.
2. Use Customer Testimonials in Your Videos
Customer testimonials are a powerful tool for building trust with potential buyers and demonstrating the value of your product or service.
A survey by BrightLocal found that 76% of consumers read online reviews before making a purchase, while 68% said that positive reviews make them trust a business more. Showcasing satisfied customers in your videos is a wonderful way to provide social proof and demonstrate how your business delivers results and builds trust with potential buyers.
Choose testimonials that are directly relevant to a particular prospect. You can also consider selecting testimonials from customers in the same industry or those with pain points similar to those of your prospects.
In addition, make sure your testimonials are authentic and believable. Rather than using scripted testimonials, consider filming informal interviews with satisfied customers that showcase their enthusiasm and genuine satisfaction with your product or service.
Customer testimonials can be incorporated into your video sales prospecting in various ways. You can include them as part of a longer video highlighting the benefits of your offerings or create a separate video featuring multiple customer testimonials.
3. Keep Videos Short and Engaging
The average human attention span has been steadily declining amid the constant distraction of digital channels and social media messaging.
All you have is a few seconds to catch someone’s attention with your video before they move on to something else. That makes it critical to keep your videos short, precise, attention-grabbing, and designed for optimal engagement.
Your prospecting video should ideally be less than 2 minutes. That means you have to be strategic with your messaging and focus on the most relevant points that are likely to resonate with your audience.
To keep your video engaging, start with a strong hook that captures your prospect's attention and keeps them wanting more. The right hook might be highlighting a key difference your product or service has with competitors or a statistic that establishes the value of your offering with reasonable credibility.
Use a variety of visually appealing elements that help support your claims and drive your message home. You can try using animated graphics, charts, graphs, and similar visual aids to make your video relevant and memorable.
Concentrate on creating videos that increase the chances of your prospect watching them till the end and being persuaded to take the next step in the sales funnel.
As a rule of thumb, short and succinct marketing videos add to your social selling strategy. Researching social selling examples can also help you learn how to sell better on social media platforms.
4. Use Video Analytics to Track Engagement
Video analytics can provide invaluable insights into how your prospects engage with your video content. Tracking metrics such as views, watch time, drop-off rates, and engagement levels lets you better understand what's working.
For instance, if you notice a high drop-off rate at a certain point in your video, you can review the content to see if there’s anything that might be turning off your audience. Similarly, if you notice viewers re-watching certain sections of your video, you can identify parts of your content that are most engaging. Use this information to rehash existing content or create additional content around successful themes and topics.
There are multiple video analytics tools available to help you track engagement metrics for your video sales prospecting like Google Analytics and YouTube Analytics.
5. Use Video as a Follow-Up Tool
Video can be particularly effective as a follow-up tool to other types of prospect messaging. It allows you to deliver personalized messages that stand out from the dozens of generic follow-up emails your prospects will likely receive. Using a video lets you make a stronger case for your pitch.
Keep your messaging concise and hyper-focused on the prospect's specific needs in follow-up videos. Instead of using generic messages, tailor your video to the specific pain points or concerns that your prospect has expressed. Also, highlight any relevant case studies or customer testimonials that demonstrate the value of your offerings.
The advantage of using video as a follow-up tool is that it allows you to be more creative and engaging than a traditional email. For instance, you can create a short ‘whiteboard video’ (one that shows static images being drawn on screen) to illustrate a key point or use animation to add visual appeal to your message.
Finally, video follow-ups can help you to stand out from the competition and demonstrate your commitment to providing personalized and high-quality customer experiences. This builds trust with your prospects and increases the likelihood of making a conversion.
Benefits of Video Prospecting for Your Sales Funnel
Here’s how effective video prospecting can add to your sales strategy:
- Videos are highly engaging and can help you capture your prospect's attention.
- Personalizing your videos for each prospect can help build rapport and increase the chances of converting them into customers.
- Using customer testimonials in your videos can help to build trust and demonstrate the value of your product or service.
- Keeping your videos short and engaging can maximize viewership and retention.
- Using video analytics to track engagement can provide valuable insights into what's working and what's not.
- Using video as a follow-up tool can help you to deliver a personalized message and build trust with your prospects.
Video prospecting can be a powerful tool to engage prospects, build trust, and drive conversions. Stand out from the competition and create lasting impressions with your audience by incorporating personalized, engaging videos into your sales strategy.
