Is Video Prospecting an Effective Way to Reach Customers?

Video prospecting is an effective way to reach customers because it saves time and streamlines the sales process. Learn seven effective tactics for using video prospecting.

Is Video Prospecting an Effective Way to Reach Customers?

Anecdotally and empirically, video prospecting is highly effective for two reasons: it saves time and streamlines the sales process. It's also easy to use, memorable, and appealing to shoppers. When it comes to prospecting videos, shorter is almost always better. Cold outreach videos should last about 30 seconds, up to a maximum of 60 seconds.

A study conducted by Edelman on brand trust revealed that customers are 57% more likely to buy a new product or service from a brand they fully trust. Testimonial videos, like the one above, can help build trust and encourage potential customers to convert. In fact, two out of three people are more likely to make a purchase after watching a testimonial video that demonstrates how a company, product or service has helped someone like them. Treat your video exactly as if it were a face-to-face conversation.

Be genuine and show that you're genuinely interested in your potential customers and that you're eager to work with them. People know when they get a generic sales pitch and when they get your full attention - and the latter goes much further. According to a study conducted by McKinsey & Company, personalization generates an increase in revenues of between 10 and 15%. A high-performing sales representative from the company's communications platform, Dynamic Signal, was looking for a way to increase her conversion rate and still reach her quota without working 12 hours a day, six days a week.

As soon as they started sending personalized videos to potential customers, they started seeing positive results. By the end of the first two weeks of using video, the company had registered a 22% increase in open rates, a 92% increase in response rates and had achieved four new meetings with clients. That's why you should start by researching your potential customer so that you can make a personalized video especially for them. These statistics demonstrate the reach and effectiveness of the dissemination of video (and of video for sales, in general). I've compiled seven of my most effective video prospecting tactics to make it easier for you to steal these incredible ideas.

Every sales message should tell the potential customer to take the next steps - and your video prospecting is no different. Not all the videos you send as part of your sales process need to be recorded in a personalized way at that time. However, while prospecting for videos usually involves adding videos to outreach emails, there's no reason why you can't also use them on other channels such as social media or even in text message marketing. He explains: “For example, I just created a video for AddThis's VP of Marketing on how to get more likes on Facebook.” In fact, a video sales tool (such as Vidyard) notifies reps when potential customers have viewed their videos in real time. Video is already quite a big investment (only the time it takes to create a video is important), so I recommend that you automate everything you can. You can choose where to focus your customization efforts and make certain parts of the video remain static while others are customized for maximum effect.

Once you're up and running, you can do a few simple things to make sure you get the most out of your video investment. Adam Rataj, HubSpot's sales director for the middle market, demonstrates an effective CTA on video in this quick recording that he sends to people who have subscribed to HubSpot's free product. This video highlights the personal connection between the sales representative and the prospector in order to prepare the ground for a new business relationship. If you're just starting out prospecting for videos, recording and sharing a webcam or selfie-style video may be the perfect opportunity to try something a little different from traditional cold-text-based emails. To add visual aspects to complex topics, you can also opt for a video slideshow that allows you to sequence images and video clips to create a compelling brand narrative. If you're looking for a group of people from the same company, you don't need to record a personal, individual video message for each of them.