Lots of sales professionals are capitalizing on the value of video as a sales training tool. In fact, video’s impact is being felt even before the beginning of the sales process. Video as an onboarding tool smooths entry and integration into the company, paying dividends even before sales reps start calling on clients. This is because many people learn visually, meaning that both seeing and hearing during training videos help increase comprehension.

Once new salespeople are on board, it’s in everyone’s best interest to get them on task and generating sales as soon as possible. The name of the game is sales force productivity, and the quicker you can train and aim new reps, the better. Want to introduce your company culture and vision in ten minutes? Use video. Is your office downtown on the eighth floor? Walk new hires through parking and accessing the office with a video. Want to overview company policies without boring new hires?? Video to the rescue!

Video is playing a central role at the front end, getting new sales reps introduced to the company and streamlining their training. But savvy sales teams are also finding ways to leverage video at other points within the sales cycle.

1. Using video for lead scoring and qualification

While you can use research and white papers to facilitate conversations to capture prospects’ contact info, video’s sophisticated tracking options mean you can look a lot deeper. You can understand which parts of your video were watched for how long and if the video was shared. All of this data adds up to valuable insights that help you pinpoint which prospects are the most likely to buy, and who would be most beneficial to start a conversation with. By tracking watches and shares, you can determine what content is really hooking your prospects, study the videos that have those high rates, and then use that information to create even better videos.

Worried about the costs of production? Advancing technology is making video production easily affordable. Don’t let any of that data go to waste, and always keep looking for new ways to boost prospect response with video.

2. Using video during pitches and presentations

What better way to showcase your product and nail the messaging than to share a powerful video clip? With the Internet simplifying selling on a global level, competition intensifies by the day. In order to increase sales, innovation is mandatory. Video is one of the best ways to stand above the rest. People watch videos every day, with over a billion hours of video being watched on YouTube daily. By combining audio and visuals into one powerful package, video has become one of the most effective ways to present information.

Depending on the content of the video, it can take the pressure off of sales reps, provide a nice change of pace during presentations, and showcase your products or services. Video can even communicate in ways that talking and physical demonstration simply can’t, such as with 3D video’s ability to show how actions not normally visible to the human eye have an impact on the product and subsequent results.

3. Using video in trade show booths

With the trade show floor buzzing with dozens of vendors and hundreds of potential sales leads ripe for prospecting, every brand and sales rep is vying for attention. In order to connect with as many people as possible, you need to not only stand out from the crowd to attract attendees to your booth, but you need to leave them with the right impression and the information they need to understand how your products or services can solve the challenges they face. 

Video does just that. A well-crafted, on-brand video will draw attendees to your booth—especially in the case of an eye-catching 3D video—and keep them engaged with your brand and informed about your products or services. But more than introducing prospective customers to your offerings, videos with an informational focus will lead to deeper and more productive conversations with sales reps, as well. Video’s reach and accessibility in the trade show environment is unparalleled, and it’s a powerful tool to support your sales reps and your message. If you’re not already using video in your trade show booths, it’s time to start.

4. Use video for communication after the sale

Almost everyone sends a follow-up communication after a presentation from the sales team, but most of these are simply “thank you” and “great to meet you” emails that rely solely on text. Emails like these are generic and easily lost in a messy inbox, or ignored by busy professionals. So why settle for predictable?

Separate yourself from the crowd by using video—it’s a great way to personalize post-sale conversations. Use videos to share helpful research, explain services, or demo products in a presentation deck. Your client will be relieved to take a break from long-winded emails, and you’ll achieve the follow-up results you’re aiming for.

Leverage the versatile power of video

Video is gaining traction in sales training, but why stop there? Why build fences around its value? From lead scoring and qualification, to pitches and presentations, to trade show booths, and post-sale communication, video has the power to leave a lasting impact on your current and prospective customers. It can inform them how your products or services solve the challenges they face every day, keep them engaged with you and your brand, set you apart from the competition, and provide actionable data that will shape your sales collateral and content creation.

The power of video as a sales tool is growing each day, while its production costs continue to fall. Keep looking for more ways to use video throughout the sales cycle—the possibilities are endless—and never stop innovating.