LinkedIn is the largest global professional network. And for sales reps like you, it’s supposed to be a fast way to build relationships. So why does it seem like your messages frequently get ignored? Why does making a genuine connection seem difficult? Well, it’s because so many sales professionals are using LinkedIn that decision-maker inboxes are as noisy and cluttered as email inboxes. To take advantage of LinkedIn’s connection potential, you have to stand out. Want to know the secret to making yourself and your message more visible? It’s learning how to send video in LinkedIn messages to leverage your humanity when you connect.
Your humanity is what makes you relatable to your prospects. And with video, you demonstrate that you’re not just another rep trying to win. You also establish that you aren’t more frustrating digital pollution clogging their inbox. You’re a person with a face, voice, personality, expertise, and enthusiasm. And by showcasing these qualities and taking a human-centered approach to the sales process, you’re able to lay the foundation for meaningful, trusting sales partnerships.
Below, you’ll learn what buyers are looking for on LinkedIn and how human-centered selling can help you meet those expectations. You’ll also learn how to send video in LinkedIn messages. In addition, you’ll find some of the BombBomb Sales Team’s best practice methods for creating video messages — with examples. These methods will help you capitalize on the benefits of LinkedIn and earn time with even the hardest-to-reach prospects.
LinkedIn Buyer Expectations
Statista reports that LinkedIn averaged 774.61 million users in 2021. And it’s this incredible number that secures it as the largest global professional network. So, how can you bolster your credibility in a professional network of this size? How can you develop a good reputation that helps you foster genuine relationships with your prospects quickly? Well, that all comes down to trust.
According to the LinkedIn State of Sales Report 2021, trust is the primary expectation for 58% of buyers when working with sales professionals. And for the buyers surveyed, the level of trust you have with your prospects is based on how well you know and understand them from the first touch.
Above all, sales partnerships and your subsequent success depend on how you use the data from your tech stack. The data you collect should help you foster meaningful relationships based on your prospect’s professional role, pain points, and interests — not your product. That is to say; your job is to know who your prospective customers are and what they need from the moment you first make contact.
Engaging Your Prospects With Human-Centered Selling
The best way to demonstrate that you’re a trustworthy person (and one who’s done their research) from that first touch and beyond is with a human-centered approach to selling. With it, your prospects are more than a number or a win. They’re people with unique thoughts, emotions, and problems. And they’re treated as such.
According to Human-Centered Communication: A Business Case Against Digital Pollution by Ethan Beute and Steve Pacinelli, you earn the attention of your prospects with a human-centered approach to selling. And you do this by building positive familiarity.
So how can you build a positive familiarity? Well, you can start by using video. Using video to communicate…
• Reveals your face, posture, personality, tone, and gestures to convey clarity and the intent of your message
• Sets you apart from digital pollution
• Establishes you as a trustworthy person your prospective customers can see themselves partnering with
You see, communication, connection, and sales relationships improve when digital touches are more human. And as Human-Centered Communication points out, “When you treat people like people, not like numbers, you make them feel valued.”
The more your prospects see your face and hear your voice, the more likely they’ll feel valued.
Value People Over Product
Hubspot Sales Executive and original team member, Dan Tyre, is one of several experts featured in Human-Centered Communication. And it’s Dan who points out that the idea of “Always Be Closing” in sales is no longer relevant. In fact, Dan says, it’s entirely dead.
As the sales profession continues to move forward and evolve, selling has become helping. And it’s people that have become the epicenter. Sales is deeper than clever marketing and larger than a numbers game. In fact, your prospects don’t want you to sell to them. They want help finding a solution for a problem they’re having. (And they want this based on their thoroughly researched needs.)
Your prospects want to be seen, heard, and understood. And for Dan (and other experts just like him), using video to establish a face-to-face connection and adopt a human-centered approach to sales puts the value directly on the people involved in the process.
How to Send Video in LinkedIn Messages
With BombBomb, you can quickly and easily record yourself, your screen, or a combination of both for a human-centered approach to communication. Once you’ve done that, you can embed those videos into your LinkedIn messages. Video helps humanize your message. And with it, you can scale your best sales asset: YOU!
So now that you understand how a human-centered approach to messaging can help you stand out, let’s talk tech and how to send video in LinkedIn Messages.
