If you have not invested in creating a culture of video within your organization in a post-COVID world, you are literally losing ground to your competitors at this very moment.
You should be very, very concerned, and here’s why.
If you’re a company that is planning to grow and scale in a post-pandemic market, you must accept the clear shifting trends in buyer behavior for what they are, and then take action.
Stunning Stats on Today’s “Virtual” Buyer
The reason for such a high level of concern isn’t so much about the general video marketing trends we’re seeing, but rather some stunning sales trends that should have everyone’s attention:
- 75% of B2B customers prefer remote sales interactions over traditional face-to-face ones. [chew on that one for a minute] (McKinsey)
- 64% of those who transitioned to virtual sales this year met or exceeded revenue targets, compared to 50% of the leaders who did not make the transition (HubSpot)
- 30% of the underperforming sales organizations now have an FY21 business goal to enable their reps to sell remotely–for the long term (HubSpot)
- New research shows that some 76% of sales leaders believe that remote sales interactions are equally or more effective than traditional in-person engagement in prospecting for new customers (McKinsey)
Eye-opening, right?
Here’s the thing about these trends most businesses aren’t fully understanding:
- Going virtual has EVERYTHING to do with a culture of video within a company, and we’re not just referring to having ZOOM meetings with customers.
- That’s the bare minimum.
- Simply put, these trends indicate clearly that when a potential customer is vetting your company/product/service before they contact you, they need to be able to see anything they want to see.
That’s right, see ANYTHING they want to see. Hence the need for more video.
The idea that we’re suddenly going to become great at remote selling and not have a war chest of videos for the sales team to use (and answer EVERY buyer question, worry, fear, etc.) is naïve.
Just “Doing Video” Isn’t Enough—Not Anymore At Least
Here’s the thing: Most companies will tell you they’re “doing video.”
Yet if each of these organizations were forced to explain what that meant, very few will tell you they have a true “culture of video.”
What’s the difference?
Having worked with so many companies on this very subject with my team at IMPACT, we’ve found there are major tenets to creating a TRUE culture of video within an organization that will meet the demands of today’s virtual/digital buyer now expects. Here are the four:
? The organization has at least one full-time videographer on staff that dedicates 100% of their time creating videos for sales, marketing, and customer service. (Note—many organizations have more than one, especially if they’re above $25 million in revenue)
? Sales reps are using video throughout the sales process, including video meetings, video assignments, 1:1 videos in emails, and personal bio videos in email signatures.
? Helpful videos are on all the company’s most important website pages, specifically product/service pages and landing pages.
? The organization is publishing at least 8 public-facing videos per month to be used for sales and marketing growth.
If you designed your sales and marketing strategy to achieve these four things, you would be on top of your industry in 12 to 18 months.
Yes, it really is that simple.
I’m not saying it’s an “easy” task to achieve, though, because it’s not.
Still, it is by no means rocket-science, and we see more and more organizations, B2B and B2C, pulling it off every day, regardless of size.
The time is now. The clock is ticking. And the video train is leaving the station…
Marcus Sheridan is a digital sales and marketing pioneer. He is an international keynote speaker with a unique ability to excite, engage, and motivate live audiences. He also works with hundreds of businesses, helping them to become the most trusted voice in their industry. Marcus has been featured in multiple industry publications, including the New York Times, which featured Marcus as a “web marketing guru,” and Forbes, which named Marcus one of 20 “Speakers You Don’t Want to Miss” in 2017. He is the author of They Ask, You Answer and The Visual Sale: How to Use Video to Explode Sales, Drive Marketing, and Grow Your Business in a Virtual World.
IMPACT is an inbound marketing consultancy that coaches businesses how to drive sales from their inbound marketing using the They Ask, You Answer framework.
We’ll show you how to become a trusted and sought-after company in your industry by answering the questions real buyers ask—and doing it better than anyone else.
Thousands of businesses around the world have seen amazing sales results from their inbound marketing. You can too. Stop wasting your resources and start driving real sales with IMPACT and They Ask, You Answer.
Connect with Marcus Sheridan at https://www.impactplus.com/team/marcus-sheridan
Twitter: @TheSalesLion
