Inside the Sellers Studio: Converting Prospects to Customers with Video

In previous segments of our Inside the Sellers Studio series we discussed how valuable video can be in raising awareness, connecting with customers, and  growing relationships with customers. However, the top of mind concern for many sales professionals is how they can actually move their buyers along the purchasing funnel from prospects to valued customers. Using video not only offers long term and intangible benefits in a sales relationship but it can also provide a very real tactical advantage within the sales process. While many people assume that video primarily helps with the top of the funnel sales activities to create positive sentiment and impressions, it can also add value towards the more tactical bottom of the funnel as well. In particular, because it can demonstrate both trust and reinforce credibility, it is a fantastic tool in converting prospects into customers creating real value for both the buyer and the seller. 

Trust Still Rules The Sales Process

In LinkedIn’s latest State of Sales Report, it is clear that technology has changed the B2B sales landscape. Using collaboration tools and sharing information through networking platforms and enterprise communication tools are now table stakes for sales professionals. However, for decision makers trust is still top of mind; in fact 51% of them rank trust as the top factor they desire in a salesperson. The challenge then for the modern seller is establishing trust and credibility in an increasingly digital world. Sales people today need to interact with customers a much broader scale which often means forgoing the traditional face to face interaction. This interaction and connection can be a critical component in converting someone from a prospect to a valued customer. Getting that last step of buy-ins can be hard when your customer does not have a chance to interact with you in person and for them to really see you as credible and trustworthy. Video is a tool that allows you to share your authentic message, humanizes the seller and enables a seller to leverage both technology and trust. 

Building Trust and Credibility with Video

Buyers today are bombarded with messages and they often don’t know what and who to trust. Creating video and sharing it with your prospects shows that as a sales professional, you are willing to go the extra step and be there for a customer and their needs. In LinkedIn’s State of Sales Report, 93% of decision makers are more likely to consider a brand’s products or services if the communication is personalized. It’s clear that buyers are not just looking for features, benefits, and price but rather a trusted advisor who is aware and cognizant of their needs and objectives. Using video, especially in the critical step when you're under consideration builds on this “trust capital” and can help sellers bridge the gap in converting customers

Video can also build credibility and thought leadership within an industry. Decision makers want to know that they are working with a vendor that is vetted and trustworthy; by leveraging existing relationships through video testimonials and case studies, previous success in conversion can also pave the way for future customers.

Inside the Sellers Studio: Convert

Today, we are with Allen Gannett, Chief Strategy Officer at Skyword, a content marketing platform that provides industry leading marketing services to customers.  He shares with us his experiences on how video has enabled his company to establish credibility and trust with prospectives and in turn convert that connection into successful customer relationships. In addition, he also provides some useful advice and tactically on best practices for using video to build trust, credibility, and convert customers. 

Interested in learning more about videos in the selling process? Check out the previous parts of our series (Awareness, Connect, Grow) to learn more about how valuable videos can be at every step of the sales process.

Feeling inspired to create your own videos? We’ve also created a handbook for the video selling era to help you and your sales teams build the skills to create your own videos.

Download your free copy of Lights! Smartphone! Action! to learn:

• The different ways that video can contribute to sales, from one-to-one introductory messages to how-to videos and answers to common questions

• The optimum length for video at different stages of the sales journey

• Simple ideas for creating on-brand videos that are still authentic and natural

• The handful of gadgets that can help create professional quality videos without a complicated editing suite

• Strategies for distributing video to maximize impact – and avoid bombarding your audience

The age of video selling is here. Let’s make sure you’re ready for your close up. Download your free copy of Lights! Smartphone! Action! today.