B2B sales is a different ballgame, and you’re going to have to learn to pitch a few curveballs if you want to shorten your sales cycle and win more deals.
When it comes to the B2B sales process, video is essential. Research shows video content significantly influences decision-making, with 73% of B2B decision-makers preferring video over other content formats. Whether it’s a product demo, case study, or testimonial, videos can showcase value in a compelling and memorable way. By using video, your sales reps can create a deeper emotional connection with potential customers, leading to increased trust and improved conversion rates.
So, when is the right time to use video in the sales process, and where is video most effective? These are the questions that will shape your video strategy. Whether you’re just starting to use video or you still haven’t embraced video in your B2B sales strategy, it’s time to consider its potential across your entire funnel.
Why Use Video to Engage B2B Prospects
Incorporating video in B2B sales strategies can lead to higher conversion rates. With a well-timed video view, prospects are more likely to take action, such as requesting a demo or making a purchase decision, resulting in increased sales and revenue.
Why is video more motivating? Prospects are more likely to watch a video from start to finish, resulting in better understanding and retention of information. While a long-form eBook may convey the exact same info, it’s much more likely a reader will just scan the information instead of internalizing it.
Video is now the most efficient way to communicate complex ideas quickly. Quick sales videos can enable your B2B sales teams to convey your value proposition in a dynamic and memorable way. Through visuals, sounds, and emotions, video creates a connection with prospects, making it easier to resonate with and remember.
Instead of relying solely on text, where tone and information may be misinterpreted or misunderstood, video provides a clearer and more concise explanation, ensuring that prospects fully comprehend the message. Sales videos help you leverage your team’s charm and passion for your product, too.
Video Gets Engagement
People love video. From the billions of hours spent on YouTube to product demonstrations and webinars, human beings prove time and again that we’re (mostly) visual learners.
In fact, 91% of B2B tech buyers, 75% of B2B manufacturing buyers, and 68% of B2B financial services buyers prefer video content over written content when learning about a complex product/service. (Brightcove)
Due to their dynamic and visual nature, videos are inherently attention-grabbing. They bring your content to life and capture the viewer’s interest, resulting in higher engagement rates compared to text alone. You can showcase your brand’s personality and your sales teams’ charm, share testimonials, or demonstrate product features. This creates a connection with your audience and encourages them to learn more about what you’re offering.
There’s also an element of shareability at play. Videos are more likely to be shared by users across social media platforms. When people come across interesting or entertaining videos, they are more inclined to share them with their own networks, effectively widening your reach and increasing engagement.
And video is just more memorable. The combination of visuals, audio, and motion in videos enhances information retention. Viewers are more likely to remember the message conveyed in a video compared to written content, leading to greater engagement through comments, likes, and shares.
Video Helps You Build a Relationship
Building strong relationships is core to effective B2B sales. For your sales reps, connecting with prospects on a personal level can make all the difference in closing deals and building long-term partnerships.
This is where video provides an advantage. Sales videos with personalization, delivered at the right time, help you forge a more personal relationship with your prospects, even if you can’t meet them face-to-face. With video, you can put a face with your name, allowing prospects to see the real person behind the sales pitch. This helps to establish trust and credibility, which are essential in the B2B sales process.
Video also allows your reps to show their expertise and knowledge in an engaging and dynamic. Most salespeople are naturally charming, passionate people-people. Use these personality strengths to your business’s benefit by getting your reps on video!
Reps can use video to demonstrate product features, provide tutorials, or offer personalized solutions for your prospects. This not only helps to build rapport but also shows that your reps understand your prospects’ challenges and are invested in finding solutions for them.
Reusable Video Messages Can Save You Time
Using pre-recorded videos that still feel personalized can be a game-changer for streamlining prospect outreach and saving time in the sales process.
With reusable video messages, you can create a library of pre-recorded videos that address common questions or provide useful information. Instead of crafting and delivering individual messages every time, you can simply pull a relevant video from your library and send it to prospects. This saves you valuable time and allows you to reach out to more prospects in a shorter period.
While pre-recorded, these videos can still feel personalized. Your reps should still use a familiar approach and tailor content to address specific needs you see a lot. You can also modify the videos slightly to address different prospect segments.
By using pre-recorded videos, your marketing team can help your sales reps ensure that everyone’s messaging is consistent across all prospects. Each recipient receives the same key points and information, minimizing the chance of miscommunication or inconsistency. This not only saves time but also helps build a stronger brand image and reinforces your value proposition.
And don’t forget to let the robots do the boring stuff! Leveraging technology like sequences and workflows in Hubspot, you can automate the delivery of these pre-recorded videos triggered by prospect actions and traits, making the entire prospect outreach process more efficient. Schedule videos to be sent at specific times or in response to certain actions, freeing up your sales team’s time to focus on other critical sales activities.
