Are You “Knowingly” Leaving Money on the Table? 😬 📉

Knowing that you can utilize video calls at any point during the sales funnel is what makes looking and sounding great on camera such a huge lever to pull. Video calls are even more powerful than phone calls because of obvious reasons. People say video is 2D because it is just a screen, but I say it’s 2.5D if you put your personality into it. A video call done right is the absolute closest thing there is to meeting or presenting in person, so take full advantage of that.

In today’s fast-paced digital world, sales calls are no longer just about what you say; it’s about how you present yourself on camera. Your appearance and voice can make or break a deal. Let’s dive into the secrets of looking and sounding impeccable on camera, transforming your sales calls into winning conversations. Let’s go over 6 ways to really leverage video calls to boost your sales and really hone your lead-closing abilities.

1: Trust and Visual Connection

Video calls are the cornerstone of building rapport in sales. Unlike the impersonal nature of emails or voice-only phone calls, video interactions humanize the conversation. They allow prospects to see you as a person with emotions and a life beyond work, fostering trust and authenticity. This face-to-face connection encourages deeper engagement and attentive listening, making video calls a powerful tool for closing more sales, provided both parties are comfortable on camera. Also, looking and sounding great on camera shows that you are a professional and take your work seriously which can subconsciously translate into your prospect feeling like you will take just as much care of them if they become clients or customers. Here are some tips to remember to really leverage trust through video.

• Show Your Face: A smiling, confident face builds trust and rapport.
• Use High-Quality Video: Ensure your camera and lighting showcase you at your best.
• Create a Professional Setting: A tidy background reflects your professionalism.
• Mind Your Body Language: Subtle cues like posture and gestures can convey confidence and engagement. Be mindful of how you present yourself physically.
• Invest in Quality Audio: Clear and crisp sound is as vital as video quality. An external microphone can make a significant difference in how you are perceived.
• Practice Active Listening: Nodding and responding appropriately to the client’s comments shows that you are fully engaged and value their input.
• Utilize Screen Sharing Thoughtfully: If you need to present information, ensure that your screen sharing is smooth and well-organized. Cluttered or confusing visuals can detract from your professionalism. (I will be hitting on this more in the future and bringing in some heaver hitting professionals to weigh in as well!)

2: Saving Time For Everyone Involved

Video calls offer unique time-saving advantages. For instance, you can create evergreen videos by recording answers to frequently asked questions, allowing you to provide concise explanations without repeating the work. You can create asynchronous videos via an awesome app like TELLA.TV and send those videos via Direct Message, Community Post, Email, and Social Media.

Additionally, video calls enable selective participation. Stakeholders or colleagues don’t need to attend the entire meeting; they can receive timestamped links to specific moments in the call, allowing them to focus only on what’s important to them. This approach streamlines communication and reduces unnecessary time spent in meetings.

Another super powerful time saver is to use a video call recorder like FATHOM which transcribes your calls, allows you to bookmark important moments during your call, and utilizes AI to summarize your call as well. This opens up a ton of different opportunities to not only streamline the sales process but also serve your prospect better than any of your compeition.

3: Engage and Connect: Body Language and Eye Contact

Observing your prospect’s body language during a video call can provide valuable insights into their reactions and interest level. Whether it’s a raised eyebrow at the mention of the price or a nod of approval during a product demo, these non-verbal cues can guide your pitch. Remember that your prospect will be studying your body language as well, it goes both ways. That is the true beauty of the video call.

By studying past video calls, you can learn to intuitively recognize genuine interest or concern. Moreover, video calls allow you to respond in real-time to your prospect’s body language, asking clarifying questions or elaborating on points as needed. This dynamic interaction helps you tailor your approach, ensuring you stay on the right track. Here are a couple tips to make the most of your body language and eye contact.

• Express with Your Body: Use gestures and facial expressions to convey enthusiasm.
• Eye Contact: Look into the camera, not the screen. It creates a more personal connection.
• Position Your Camera at Eye Level: Placing the camera at eye level creates a more natural and engaging eye contact experience. It avoids awkward angles and helps the prospect feel like you’re speaking directly to them.
• Utilize Strategic Pauses: Allow moments of silence after key points or questions. This not only gives your prospect time to absorb what you’ve said but also allows you to observe their facial reactions and body language, guiding your next move.
• Mirror Your Prospect’s Body Language: Subtly reflecting your prospect’s gestures or expressions can create a sense of rapport and understanding. It’s a psychological technique that fosters connection without the prospect consciously realizing it.
• Control Your Background: Ensure that nothing in your background distracts from your face and expressions. A clutter-free and neutral background keeps the focus on you, allowing your body language and eye contact to have the maximum impact.

4: Product Demonstrations

I have to be 💯 honest with you all…

There is absolutely nothing worse to me than someone getting on a video call with me to demonstrate a piece of software, a digital platform, or a SaaS product and they look and sound like garbage on the call. Now anyone who knows me knows that I absolutely DO NOT go around judging how people look and sound on camera as I am a professional who is empathetic and always leads with help. Also, if you want to look like a dumpster fire on your sales calls, that is totally up to you.

BUT…

Just like I wouldn’t want to buy raw meat out of someone’s trunk for my high-end restaurant, I am not compelled to buy expensive software from someone who can’t bother to

• Place their laptop on some books so they are at eye level with the camera lens
• Tidy up their space before entering a professional call
• Buy a microphone so they don’t sound like they are calling from the bottom of a well
• Frame themselves so they aren’t either drowning or cutting off the top of their own head
• Buy a light or use a window in a way that they don’t look like kidnappers in silhouette
• Keep their animals at bay… I could go on and on and on

When your own video feed accompanies the screen-sharing demo of your product, Step It Up!