1. Before you get started sending LinkedIn messages, the first step is recording and saving your video. You can learn how to do that in the BombBomb Web Application here.
2. Once you’ve recorded and saved your video, follow the prompts to copy your video URL.
3. To access a video URL for a previous recording, select the “Videos” tab at the top of your Dashboard on the BombBomb Web Application. Alternately, if you’re using the Google Chrome Extension, click “Videos” from the BombBomb icon at the upper right corner of your screen. Here you have access to your entire Video Library.
4. Finally, when you access your Video Library, click the three dots to the right of the video you want to share. After that, click “Copy Link.” This copies your video URL directly to your clipboard. From here, you can copy and paste your link into a LinkedIn message.
(Tip: The BombBomb Google Chrome Extension and BombBomb Microsoft Edge Extension are great for recording and sending personalized videos without ever having to leave LinkedIn. Each extension offers the option to conveniently record your videos directly in LinkedIn Messenger with just the press of a button.)
Best Practices for Sending LinkedIn Messages
The BombBomb Sales Team has years of experience sending personalized LinkedIn video messages. Below are five of their favorite tips to help you send personal, human-centered videos. With these strategies, you’ll stand out from the noise and begin to lay the foundation for meaningful sales relationships.
1. Personalize Your Video
Want to know the first step in grabbing attention in a crowded inbox? Personalized videos. Personalization adds a certain level of familiarity and demonstrates that your message isn’t just another piece of digital pollution. So how can you show your recipients the video you created is exclusively for them?
Consider using your prospect’s name, talking about the content they share on their page, or even mutual interests. Watch how BombBomb Business Development Representative Jake Radic does this in the video below…
2. Customize Your Animated Preview
The first three seconds of your video appear as an animated preview for your message. And it’s these three seconds that help your recipients decide whether or not they should play your video.
Use your animated preview as an opportunity to get your recipient excited and curious. Grab their attention and encourage them to press play!
Try something like this animated preview by BombBomb Business Development Representative Carson Cooper.
3. Don’t Just Sell — Help
A human-centered approach to sales focuses on helping your prospects. And to help them, you have to provide something of value.
While a casual, soft pitch is still part of the process, before you hit record, ask yourself…
• Why should your recipient watch your video?
• What value are you providing?
• How can you help them?
Watch how BombBomb Business Development Representative Charlotte Vanderham provides value in this next video…
You see, Charlotte still talks about BombBomb and her role in the company. But before that, she puts a face with a name and shares how she can help her recipient. Offering to trade sales tips with Mike using video lets him see how interacting with her will benefit him.
4. Use Prerecorded Evergreen Videos
You won’t always have time and energy to create new personalized videos for every person you connect with on LinkedIn — and that’s where evergreen videos can be helpful. Evergreen videos are prerecorded videos that you only need to record once but can send multiple times.
Watch Carson’s full evergreen video to see how he thanks his recipients for connecting.
When it comes to this video, Carson says, “I was having a hard time creating an evergreen video that doesn’t seem canned.” He continues, “This video is a little over the top. It’s obvious I took my time to create something spectacular intentionally. And because of this, my recipients are okay that this video isn’t exclusively for them. In fact, I get a lot of positive feedback that leads to meaningful conversations.”
5. Use a Screen Recorder
Want to show your prospects that you’ve done your research and you created the video you’re sending exclusively for them? Consider using a screen recording of their LinkedIn page with your video to grab their attention.
A screen recorder allows you to record yourself and your screen simultaneously. And you can use it to discuss your prospect’s specific content or any shared interests.
Check out the video below to see how BombBomb Business Development Representative Tiffany Friedline does this.
Ready to Start Sending Video Messages on LinkedIn?
Human-centered communication can help you bolster your reputation and establish credibility on a platform like LinkedIn. You see, by adopting a human-centered approach to sales, your process has evolved. You’re no longer selling — you’re helping. And using video with this approach sets you apart from digital pollution to foster meaningful relationships with your prospects.
So now that you know how to send video in LinkedIn messages, it’s time to get started.
Not using BombBomb for video messaging yet? No problem. Click here for a free two-week trial and see how video messaging can help you connect with the people who matter most.