When to Use Video in the B2B Sales Funnel
Whether you’re trying to generate leads, nurture prospects, or close deals, video can play a vital role at every stage of the sales funnel:
- Awareness Stage: At the top of the sales funnel, video can be used to capture the attention of your target audience and introduce them to your brand and products or services. For instance, you can create an entertaining video that highlights the benefits and unique features of your offerings, ultimately creating awareness and interest among potential customers.
- Consideration Stage: As prospects move further down the sales funnel and begin considering various options, video can help showcase your company’s value proposition and differentiate yourself from competitors. A well-crafted video testimonial from a satisfied customer or a case study highlighting successful implementations of your solutions can effectively influence their decision-making process.
- Decision Stage: When prospects are about to make a purchase decision, video can be a potential closer. By providing personalized and interactive product demonstrations, you can address any remaining concerns or objections, clearly communicate the value of your offerings, and ultimately convince prospects to choose your business over competitors.
Top of Funnel – Awareness Stage: Capture Interest
Using video outreach at the top of the funnel is an effective way to capture interest in your brand or product. Here are some examples of how you can use video outreach to capture interest:
- Introduce your product or service: Create a short video that highlights your offering’s unique features and benefits. Use unique visuals and narration to convey the value proposition clearly and concisely.
- Share customer testimonials: Gather testimonials from satisfied customers and compile them into a video. This will not only build trust and credibility but also showcase the positive experiences others have had with your brand.
- Provide educational content: Create informative videos on topics that are relevant to your target audience. By offering valuable insights and knowledge, you establish yourself as an authority in your industry and generate interest from individuals seeking information.
- Show behind-the-scenes footage: Take your viewers behind the scenes of your business or production process. This gives them a glimpse into your company’s inner workings and creates a sense of authenticity and transparency.
By using video outreach at the top of the funnel, you can capture interest and engage potential customers in a visually appealing and easily digestible way. Remember to keep your videos concise, informative, and visually captivating to maximize their impact.
Middle of Funnel – Consideration: Be Their Guide
In the middle of the sales funnel, it is crucial to guide your prospects and help them fully understand their problems and the various options available to solve those problems. Middle-of-funnel sales videos should serve as predominantly educational and explorative. Help your prospects compare, research, and decide.
To successfully guide your prospects in the middle of the funnel, consider the following tips for your sales videos:
- Use visuals, statistics, and real-life examples to illustrate the impact of the problem on their business.
- Show empathy toward your prospects’ challenges and frustrations. Acknowledge their pain points and problems by name!
- Provide overviews and comparisons of different solutions, including benefits and differentiators.
- Incorporate case studies, testimonials, or success stories to demonstrate the effectiveness of your solution. This helps build credibility and trust with your prospects.
Remember to end each video with a clear call to action, encouraging your prospects to take the next step in their buyer’s journey, whether it’s scheduling a demo, requesting more information, or speaking with a salesperson.
Bottom of Funnel: Show, Don’t Tell
“Show, don’t tell” is an oft-quoted creative writing technique that reminds the writer to allow the reader to experience the story through actions, senses, and other vivid details. Don’t just tell people what’s happening or what will happen; let them see it for themselves.
When it comes to the bottom of the sales funnel, it’s crucial for your reps to “show” rather than simply “tell” your prospects about the benefits of choosing your solution. Video is a powerful tool that can help you do just that.
By utilizing video, you can visually demonstrate how your solution will positively impact your prospects’ lives. Seeing is believing, and when your prospects can witness the potential transformation firsthand, they are more likely to be convinced and make a purchase.
One way to utilize video at the bottom of the funnel is to walk your prospect through your proposal. Instead of overwhelming them with pages of text, a concise and engaging video can present the key points, highlighting the value and benefits of your solution. This allows prospects to absorb the information more easily and encourages them to take the next step.
Video can bring case study interview quotes to life. Sharing testimonials and success stories through video testimonials can provide social proof and build trust with your prospects. By hearing directly from satisfied customers, your prospects will feel more confident in your solution and its ability to deliver results.
Don’t forget to showcase your onboarding process to give prospects a clear idea of what to expect if they choose to work with you. They can visualize the steps involved, understand the timeline, and feel confident that they know what to expect when they sign on the dotted line.
Start Connecting With Prospects
Incorporating video into your B2B sales strategy can lead to higher conversion rates and increased revenue. Again, people love and remember video content, so your prospects are much more likely to take action after watching engaging video content.
Video helps your sales representatives create an emotional connection with prospects, convey complex ideas quickly, and showcase both your brand’s personality and their own. For more sales tips, tricks, and tactics, download our free B2B Sales Leader’s Guide! From getting leads to closing deals, this comprehensive guide will help you drive more revenue.
