One of the latest and greatest tools to help SDRs connect with prospects is video. đš
Why has video prospecting become such a popular sales tactic?
Itâs easy to see its appeal from both sides. Prospects can instantly put a face to a name, knowing theyâre dealing with a real human.
Plus, SDRs can get their foot in the door with a prospect in a way that catches their attention. Sounds like a win-win to us!
We wanted to investigate this method further. What are the pros and cons? Should video be added to your prospecting toolkit?
In writing this article, we called on the expertise of Ivana Ivanova, Cognism SDR. Sheâs been very successful in utilising video to reach out to prospects. Who better to ask?
Scroll đ for Cognismâs ultimate guide to video prospecting!
Ever wanted to appear on the big screen? Hereâs your chance! Well, kind ofâŚ
Video prospecting is when SDRs approach prospects with video content to communicate a specific message. You can send videos on a number of channels, and you can make them as specific and personalised to the prospect as you like.
Why did Ivana decide to film videos to send to prospects?
The idea was first proposed by her manager. She went on to tell us:
âI havenât heard of many other companies using it, but I get a great response from it. Most of the SDRs at Cognism are now using videos in their prospecting in some way.â
âItâs a good way to stand out from the crowd. I usually send my videos over email, but if I connect with someone with a LinkedIn messaging template and they donât respond to my initial request, then Iâll send them on LinkedIn as well.â
âThe platform I use, Vidyard, is fully integrated with LinkedIn through a Chrome extension. Usually, if Iâve been ghosted by somebody and I send them a video, they respond.â
According to Ivana, there are a number of attractive benefits to using video in outbound sales, including:
With video prospecting, you show your prospects that thereâs a real person behind the screen!
This helps you build trust and develop a relationship.
Your recipient can watch your sales call video when itâs convenient for them, hopefully meaning theyâre more focused on what you have to say.
You can inject more fun and energy into a video than you can a sales email or LinkedIn message!
Also, messages and tone are less likely to be misunderstood or misinterpreted.
A personalised sales video shows that youâve taken the time and effort to think of your prospect and are thinking creatively to engage them.
Depending on what you sell, you can also demo your product or service during your video.
Some of your prospects will never have seen or heard of you before. Showing them exactly how your solution works can improve their understanding and provide colour to the descriptions you discuss over the phone or in emails.
Top tip:
Use a private streaming platform to record a video demo of your solution in action. This allows your clients to see firsthand how your product or service addresses their specific needs.
As video prospecting is still fairly new, youâre more likely to grab a prospectâs attention; they likely havenât received this kind of communication before!
Remember, prospects - and especially decision-makers - have mailboxes filled with people trying to pull them in a thousand directions.
A video is more memorable, meaning the prospect will recall more of what you say versus an email theyâve only skimmed.
Ivana shared some personal benefits of using video prospecting:
âIt helps me enhance my personal skills; Iâm improving presentation skills, building confidence and honing my messaging. Itâs a great method everyone should use!â
âMoving into a fully digital age where so many people are working from home or hybrid, it makes you stand out.â
In the sales world, innovation takes centre stage. Consider using Potion, a dynamic video prospecting tool, to add a dash of creativity and elevate your video outreach.
Thereâs a knack to creating video prospecting content that your prospects will want to receive and pay attention to.
The trick is to get the balance right between giving enough information to let your prospect know who you are and what youâre about, without making them watch too much footage. Theyâll only lose interest if you send them a 10-minute epic!
Instead, be concise. Use the minimum amount of words you can to get your point across. if you struggle with what points to address, try using intent data to enhance virtual prospecting.
Ivanaâs advice is to keep your videos to about a minute in length.
âThe idea is to save time for both you and your prospect. They can watch it when itâs convenient for them, but that doesnât mean youâll hold their attention for long.â
âSo keep it short, try to spark interest, and end the video offering them a chance to learn more or see more of the features.â
How successful is video prospecting?
Well, it depends on who youâre hoping to contact and with what message.
For example, Ivana has found more success using video with younger prospects. In general, though, itâs all about testing and experimentation.
