Imagine you get a new email notification…

And you open it (because the subject line is interesting enough), and you see a video — a video of someone waving at you.

9 out of 10 times, you’d click play to see what’s going on and then the person pitches you; 

“Hey [Your first name]! My name is Darius and I wanted to show you how Dubb can help you increase revenue with video emails”

You might not be a huge fan of videos (yet), but because;

  1. He stood out from the sea of other text emails (that all sound alike). 
  2. You could put a face to Darius’ name
  3. You realize he made this video PERSONALLY for you…

Chances are you’ll most like be interested in hearing what he has to say. 

Today, businesses are finding better ways to connect with their prospects and customers.

Video has proven to be one of the most effective ways to communicate.. and this is why video prospecting can make the difference in your sales process.

Keep reading to learn everything you need to know about video prospecting and how to pull it off.

First things first…

WHAT IS VIDEO PROSPECTING?

This is prospecting that uses video as an important component..

Video prospecting allows you to get face-to-face with leads or prospects through video… and explain the value of your product or service(s) to them.

Generally, videos are a great way to capture attention. With videos you can;

  • Create a visual impact
  • Show your personality
  • Convey information in an engaging and informative way

Video prospecting can be done via email, social media or even text message.

When done well, video prospecting creates a positive impression on your prospects.

WHY IS VIDEO PROSPECTING SO IMPORTANT?

Video puts you at center stage with your prospects. It is you showcasing your personality in an authentic light. 

Here are reasons why you should consider prospecting with video.

  1. It increases open rates 

Study shows that emails that include video see a 16% boost in open rates.

  1. It increases response rates

 According to a bomb bomb study… enterprise sales reps report a 56% increase in replies when they included videos in a cold email.

  1. It saves time

Sometimes, crafting a perfectly written email can be extremely time-consuming… while recording a video of the same email might only take a few minutes. 

  1. It makes you/your company memorable

Studies show that absorbing information visually makes it easier to remember. 

So by using video, your key message would likely resonate and be remembered by your prospects.

Also, in the sea of text emails, using video differentiates you from the rest.

TYPES OF VIDEOS YOU CAN UTILIZE FOR SALES PROSPECTING

The best way to know what type of video suits what you hope to achieve with prospecting is by building a framework. 

The framework for a video prospecting script will include;

  • Who: This is all about your target audience (who they are, and the problems they face).
  • What: This is all about your offer
  • Why:  Why are you prospecting your offer?
  • When: This is all about the timeline of your videos.
  • How: How do you intend to carry out your prospecting?

Following your framework, the various ways you could use video for prospecting include…

  1. Outreach videos 

Inexperienced salespeople approach prospecting the wrong way.

They tend to focus on closing the sale from the first point of contact.

Prospecting should not be focused on the sale alone. You can go ahead to;;

  1. Offer possible answers/solutions to problems your prospect might be facing.
  2. Share some useful information regarding your industry… e.g. recent trends and best practices.

Using videos that offer support to your prospects can be another avenue to make the sale.

  1. Reminder videos 

Did you stop sending out emails?

Use a short introductory video to remind your leads of your existence. The video needs to offer your availability anew (especially if you’ve been away for some  time). 

If you need to re-introduce a particular offer to your prospects, you can create and send out a short video summary of your product… and offer product-specific information.

Those who consider making a purchase will value this type of video and show themselves to be prospects.

3. Demonstration videos 

A product demonstration video may just be the nudge needed to convince leads who consider buying. 

A demonstration video may engage prospects fully and help them to decide if your product is what they are looking for… even without you saying or doing too much. 

Through demonstration videos, your leads can see for themselves how to use your product… and what benefits it gives.

4. Follow up videos 

The purpose of a follow-up email is to act as a reminder to an email that has already been sent before… Hence, it is safe to say that your true prospects are those who respond to the follow-up email.

BEST PRACTICES FOR VIDEO PROSPECTING

Now that you know what video prospecting is, it’s advantages and the ways you could prospect with videos… here are some best practices to help you start off your video prospecting efforts on the right foot.

  • Keep the videos short  

It is recommended to keep your video between a minimum length of 30 seconds and a maximum length of 60 seconds. This is because short videos are easier to watch.

Include the main point in the first few sentences of the video. You can also use subtitles to help your viewers scroll through the points.

Try not to say everything at once… instead allow for pauses, to enable your viewers to digest the information.

  • Personalize your videos  

When recording sales prospecting videos… personalizing your videos will help you stand out in the inbox. 

Curiosity will intrigue the recipient to watch a video specifically made for them.

  • Always include a Call-To-Action (CTA) 

Call-to-actions allow your audience to know exactly what to do next.

You can customize your CTA buttons, so that they match the CTA in your sales video.

For example;

”if you would like to discuss more about your pending issues, click the button below this video to schedule a call”.

You can customize your CTA button to say ”click here to schedule a call” or ”schedule your call”.

Using a call-to-action will help your recipient know the next step to follow through.

  • Be strategic with your subject line 

Your subject line is the first indicator of whether a prospect will open your email – or not.

When crafting your subject line, be sure to include the word ”video”. This has proven to increase open rates by at least 16%.  

For an extra touch of personalization, you can include the prospect’s name in the subject line.

  • Add some text 

When video prospecting, you still want to add some text to the body of the email. 

Introduce yourself, give a short description of the video. Let your prospect know you recorded the video specifically for them and also encourage them to watch the video.

But, be careful not to give away too much information in the text, as you still want your prospect to view the video.

  • Use analytics for follow-up 

Leveraging the power of analytics, you can 

  1. assess the performance of your video prospecting campaign
  2. find gaps in the strategy 
  3. gain the insights you need for effective follow-up.

Analytics answers common questions including…

  • Watch rate — did they watch your previous video? 
  • CTR — did they click on your call-to-action (CTA) button? 
  • Open rate — did they read your last email?

If they didn’t respond to your video, make some research and adjustments… and based on your findings, create another video that answers to their pain points. 

If they did not click on the CTA, then you need to change that. 

If they did not open or read your last email, research better captivating subject lines.

Analytics is critical to digital marketing, and you can leverage it to make your videos work.

CONCLUSION

When executed properly, video prospecting can be a marketing gold mine. 

Unlike other content marketing mediums that are more static in nature… videos are more dynamic.

Videos give prospects a more concrete peek at your brand’s personality… and in the long run, this can build brand trust.

While prospecting with videos may seem overwhelming, with a platform like Dubb, it’s a lot easier to navigate and understand. 

The tips outlined in this article are a roadmap to start using videos for sales prospecting.

If these ideas have sparked your interest, you can get started by signing up to the free version of Dubb. 

We’re here to help make sure you get the most out of video.