When was the last time you recorded a selfie video? On vacation? Goofing off in the backyard? Concocting a new recipe in the kitchen? We use video all the time in our personal lives. But have you ever tried applying it at work? It’s time.

It’s a new world for B2B sales. Some of you are trying out virtual selling for the first time. You’re working—and closing—deals when you can’t be there in person. But simply hosting day after day of live video calls is not the way to be a great virtual seller. You need to differentiate yourself, nurture prospects, and fight screen fatigue—all at the same time.

The best way to do this is with pre-recorded video—of yourself. That’s right, recording and sharing selfie videos is an easy way to send personalized messages before, during, and after a sales call. Video is an effective and considerate way to communicate that lets prospects view your message on their own time, asynchronously, when they’re not jumping from call to call or juggling other work and family demands.

Whether you want to prime a prospect’s thinking before a meeting, recap key discussion points, or action items directly afterwards, stand out from a crowded field when prospecting, or remain top of mind throughout the entire sales process—pre-recorded video is a virtual seller’s most powerful tool.

How Video Beats 6 Virtual Selling Challenges

Because some buyers are only comfortable in a face-to-face scenario, the sellers who will win in a virtual world are those who can do the best job of replicating that. Those that can’t will find themselves on the outside, looking in.

See how video helps you overcome six new challenges so you can hit your targets and be successful in a virtual world.

Challenge 1: Loss of In-Person Collaboration

You need up-to-the minute information to win deals—market conditions, customer insights, competitive intelligence, win / loss stories to name just a few. Pre-pandemic, teams would share tips from the field in weekly meetings and or in the break room over a cup of coffee. Today, it’s much harder to stay connected with peers and share knowledge without informal connections.

Solution 1: Share Best Practices on Video

A key to overcoming this challenge is capturing and sharing best practices from sellers and subject matter experts. Record yourself on video and share your customer stories, whiteboarding techniques, negotiating strategies, and more.

Challenge 2: Lack of Differentiation

Standing apart from your competition is more fraught when you’re not able to meet in person. There’s both a greater need and an opportunity to follow up after virtual sales calls with something that will differentiate your value proposition. Instead of an email drip, you need to reinforce what you covered on the call as well as tee up the next interaction. It’s more critical than ever to use follow up to establish a personal rapport with buyers and build trust.

Solution 2: Engage Prospects with Video

Pre-recorded video and content sharing tools can add depth and engagement to your sales process, differentiating your product or service from the competition. Send personalized video messages within your introductory emails and track activity on video/collateral to see engagement and buying intent.

Challenge 3: Decreased Engagement

The virtual buying experience can be distracting. It’s harder to get and keep prospects’ attention during a virtual meeting vs. an in-person one. People are experiencing Zoom fatigue, back-to-back calls, and can get easily distracted by external alerts and notifications. However, when everyone’s on video there’s a lower chance of people multitasking than if they’re on a phone-only conference call, especially with a larger group.

Solution 3: Boost Interest with Video

Make sure you work a little harder to capture and keep people’s attention when you can’t be there in person. Use pre-recorded video to build relationships and create highly engaging sales decks and interactive sessions.

Challenge 4: Technical Issues

Everyone struggles (occasionally) with sound, video, or internet access. While understandable, these issues can make having an effective conversation extremely difficult and can break the momentum in the sales cycle—especially if you’re forced to reschedule the meeting.

Solution 4: Practice Your Pitch

Make sure you familiarize yourself with all the tools at your disposal. Make sure you get thoroughly trained on the platform you’re using and the best way to present yourself on screen. Don’t just open the app and wing it. Practice video pitching skills and be aware of home office backgrounds and lighting for a professional presentation.

Challenge 5: Lack of Rapport

Virtual selling isn’t as personal as in person. It’s harder to build rapport when you can’t read body language or feel the vibe in the room. Since customers buy based on emotion, and it’s easier to generate an emotional response in-person, making a deep connection with a prospect is a bigger lift when you’re physically distanced.

Solution 5: Share Video to Connect with Prospects

Use pre-recorded video and content sharing tools before and after meetings to add depth and engagement as well as build trust and personal rapport with buyers. For example, instead of sending an email with a PDF attached, send a personalized video explaining the content you’re sharing and putting a face to the name.

Challenge 6: Rushed Prospect Meetings

Prospect meetings are more challenging for a number of reasons. Calls are truncated due to scheduling or technical issues, or people simply log in late. You have less time for demos, and without proper prep time it can be difficult to get through all your points, resulting in rushed calls. Time management and research skills are now more critical.

Solution 6: Prep Prospects with Video

To avoid rushing the call, spend more time researching and preparing prospects ahead of time. Share information, pre-recorded video, and collateral before the meeting and come to the call ready to hit the ground running and make the most of the time.

New Tactics to Hit Your Target

Every sale follows a cycle from prospecting through close, and virtual selling is no different. What’s new is that not only can you rely on the fundamentals, you can actually improve your performance at each stage by adopting a few new tactics, including live and pre-recorded video. Don’t be shy. Send your next selfie video to a prospect and watch your numbers grow.

Learn More

Download your copy of The Essential Guide to Virtual Selling for practical tips and advice for succeeding when you can’t be there in person.