The Ultimate Guide to Using Video in Sales (2024 Edition)

Video is no longer just for marketers. More and more sales professionals are tapping into the power of video throughout the sales process to humanize their outreach, build rapport faster, and ultimately close more deals.

In fact, according to Vidyard‘s latest State of Video in Sales report:

• Over 70% of sales reps are now using video in their sales process
• Video emails have 5X higher open rates and 8X higher click-through rates compared to plain text
• Using video has helped reps book 50% more meetings and accelerate sales cycles by 30% on average

Ready to start incorporating video into your sales strategy? This guide will walk you through exactly how to use video at every stage of the sales process, along with proven scripts, tools, and examples you can model. Let‘s dive in!

Why Use Video in Sales?

There are three key reasons video is so effective in sales:

1. Video is more engaging. People would rather watch a quick 60-second video than read paragraphs of text. Video stands out in a crowded inbox and gets your message across in a more dynamic way.

2. Video builds trust faster. When prospects can see your face and hear your voice, it humanizes the interaction. They feel like they‘re talking to a real person, not just another faceless salesperson firing off generic emails. This helps establish rapport and trust much quicker.

3. Video communicates more than words alone. Your facial expressions, tone of voice, and body language convey subtle information that is lost in text. Video lets you showcase your personality and get your point across with more warmth and precision.

The result? Video emails have astronomical open rates and response rates compared to traditional sales emails. Reps who use video book more meetings, revive more stalled deals, and ultimately generate more pipeline and revenue.

12 Ways to Use Video in Your Sales Process

Video isn‘t just for your first outreach. While sending intro videos is a great place to start, top sales reps are embedding quick, personalized videos at every stage of the buying process. Here are some of the most effective ways to use video in sales:

1. Prospecting

Instead of another generic cold email, send a quick 30-60 second video introducing yourself, acknowledging something specific about the prospect‘s business, and sharing an interesting insight or tip. Keep it focused on providing value, not pitching your product right away.

2. Meeting Confirmations

Record a brief video confirming your upcoming meeting and highlighting the key points you plan to cover. This reduces no-shows and helps keep the meeting on track.

3. Meeting Recaps

After discovery calls or demos, send a quick video summarizing the key points discussed, confirming next steps, and keeping the momentum going. Much more impactful than a plain text follow-up.

4. Proposal Walkthroughs

Don‘t just send over a hefty PDF and hope the prospect reads it. Record a 3-5 minute video walking through the key points of your proposal, tailored to the prospect‘s top priorities and questions.

5. Answering Questions

Use video to provide in-depth answers and explanations to questions that come up during the sales process. Easier than typing long emails and helps ensure clarity.

6. Addressing Objections

When a prospect raises a concern, record a thoughtful video response breaking down the objection and providing reassurance. Seeing your confidence and expertise on video can alleviate their doubts.

7. Reviving Stalled Deals

If a prospect goes dark, a personalized video can be just the thing to resurface the conversation in a helpful, human way vs. sending nagging "just checking in" emails.

8. Celebrating Milestones

Record a quick congratulations video when something exciting happens with your prospect‘s business. This shows you‘re invested in their success beyond the sale.

9. Sharing Testimonials

Customer proof points are powerful, but even more so when delivered via video. Ask your happiest customers to record a short video testimonial and send to similar prospects.

10. Providing Tutorials

Create screen share videos showing how to use your product to achieve specific goals the prospect cares about. Like a tailored demo they can reference anytime.

11. Giving Updates

Keep deals moving forward with quick video updates about project timelines, new features or offers, or the onboarding process. Proactively providing info keeps momentum high.

12. Saying Thanks

Once the deal is won, send a personalized video to welcome them aboard and reiterate your commitment to their success. Starting off the partnership with a human touch.

Sales Video Best Practices

No need to stress over creating Hollywood-level production quality. In sales, authenticity and speed matter more than a polished video.

However, there are a few simple best practices that will make your videos more professional and engaging:

• Keep it concise. Aim for 30-60 seconds for prospecting videos, 2-3 minutes max for others.
• Shoot in a well-lit, quiet area. Minimize background noise and distractions.
• Look directly at the camera to make "eye contact" and connect with the viewer.
• Mention the prospect by name and reference specifics about their business to show it‘s not generic.
• Have a clear purpose for your video and end with a specific call-to-action.
• Test different styles, from casual selfie-style videos to more structured presentations. See what gets the best response for your audience.
• Don‘t expect perfection, a few "ums" are fine. Authentic is better than overly scripted.

