---
tags: Module 6
---
# Video prospecting
In 2022 alone, 333.2 billion emails are expected to be sent and received each day (Statista, 2021). Email traffic is expected to increase to over 375 billion by 2025. Thatâs a staggering amount of daily emails.
What does this mean for you? EVERYONE is doing it. Your prospects are receiveing an increasing amount of mails and response rates are likely to go down.
You need to stand out. One way to do this: personalization. Another way: combine mails or messages with another medium like voice and moving images. Combine both and you have "video prospecting". đ„
## Introduction to video prospecting
Outreach is hard, especially when it's cold. 40% of sales reps say that prospecting is the most challenging part of the sales process. Using video can help you break through the noise, get a response, and book a meeting.
So, what is video prospecting exactly? Put simply, it's an outreach that incorporates video that can done via email, LinkedIn and any other form of written communication.
### Why you should use it
There are impressive stats that prove just how far-ranging the benefits of video outreach (and video for sales, in general) are.
* Improve Open Ratesâsales teams that use video get a 16% bump in open rates (SalesLoft)
* Get More Repliesâsales teams that use video see a 26% increase in replies (SalesLoft)
* Net a Higher Click-Throughâemails that contain video have 4x the CTR of emails without (Inside Sales)
* Close More Dealsâclosed deals involve using webcams 41% more often than lost deals (Gong)
* Gain a Competitive Advantageâonly 43.8% of sales teams use video in their prospecting strategy (Inside Sales)
The reason for these numbers is obvious: Personal videos allows us to show our personality and create that important human connection. Especially compared to regular emails, a video puts a face to a name, transports chemistry and is therefore more memorable.
Additionally, research indicates that video makes sending outreach emails faster and more effective as well. On average, sales reps spend 21% of their day writing emails.
When recording a quick video rather than writing out a long message or adding a pre-recorded video to boost an email, video messages have the potential to be a big time saver.
### When to use video
Wherever and whenever you want to stand out.
Don't use it for every email or follow up with a prospect. Figuring out where to use video prospecting comes down to thinking about the parts of your process that would benefit most from face-to-face interaction. It may be the very first outreach or an explainer video answering a question about your product. Test video for a variety of different touchpoints to see where and when it works best.
:::success
**Practical tip:** We have seen video work especially well for your first outreach and your last mail / message at the end of your cadence to "wake-the-dead".
:::
Some examples for when prospecting generally works well for:
* Sending cold outreach (especially when triggered by an event or recent news)
* Reconnecting with a prospect
* Explaining / showing specific product features and benefits
For the use cases listed above, there are two types of videos we differentiate:
1. Prospecting video
2. Content or explainer video
Prospecting videos are used for (cold) outreach. These are personalized videos that you send to each prospect separetely. Goal is to introduce yourself and spark the prospect's interest to get a response. Content or explainer videos are used to explain certain product features or answer questions. It can be a personalized video that you create for a specific prospect or a "standard" video that you re-use for all your prospects.
### How to create videos
Recording videos is straightforward. There are a couple of steps involved to make sure they are effective. Will briefly touch each of them.
Step 1: Build your script
Step 2: Prepare your setup
Step 3: Record your video
Step 4: Send
**Step 1: Build your own script**
Once you know for which use case you want to use video, sit down to create a short script. Let's suppose you want to create a prospecting video, here is the structure that has worked well for us and that we believe in:
* Reason for reaching out (e.g. a certain trigger, recommendation, news etc.)
* Name the problem you help solve
* Your solution (ideally giving a use case example)
* Call to action (include in video OR the accompanying message you send)
Not surprisingly, you may notice a very similar structure to effective cold calls and emails. The other person usually get's hooked by recognizing themselves in the problem you describe and witness in other companies you work with.
:::warning
**Important:** You don't need to memorize this script! Video is only effective when it's natural. It does not need to be perfect, on the contrary - it's supposed to be conversational and authentic. The script just helps you remember WHAT you want to say in which sequence.
:::
**Step 2: Prepare your setup**
Three things that matter for good videos:
1. Good lightning. Use the best lighting available. If possible, sit near a window for natural light and make sure it's not too dark.
2. Good voice quality. People can forgive bad video, but they rarely forgive bad audio. Make sure there are no background noises and that you can be heard loud and clear.
3. Good location (background). Avoid distractions in the background.
4. Good video perspective. Place your camera at an angle front and center to you (not from below).
**Step 3: Record your video**
This might feel like the scary part but just remember: it does not and should NOT be perfect. It's the small âimperfectionsâ that make it authentic and turn it into a truly personalized video. Little mmhs and word stumblings are ok.
The more practice you get, the more comfortable you will feel and the more natural it will be. Remember that you can re-record your video as often as you like. However, we encourage you to not spend too much time perfecting your video.
A few instructional recommendations:
* Tools: There are many video tools out there. We like [Loom](https://www.loom.com/home), [Vidyard](https://www.vidyard.com/) and Tolstoy (we personally work with Loom).
* You can record videos using camera only, screenshare only or camera + screenshare. We recommend camera + screenshare.
* Prospecting videos: limit to 30-60 seconds. Explainer / content videos: limit to 2-3 minutes.
Once you are done, review your recording and check for audio quality and the clarity of your message. If both look good, you have your video! If not, re-record as often as needed.
See an example for a prospecting video we created for out first cold outreach. Not perfect but hopefully you find it authentic (it was the firs and only take). đ
<div style="position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0;"><iframe src="https://www.loom.com/embed/bf180d2df5c343ebaf2d7cd9f211eb8e" frameborder="0" webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen allowfullscreen style="position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%;"></iframe></div>
**Step 4: Send your video**
Now that you have recorded your video, you can send it to your prospect. Again, a few steps we recommend:
1. Change the name of your video. Apply the same logic as to good email subject lines - make it short, non-salesy, no marketing slogans. You want to make the recipient curious. Note that the video title will be shown in the video preview when embedded in mails / messages.
2. Copy the video's GIF thumbnail into your LinkedIn message or mail body. See the screenshot for clarification.
3. Write supporting message. We recommend writing a short message accompanying your video and end with a call-to-action (low friction question like "Is this relevant?" or "Sound interesting?" that make it easy to respond).
4. Send!
Below is an example of what it can look like on LinkedIn, using the prospecting video we have created above.
:::success
**Practical tip:** We know that to many of you recording yourself may be scary. There is the fear of being judged or coming across "intrusive." Because of that we see many sales reps be obsessed with details wanting to perfect their videos. Don't. Imagine you are in a conversation with the other person. Practice videos and send them to friends and colleagues for feedback if it helps you.
:::
*Credits: For this lesson we got inspired by Vidyard and Thibaut Souyris at SalesLabs. We also hosted Thibaut for a masterclass on video prospecting that you can watch anytime on [Hyrise+](https://www.notion.so/headstartacademy/Hyrise-c999e576b6b84228a55087fb7373df4c), section "Masterclasses".*
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