Pitching with Video: Best Practices You Need to Know

Oliver Bridge

Sales has long been all about calling, emailing, and sending documents to get new deals on the books. You might send out a whole lot of emails—a mix of cold outreach and follow-ups, and maybe even schedule a call. 

But whether you're cold-pitching, sending off a proposal, or locking in a new contract, video helps you get it done in a way that your slide deck and sales collateral can't compete with.

Why Video Pitching?

There are countless reasons why video pitching is worth a shot. For one, once you get the hang of video, it's a lot more time-efficient (for you and your prospects). Sales videos are also ideal for breaking down complex ideas that otherwise might require a 2000-word explainer or for giving users a closer look at how a product works out in the real world. 

Though we've gone over these several times before, here is a quick rundown of how video can help you kick things up a notch.

  • Adds a personal touch to digital sales interactions 
  • Saves time on both sides
  • Can be customized to the recipient 
  • According to Salesforce, 72% of B2B buyers watch videos throughout the buyer's journey.

Finally, video, as a selling strategy, is a differentiator—at least for now. Drift recently published a study that found only 6% of top-performing cold emails included video, yet adding a video to email has been shown to boost click-throughs by 400%. 

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The point is, if you're sending a short video voicemail with minimal bells and whistles, there's a clear advantage of going this route versus cold calling or sending another "just following up" email.

Pitching with Video: Should You Write a Script?

Kind of… While you don't need to write out a whole screenplay, you need to get some essential things down before hitting the record button to ensure you come off as polished and prepared. 

Whether you're pitching a business idea or going after a big-fish new client, your video should follow a logical arc, and it should get your point across in a 30-second timeframe. In an article from HubSpot, all of the top sales pitches they reviewed clocked in at 35 seconds or less. Without adequate preparation, it may be challenging to cover all of the essential details in a short amount of time.

It's also worth pointing out that many people get nervous about appearing on camera, which makes sense as it's a form of public speaking that could potentially live on forever in the archives of the web.  As such, you'll want first to figure out what to say, then spend time practicing your delivery.

With every video concept you develop, you should be able to list:

  • A star: Who is your target audience? You'll want to use the right language, tone, and pain points that speak directly to the prospect.
  • A problem: Why are you reaching out? It's likely because you have a solution to a problem the prospect is expected to have. 
  • A solution: How will you solve the problem, and how can you phrase it in a way that speaks to this particular audience?
  • A picture of success: Aka, the old "what's in it for them." What does success look like for your customers? Will they save more money? Spend time with their family? Spend less time working on data entry or searching for information? 

Once you've identified the who, why, and how behind your video, create an outline. We recommend that you don't write out a full-blown script, as it defeats the purpose of pitching with video. You want to sound like you're having a conversation rather than delivering a monologue. Instead, focus on building an outline using the following steps:

  • Engage right off the bat: Break the ice with a disruptive question (i.e., imagine a world where…). Or tell a story. You might mention a customer that found success by working with your brand or share a story about your company. 
  • Bond with the prospect: Identify a problem and show them you understand their pain. The better your data, the easier it'll be to speak to those needs. Who are you talking to? Make sure your sales pitch is relevant to them and piques their interest. You'll be able to customize it, so it addresses the items that are most important to the person you're speaking with.
  • Show them how you can help (aka what's the value prop?): Just the basics, you don't have a ton of time, here. Briefly cover what value your offer provides for this prospect and their company? Keep in mind, the value proposition should be the focus of any sales pitch, so you'll want to build your video around what you bring to the table.
  • Call to action: So, what's next? Let the recipient know how they can take action. How do they book a demo/make a purchase/get in touch? 

Explain the Problem Better than the Prospect Can Themselves

Often, early-stage leads have a problem, but they don't yet have the language to describe it. When you can put that problem into words, and then present a solution, prospects will automatically begin to trust you. 

Here's an example from Sales Hacker that shows how you can pull this off:

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While this example is geared more toward a two-way call, applying it to a video can help you establish yourself as a go-to source of information, and even if this person isn't quite ready to buy, they'll keep you in mind for when they're ready to pull the trigger.

Ask Questions that Suggest You Have the Answers

Another tried-and-true tactic for two-way sales conversations, asking a question that shows a deep understanding of a specific pain point, can help build trust with new prospects fast. You might try opening with something like:

  • How often does your sales team forget to complete their reports? 
  • Are you struggling to capture leads with paid Facebook ads?
  • How familiar are you with X challenge happening inside your industry/organization? 

From there, you've set yourself up for a smooth segue into the benefits portion of the pitch.

Product Demo Video

According to a 2019 Wyzowl survey, 68% of respondents say their preferred method of learning about a new product or service is a short video. Compare that to the 15% of people that prefer reading an article, the 4% who prefer presentations, and the 3% that have a soft spot for manuals and eBooks.

Broad overviews, deep dives, feature highlights, or side-by-side comparisons that pit you against your competitors are all great ways to show off your best qualities in a video. 

Here’s an example from Lime that shows users how to ride their electric scooters. They cover safety, using the app, and other “getting started” basics. 

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Here’s another example from Outreach, which allows users to choose which demo they’d like to see:

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What’s nice about the Outreach example is they’ve created one entry point that caters to multiple stages in the buyer’s journey--but these options also give first-time visitors a sense of who this tool is for--salespeople.

Wrapping Up

Pitching with video may seem intimidating at first, but the reality is, it's not as difficult as you think. It's also worth pointing out that video pitching is a low-stakes kind of affair—something you can do with a smartphone or webcam and a clean shirt. 

Bonjoro's simple platform and powerful integrations make it easy to drive more sales using the power of video, whether you're in the SaaS biz, e-commerce, or more of the creative type. Sign up for the free trial to see it in action.

Category
Video tips
About the author
Oliver Bridge
Growth Grizzly
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