Product demonstrations are an essential part of the sales process, but attempting to convey the value and functionality of a product through text or voice alone can be a futile endeavor. Traditional methods like email or phone calls lack the visual context that’s often crucial for understanding a product’s appeal. This is where video calls come into play, offering a dynamic and interactive platform that closely mimics an in-person experience.

Video calls enable you to showcase your product in action, allowing prospects to see its features, design, and usability. This visual engagement can be a decisive factor in closing a deal, as it provides a tangible connection to the product that mere words cannot achieve. In fact, studies have shown that visual demonstrations can increase understanding by up to 74%, making them a powerful tool in the sales arsenal.

But success in video call product demos requires preparation and finesse. It’s not just about showing the product; it’s about presenting it in a way that resonates with the prospect’s needs and desires. If executed correctly, a video call demo can be the convincing factor that turns a prospect into a customer. It’s a targeted approach that filters out those who are not a good fit for your product, saving time and resources in the long run.

In a world where remote communication is becoming the norm, leveraging video calls for product demonstrations is not just a trend; it’s a strategic move that aligns with the evolving expectations of modern consumers. By embracing this technology, entrepreneurs can create a more engaging and persuasive sales process, one that’s adaptable to the unique challenges and opportunities of the digital age.

And remember, product demos aren’t confined just to software products. 😉

5: Let’s Get Personal

Relationships take time to build and there are no shortcuts. So the best thing to do is take the most impactful route possible and often times that is to be vulnerable and human.

The traditional sales approach often lacks a personal touch, leaving prospects feeling like they’re just another number. Cold calls and emails can come across as impersonal and sales-driven, leading to frustration and disengagement. But with the advent of video calls, the sales landscape is changing, and the opportunity to create a more human and personalized connection is at our fingertips.

Video calls enable sales professionals to engage with prospects face-to-face, allowing for a more genuine and empathetic interaction. It’s not just about seeing and hearing each other; it’s about actively listening and responding to the prospect’s specific needs and concerns. Studies have shown that active listening can increase trust by up to 50%, making it a vital component of successful sales communication.

It’s all right there in “Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs” and right in the middle is love and understanding and within that is man’s desire for a sense of connection. If purchases are made based on emotion and justified afterward based on logic, don’t we want to make sure that journey is a safe one for our prospects?

But the power of video calls goes beyond mere interaction. It allows for a level of personalization that can be a game-changer in sales. By tailoring the product demo, language, and examples to the prospect’s role and industry, you can create a connection that resonates deeply with them. For example, using industry-specific examples can increase comprehension by 73%, enhancing the prospect’s engagement with your pitch.

Meeting the prospect on their wavelength is not just a nice touch; it’s a strategic approach that can significantly increase the likelihood of closing a deal. It’s about understanding their world and introducing your product as a solution to their unique challenges. By shifting from a one-size-fits-all approach to a personalized, human-centered strategy, video calls can transform the sales process, making it more effective, authentic, and satisfying for both parties.

In a competitive market, the ability to stand out and connect on a personal level can be the difference between success and failure.

Video calls offer a golden opportunity to do just that, it’s a modern approach that aligns with the evolving expectations of today’s consumers, and one that every forward-thinking entrepreneur and sales team should consider integrating into their sales strategy.

6: Track Analytics and Customize Your Followup

With tools like FATHOM not only can you go back and analyze your calls and allow your team to do the same but you can also review your highlights during the call. Fathom allows you to customize buttons that you can discretely push during your call to leave a marker on your call that makes it super easy to revisit that part of the conversation.

Some of the markers I created and use personally are:

• POSITIVE REACTION
• RED FLAG
• FEEDBACK
• GOLDEN NUGGET &
• REVISIT

Fathom also keeps track of when they asked questions and when you asked questions as well as chapter markers for any time someone shared their screen. You can send the link to the video, transcription, and notes to anyone on your team or even your prospect if that is part of your process as it is mine.

And as mentioned earlier my favorite feature is an AI summary of the conversation that I can copy and past into Notion and quickly visit before I get onto my next call with them in the future.

In the fast-paced world of sales, follow-ups are often relegated to a standard email or phone call. But imagine the impact of a personalized video message that addresses your prospect by name, recaps your conversation, and offers tailored solutions to their specific needs.

This approach goes beyond the conventional and creates a memorable and engaging experience that can increase response rates and build trust at a rapid pace. Studies have shown that the human brain processes visuals 60,000 times faster than text, making video an incredibly effective medium for conveying complex information.

By utilizing video follow-ups, you can demonstrate a product feature, share a customer testimonial, address a prospect’s concern that you have solved since your last call, or even introduce team members who will be working on the prospect’s account, all in a way that’s more compelling and digestible than a written document.

Moreover, video analytics tools allow you to track if the video was viewed by the prospect and allows them to leave comments on the video timeline as well for powerful asynchronous communication beyond the call. This level of customization and attention to detail not only sets you apart from the competition but also fosters a deeper connection with your prospects, turning a routine follow-up into a powerful touchpoint that resonates long after the call has ended.

It’s a strategic shift that leverages the power of visual communication, personalization, and data-driven insights to transform the follow-up process into a dynamic and impactful part of your sales strategy. This is all just a fancy way of saying humans buy from humans so let’s all be a little bit more… well, human.