Getting your foot in the door as a salesperson seems to be getting harder, so how do you catch your prospect’s attention in a noisy inbox? How about tapping into digital video content.
Aside from the virtual meetings on video conferencing platforms like Google Meet and Zoom, there are other ways your sales representatives can use video when prospecting, nurturing relationships, and closing deals. From bringing a sales pitch to life through authentic, personalised communication to giving live product demos, videos always deliver more for the sales rep and prospect.
This blog will reveal some of the most effective types of videos for selling and how your sales team can incorporate video into the sales process.
Why does video matter in B2B sales?
The modern B2B buyer prefers digital interaction, so for starters, it is easier to pique your prospect’s interest with a video than with a cold text-only email.
Your viewers can instantly get a sense of who you are and it may make them more responsive. Also, with video, you are not merely telling your prospect something anymore, but showing them which means you can explain better.
In B2B sales, explaining the value of your product over the phone or via email is quite the challenge. Especially when you are selling software. There is only so much you can say before your email becomes too long. For instance, it would be easier to show your customer relationship management (CRM) solution than explain using only words.
Lastly, in B2B sales you may need to liaise with more than one decision-maker. Video makes this process easier because videos share all relevant information quickly, boosting your brand’s credibility. In general, video removes a lot of friction from the sale process because it is super convenient to watch and gives your potential customers everything they need to make an informed decision.
Now that you know why your team should use video in sales. Let us look at different use cases for video in B2B sales.
1) Share product demo videos to bring clarity into the selling process
One of the most powerful ways to demonstrate the value of your product is with a product demo. If you are selling complex products or software, you are going to meet prospects that want to try before they buy.
Demo videos are like a sneak preview, a vital pre-purchase experience for your prospect in B2B sales. For instance, once your prospect has revealed their pain points and learned about potential solutions, they may still want you to reassure them about their purchase. Demo videos will do exactly that.
You could take your prospect on a step-by-step journey of how to use your product or even show someone using your product in typical scenarios. Demos are therefore not just a guide, but extremely practical, encouraging, and show your prospect how their work will be improved.
Seeing your product in action will therefore a) give your customers proof that your features deliver what was promised, b) save your sales team some time and effort when pitching your solution, and c) bring more clarity into the selling process for people that are not sure if your product meets their needs.
For physical product demos, reveal your product’s value proposition by placing it in a setting where it will best serve its purpose. As for non-physical product demos like software, these work best when you share screen recordings of your product being used. Make it engaging by adding voiceovers and on-screen annotations to guide your viewer to important actions they must take.
2) Ask customers for video testimonials and share case studies to engage prospects better
Customer reviews and feedback now play an important role in your prospect’s purchase decision. They want the inside scoop, especially your B2B millennial buyers, so why not stand out from your competitors with video testimonials and case studies.
A testimonial video is when you have your existing customers share their experiences with your company and product. The benefit of these videos is that your customer will naturally share engaging stories, which is far better than dry-and-cut answers to questions. Also, testimonial videos will fit perfectly into your email campaigns because they are a great form of social proof and will help your prospects visualise your offer.
Next on your agenda should be video case studies. These videos are a little different from testimonials. While testimonials touch on the overall positive results you delivered for your customer, a case study takes things a step further. These videos include the voices of customers and head staff members and reveal how you work alongside your customers and your joint successes.
With case studies, because they are a little longer than testimonials you can be more specific. In other words, you can reveal roadblocks you faced along the way and how you overcame these challenges with different strategies.
3) Send video with seasons greetings instead of written texts
Do not let the holiday season slip away, it may be a great time to still reach your leads and customers in B2B sales.
B2B buyers are actually more likely to sit down with your email campaigns during the holidays. They will be brainstorming their purchases for the upcoming year and may even be looking for deals and discounts to spend the remainder of their annual budget on.
Stand out in your prospective customer’s inbox with a seasonal or holiday video campaign that tells them how your services can help them manage their corporate workflow before and even during the holiday.
What you are doing in the process is nurturing your leads. In other words, once you have started a conversation with a lead it is important to nurture the relationship and personalised seasonal campaigns are a simple way to add value to your prospect or simply help you connect with them on a deeper level.
5) Publish your webinars or masterclasses for people that could not attend them
E-learning continues to grow, which means we need to find innovative ways to position ourselves as industry experts and thought leaders.The answer is webinars and masterclasses.
I know, you must be thinking that webinars are a little outdated.
But, on the contrary, webinars, and masterclasses have replaced a lot of face-to-face conferences and events in B2B sales. Thanks to tools like Google Meet, Zoom, and Microsoft Teams, these videos are now a win-win sales strategy. Your audience walks away with valuable knowledge on topics they care about and you effortlessly generate new leads.
The primary goal is to educate a specific audience on a particular topic or industry while positioning yourself as an expert in the industry. For instance, you could share tips on how to generate leads with a cold outreach approach and focus specifically on getting pharmaceutical companies as customers.
Keep in mind that webinars are the opposite of a hard sell, so the aim is not to try and close any deals. Rather, you should use the registration forms for your webinar and follow-up communications to qualify leads and uncover candidates showing a certain level of intent or interest.
Some key takeaways are that the more people you get to register for the event the more valid emails you are capturing for your email marketing list. Also, because the event is pre-recorded you can repurpose the video at a later stage during the sales process. For instance, for those who registered but were unable to attend send them a link to the video
6) Send personalised, one-to-one sales videos and proposals
In B2B sales, you have one shot at making a strong first impression. Why not create a personalised video so your prospect can see your facial expressions and feel like you are speaking directly to them.A sales video is when you record an authentic video message to send to your prospect. These kinds of videos are made by salespeople themselves using a cellphone or webcam and sent via email or LinkedIn for instance.
One type of sales video is a video proposal. During the sales process, you will reach a point where you have to present a proposal to your interested prospect, so stand out with a video recording of yourself explaining the proposal. You could even take it a step further by adding thumbnails with relevant content at the bottom of your video. For example, include a recent blog post, the proposal in writing, and your product page and direct your prospects’ attention to each one during the video.
Sales videos can be used at any point in the customer journey. Even if you have not yet convinced your prospect to set that initial Zoom appointment, a compelling video message that shows your face and you empathising with your prospect could change that.
