As a sales leader, you know time is of the essence to meet quotas. You also understand that building relationships is the key to sales success. In fact, it’s a step your team can’t afford to skip. But it can take time for sales professionals to establish trust with their prospects. And it’s this trust that’s necessary to foster connection to reach those goals. While there are plenty of helpful sales automation tools that’ll speed up the selling process, only one puts your team face to face with potential customers to build relationships — video messaging.
You see, as nice as it would be to meet in person, there aren’t enough hours in the day to do that with every prospect. Video messaging, especially evergreen video messaging (prerecorded videos that are recorded once and sent to multiple recipients), allows your team to do this in a scalable and personal way. And while incorporating new technology like video into your sales process might seem time-consuming, it doesn’t have to be.
Creating Human Connection With Sales Automation Tools
The best sales automation software helps you and your team enhance productivity and efficiency. But, in Human-Centered Communication: A Business Case Against Digital Pollution by Ethan Beute and Steve Pacinelli, Hubspot Sales Executive Dan Tyre warns that there are negative consequences to over-automating the sales process — especially when it comes to communication.
According to Dan, not every interaction needs a person, but when reps rely too much on bots or spam messaging, communication lacks the value of human touch. And this makes every interaction feel transactional rather than like the beginning of a partnership between people. That’s where implementing video can help. Face-to-face connection offers your prospects, leads, and customers something other sales automation tools can’t — you.
So, where can you and your team begin?
1. First, start by getting your team behind video. Make sure leadership is on board. Use video yourself to demonstrate the impact and effectiveness of video messaging.
2. Next, rely on your customer success manager (CSM). Your CSM will have the tools you and your team need to succeed.
3. After that, integrate video into your current systems.
4. Then, practice using video. Learn what to say, become comfortable on camera, and celebrate wins.
5. Finally, make video a habit!
Below are four instances your team can incorporate video into their sales automation tools during and after the video adoption process to communicate efficiently, clearly, and authentically.
1. Outbound Sales Automation
When you’re cold prospecting, it’s hard enough to get email opens, let alone replies. After all, your prospects are likely bombarded with emails like yours every day. To be successful during lead outreach, your team needs to set themselves apart from the competition, grab attention, and draw prospects in with confidence.
Make cold outreach more efficient by creating prerecorded videos tailored to buyer personas. These messages still create connection in meaningful ways. By bringing a face, voice, and personality to the forefront of your messaging, you’re differentiating your brand from the rest of the pack. You see, automation using prerecorded videos makes outreach fast — you make it personal.
Consider Including
• A personal touch
• Details that connect touches across communication mediums like email or phone
• How you or your product or service can provide them with value
• A call to action
Watch below to see how BombBomb Account Executive Sarah Lazenby uses video for outbound sales automation to connect touches and explain the value of meeting with her.
Tip: Including a call to action lets your recipient know what you need them to do next.
2. Automated Lead Response
It’s no secret that teams need to act fast regarding lead response. In fact, Revenue.io indicates five minutes is the optimal response time. When it takes five minutes or less? Reps are 100 times more likely to reach an inbound lead.
During this stage of the sales process, video is a great, time-saving sales automation tool because evergreen lead response videos can be recorded once (in a short amount of time) and sent as soon as your leads request more information. Instead of responding to each lead personally, automated video email does the work — while still coming across as genuine.
Consider Including
• An animated preview that grabs attention (For instance, include a whiteboard or unique background like your recipient’s LinkedIn page.)
• An introduction of who you are, how you can help, and your differentiators
• Any next steps
• A call to action
Check out how Sarah responds to a free trial sign-up in the video below. She grabs attention, explains how she can provide value, and includes a call to action to meet face to face.
3. Evergreen Appointment Setting and Reminders
Appointment setting can be time-consuming without the right sales automation tools. But to help more prospects and stay top of mind, appointments need to be on the books quickly.
Using video to set and hold appointments puts your team in front of their prospects with the click of a button. It also demonstrates that your prospects are valued as future clients. You see, when you take the time to respond personally, your recipients feel seen, heard, and understood. (And because of this, people are more inclined to keep their appointments.)
Consider Including
• An engaging animated preview
• The background of your relationship with the recipient
• Why they would benefit from a demo
• A call to action to schedule an appointment, a reminder to join a scheduled appointment, or an option to reschedule
In the example below, Sarah reminds her prospect of a scheduled meeting. Because she puts a face and voice with a name demonstrating she’s a person (just like they are), it’s more difficult to ignore or dismiss her.
4. Automated Process Updates
Prospective customers like to be kept in the loop during the sales process. And using relevant, timely video messages keeps everyone involved in the conversation on the same page. In addition, the recipients of these updates will be more at ease knowing there’s a person who can answer their questions and keep them updated. This is something faceless plain text can’t do.
Use video messaging to review the steps of the sales process. Automate these messages so prospects understand next steps and know exactly what to expect without urgency or priority fading away. Automation also saves time because questions can be answered before your prospects even have a chance to ask them.
Consider Including
• An explanation of where your prospect is in the sales process
• What comes next
• Action items that need to be completed
In the following, Sarah explains next steps and what she needs from her prospects. Take a look!
Ready to Discover More Ways to Use Video?
Now that you have some of the best ways to use video as one of your top sales automation tools, it’s time to get started.
And if you’re looking for more ways to use video, check out the BombBomb Use Case Library. The Use Case Library is full of examples that’ll guide you to communicate more effectively, save time, and get results with video messaging.