Tools for Creating and Sending Sales Videos

You don‘t need fancy equipment or software to start sending sales videos. Most reps simply use their smartphone or webcam.

For hosting and sharing your videos, there are many easy options:

• Vidyard – free screen recording and video hosting tool, integrates with Outreach, SalesLoft, Gmail
• Loom – chrome extension for recording and sharing videos via links
• Soapbox by Wistia – free Chrome extension for embedding videos in emails
• ViewedIt by HubSpot – free and simple way to record and send videos straight from your browser

From there, you can embed your video thumbnail or link directly into your emails, LinkedIn messages, and other sales communications.

Many reps also include the word "video" in their email subject lines (ex: "Quick Video About X Product Demo") to boost open rates. The video thumbnail in the email body also entices more clicks.

7 Inspiring Video Sales Examples

Need some inspiration? Check out these creative ways real sales reps are using personalized video:

1. Paul‘s 80-second prospecting video landed him a meeting with a Fortune 500 company by referencing specific initiatives from the prospect‘s annual report.

2. Kaitlyn booked 5 new meetings in a week by sending lighthearted prospecting videos wearing sunglasses and cracking jokes.

3. Josh created a custom "unboxing" video showing all the resources a new customer would get with their purchase. It helped him close the deal.

4. Rachel revived a stalled six-figure deal by sending a 40-second "checking in" video with a silly GIF background. The casual, funny approach got the conversation restarted.

5. Mike sent a recap video after an hour-long demo. Being able to rewatch key points helped the prospect get buy-in from other stakeholders faster.

6. Jen sends video "love notes" to all her current customers on special occasions like birthdays and the anniversary of when they became a customer. This has earned her countless referrals and upsells.

7. Kyle created 10 video objection handling scripts – from "It‘s too expensive" to "We‘re already working with a competitor" – that he and his team can customize and send whenever those concerns arise.

Video Messaging Scripts for Every Sales Scenario

Not sure what to say in your sales videos? While every message should be customized to the specific prospect and situation, here are some basic templates and formulas you can follow:

Cold Prospecting

Hi [First Name],

[Your Name] here from [Your Company]. Loved your recent post about [XYZ topic]. Sounds like [key challenge or goal they mentioned].

I actually just put together a quick video with a tip for [achieving X result]. Thought you might find it interesting given [initiative they‘re working on].

[30-60 second value-added video focused on helping them, not pitching]

Let me know if you‘d like to discuss further! I have some additional ideas around [pain point or goal].

Best,
[Your Name]

Meeting Recap/Confirmation

Hi [First Name],

Thanks for taking the time to [meet with me / chat on the phone] today. I really enjoyed learning more about [key things discussed]. Sounds like [pain point or goal] is a big focus right now.

As discussed, I‘m attaching a few resources that explain more about how [Your Company] can help with [value prop]. Let me know if you have any other questions! I‘m happy to hop on another quick call.

[30-60 second video summarizing key points, confirming next steps, and reiterating how you can help]

Talk to you [date/time of scheduled next touchpoint],
[Your Name]

Reviving Stalled Deals

Hey [First Name],

I know you‘ve probably been really busy with [company event or initiative], but I wanted to circle back about [opportunity / proposal].

I was thinking more about what you said regarding [objection / concern / goal] and had a few additional ideas:

[30-90 second video addressing their objection or reiterating the value prop in a new way]

I‘m sure a lot has changed since we last spoke, so I‘d love to reconnect and make sure we‘re still aligned on [objectives]. Do you have 15 minutes to catch up this week?

[Your Name]

Start Incorporating Video Into Your Sales Strategy

Ready to stand out from the competition, build more authentic relationships, and close more deals? Start sending videos!

As you can see, getting started with video in sales doesn‘t have to be complicated or time-consuming. With a few simple tools and techniques, any rep can harness the power of video to humanize their outreach and drive better results.

I encourage you to commit to sending just ONE video to a prospect or customer this week. See the response you get and iterate from there.

Remember, you don‘t need perfection, just authenticity and a focus on adding value. Your prospects will appreciate the personal touch in an increasingly digital and impersonal sales landscape.