BY Rachel Cagle
When you are a sales rep who is stuck at home, you may be tempted to utilize video for more of your work. After all, you are already using it anyway to chat with coworkers. Why not use video for your sales, right? Jeff Hoffman, writing for HubSpot, says that using video in sales is not the best idea.
Hoffman says that “opportunities entering the pipeline, discovery and qualification to determine one’s viability” are the three parts of the sales process. While using video in sales is well and good during the last two steps, you should never use it during the prospecting process. Why shouldn't you?
Why Using Video in Sales is a Bad Idea Right Now
Think about your goals during the prospecting phase of the sales process. One of your primary objective is to get the prospective customer to like both you and what you are selling. But money is tight right now, what with the pandemic raging on. Everyone is being more frugal. Now they're being approached by a sales rep they have never met before. Think about how your prospect is feeling talking a stranger who they believe only wants their money while money is tight. Your research has shown that the prospect does have a need, otherwise you would not have reached out to them. However, they may not want to reveal their intentions to you so early in the sales process.
Now add video to this sales equation. Hoffman says that the addition of video in the prospecting phase, “can enhance the negatives of both sides. The rep can easily come across as too enthusiastic and animated, and the buyer has intent they are not yet ready to reveal… and could feel uncomfortable by the introduction of video too early.” Until you have established that moving forward with the sale has potential for both of you, you should keep your interactions with your prospective customers to email and phone calls only. Using video in sales at this point could cost you a potential sale.
There will be a proper time to be using video in sales later, specifically during the last two phases of the selling process where you will want to communicate your sincerity and empathy using every tool at your disposal. But, for now, it will benefit both you and your prospect to put off using video until you are more comfortable around each other.