We asked Ivana how she incorporates video into her daily routine:
âI use a dual prospecting approach. Iâll send videos to prospects Iâve never spoken with before via email, while on LinkedIn, Iâll only ever use them for follow-ups.â
âI also personalise my videos depending on who Iâm contacting. For example, the messaging will be different if theyâre a sales or marketing leader. I always try to include specific details about the prospect or their company, such as any pain points I know theyâre dealing with.â
So, when video prospecting, you should tailor your approach to the channel youâre on and the persona youâre targeting. This way, youâll avoid annoying prospects with irrelevant content and keep your videos fresh and compelling.
Ivana said:
âAnother way I use video is to show my prospects exactly how I found them [their contact details] using our sales software. Itâs useful to be able to demonstrate the product Iâm selling right off the bat.â
âWith video, you can get them to see it in action.â
With 'seeing it in action' in mind, check out this example of one of Ivanaâs prospecting videos đ
Filming yourself might feel daunting at first; if it wasnât, then weâd all be Hollywood actors or YouTube stars!
But, with a bit of practice, you can create videos that really help to boost your prospecting.
Follow these top tips đ
Put yourself in the shoes of your future viewer. Ask yourself questions like:
Base your video script on the answers to these questions.
Really important, this - find somewhere quiet to record!
You want somewhere where youâre comfortable speaking. Make sure your surroundings are well-lit, and your backdrop is tidy.
Feeling natural on camera might take some time and practice, but itâs no different to being on a Zoom call with your prospect.
When recording, follow B2B sales best practices. Be friendly and human - and donât worry if it takes a few tries to get it right! No one is an expert on their first go.
Once youâve filmed and sent some videos, use the data at your disposal to iterate and improve.
Ask your prospects for feedback on your video prospecting - this is a great way of making your videos better.
Ivana is new to video prospecting but urges other SDRs to take the leap.
âIâd recommend anyone thinking about video prospecting to just give it a go, if it isnât for you, then at least now you know that. But 100% try using it.â
âCreativity for SDRs is so important - every lead you get is probably being sold to by someone else at the same time, so any way to stand out is helpful.â
âNot everyone will click the video but if they can see youâre a real human then theyâre more likely to give you time out of their day, especially if you make the effort to make it personalised and are willing to be creative. Iâd love to be prospected in this way!â
The good news is, you can use video prospecting at any stage of the sales process.
Ryan Reisert is a best-selling sales author. He told us he finds video to be a great method for delivering follow-up information after cold calling.
âInstead of just sending text in an email, add a video!â
âThis helps to interrupt the pattern that prospects are used to when being sold to, grabbing their attention and making the experience more memorable.â
âMore and more people like to consume content in video form. You can provide more context and use imagery alongside text. Itâs a powerful way to communicate, so roll with it.â
Even if you donât choose to send short clips to your sales prospects, Ryan suggests trying to incorporate video calls into your routine.
The reason being?
Itâs easier for the prospect to feel comfortable building some form of relationship with you when they can see your face.
Depending on your approach to video prospecting, there are various ways to evaluate your success. đ
Ivana uses Vidyard to send her videos. With it, she can track metrics such as:
You canât get this kind of data from an email or phone call! It allows the SDR to pinpoint the exact areas of interest - or alternatively, the content their prospects donât care about.
You can use these insights to improve your videos as you go.
As with most things in life, there are pros and cons to video prospecting.
Weâve covered the benefits, but Ivana highlighted one of the slight hiccups she has faced in her video prospecting journey:
âPeople are more aware of security these days. If I send someone a link, especially if itâs a cold prospect, then they may not trust it enough to click through and watch.â
âAs this approach is new, some wonât have experienced it before, and while that works in your favour if they do click through and watch, it can also be the reason people are hesitant.â
This may be a downside that SDRs have to live with for the time being - but in our opinion, itâs likely technology will find a way to catch up and resolve this issue in the near future.
Ivana was quick to add:
âWhenever I ask for feedback on my videos, I get positive comments on the approach. So the videos work really well; the downside is just getting people to click to watch them.â
There you have it - if youâve been considering using video for prospecting and lead nurturing, then now is the time to try it out.
Donât be afraid of getting creative with it - after all, itâs about doing something different to stand out from the crowd.
Be bold, build trust and book meetings! đ