Sales videos play a big role in influencing buyers’ purchase decisions, and sellers often use it at the beginning of their sales process. But there’s also opportunity to close deals with the help of video. “You’ve probably heard about how sellers are adopting video as a sales tool,” writes Tyler Lessard for Selling Power. “When you think of video selling, you probably think of reps sending video messages to get prospects’ attention – but video is just as valuable in the bottom half of your funnel.”

Why sales videos provide so much value

Sellers are increasingly adopting video as a primary sales tool and for good reason. As SalesFuel found, buyers use, and are inspired by, video during their purchase process. Why? Lessard points out that sales videos are impactful because they:

Can be shared and consumed easily. Not only can sellers send out snippets of knowledge to prospects, but prospects can then share those with others, including influential stakeholders.
Are personal. Video gives sellers the opportunity to connect on a deeper level thanks to the ability to personalize messages.
Allow for engagement tracking. Video analytics give sellers insight into who engages with their messages.

3 ways to use video to boost close rates

One way sellers can use sales videos is to showcase in-depth demonstrations of their solution. “Micro-demos” that spotlight specific elements provide digestible insights that highlight what the solution can do for the prospect. “These videos don’t need to be big, involved productions; a great micro-demo can just be a series of product screenshots with some audio commentary, all only a couple of minutes long,” Lessard explains.

Showing via video, rather than describing over a call, has much more impact and helps buyers see the value for themselves. Plus, there’s the benefit of sending it and allowing the buyer to watch it at their leisure and have multiple viewings if needed.

Also, if there were certain times during the sales process where the prospect had questions or seemed unsure, use micro-demos to confirm no lingering doubts remain. Or if there were elements that really seemed to impress a buyer, highlight those in a video as you near decision time.

For tips on how to craft an effective demo video, check out SalesFuel’s article about the topic. It discusses helpful details like the different types of video demos and how long videos should last.

Send reminder videos

Sellers can also use sales videos as reminders. Cutting down on missed meetings, especially toward the end of the sales process, is important to keep things moving. So instead of offering reminders by phone or basic email, consider using a video. As Lessard points out, “Sending a quick reminder email before a call is one thing, but sending a quick reminder video is another. It reminds buyers that there’s a real person on the other end of that meeting invite, and it makes them more likely to show up (or, if necessary, take the time to reschedule).”

Video adds that extra human touch that a call or text email can’t deliver. Seeing your face and hearing your voice, reminding them about a meeting, may even prevent them from canceling or postponing. Making that connection makes it more difficult to brush off the message compared to a faceless email.

Enhance the proposal

Finally, use a sales video as part of your proposal. Lessard reports that sellers who include a video in their proposal can drive close rates by up to 41%. That is a huge pay-off for only a minimal amount of extra work. He recommends sending the usual proposal and also creating a video to go with it. The message can be a simple walkthrough of the proposal in plain, conversational talk, which again, emphasizes that personal connection with the prospect. “It’s a great opportunity to show the value baked into your proposal, as well as to explain the more complex elements in a simplified way,” he explains.

So don’t relegate sales videos to the beginning of the sales process; use them at the end to help increase close rates. Research already shows the impact video has on buyers, so harness that by using video in the final stages to inspire buys.

Photo by LinkedIn Sales Navigator