If you have to choose what the most effective sales technique is, would you pick face-to-face meetings, e-mail or phone calls? Most would pick face-to-face meetings. That is because the human element to selling is so important. The tone, facial expressions and hand gestures all contribute to successful communications, which help develop relationships, which lead to more sales.
A smile can create a rapport in a way that words cannot. Emoticons are not the same. Scientific studies have shown that certain facial expressions can lead to increased trust and they can create a stronger connection.
The one problem: We cannot always get in front of the people we want to communicate with, but videos can be the next best thing. All these benefits of face-to-face communications are the foundation for the future success of a new marketing tool: Personalized Video E-mails.
To date, many people have not yet received a personalized video e-mail, because of a couple reasons. For one, sending videos can be clunky. They can take a long time to upload, send, download and they can take up a lot of data, which can irritate mobile users. Another reason is most videos shared today are for the public. They are uploaded on YouTube and are for the world to see. They are not personalized.
But now the technology is available to get over these two issues. Byrnes Consulting has partnered with BombBomb to bring personalized videos to the financial services industry.
Reasons Personalized Video E-mails Should Be Added To Everyone’s Communications Strategy
• They can make emotional connections, not just rational connections.
• They can speed up a communication, as sometimes it is easier to talk than type.
• They can simplify messages making sure they are not misunderstood, where sometimes text-only communications fail.
• They can (and should) be customized to the recipient, as they can be more effective than blast emails.
• They can capture and convey something that typed words cannot describe.
What Is Needed?
Most computers now come with a webcam built in. That is all it takes.
Even smartphones have the functionality necessary for these types of communications. The mobile capability is nice. Imagine going on a trip and seeing the most amazing sunset. You can capture it on your smartphone with a video message to go with it and send it to someone that would appreciate it with a personalized message.
If doing videos in an office, make sure to have good lighting and little sound interference.
The other thing needed is a warm personality and a minute or so of content, the more personalized the better.
Advice To Get Started
1. Set up a free trial.
2. Upload logo, head shot and contact information.
3. Make sure to talk into your camera and not the computer screen. For example, on a laptop the webcam camera is usually above the screen on the frame of the computer. Same advice goes for a smartphone, tablet or a fixed desktop.
4. Personalize subject heads. Consider using the person’s name. It will increase the likelihood of the email being opened. Adding that it is ‘a video message’ can also help.
5. Combine a video email with a traditional email. Add important text and links and have the video message draw attention to those things.
6. Be yourself in the video, letting your personality shine through. Be to the point, as people can lose patience with videos, because they cannot skim through them like an article.
7. Set the “thumb nail” photo for the video that will show until your video is played. This can be done after the video so you can smile and avoid getting caught while talking.
Another Key Benefit
Tracking video e-mail can be very powerful. Not only can you know if your email is opened, but you can also get notified if the e-mail’s video is watched. The recipient will not know this feature is on, unlike the read receipts that e-mail services like Outlook use. If you want this feature, it is a simple click of a button before sending the email.
E-mail notifications can let you know if your e-mail is received and even watched (which might give clues to when the recipient might be free to receive a follow-up phone call.) If the videos are watched, that increases the likelihood of your message getting across. You might even find that your video gets watched by one person multiple times, which can be valuable information to know.
Make It Part Of Your 2016 Plan
Because the vast majority of people have yet to receive a personalized video e-mail, Byrnes Consulting is strongly recommending this as a must-have best practice. We have set up a program for advisors to have 40 "quick send" e-mail templates, ready to communicate with clients, prospects, strategic alliances, and even friends and family members. Learn more here… http://bombbomb.com/byrnesconsulting/
Mike Byrnes is a national speaker and owner of Byrnes Consulting LLC. His firm provides consulting services to help advisors become even more successful. Need help with business planning, marketing strategy, business development, client service and management effectiveness? Read more at ByrnesConsulting.com and follow @ByrnesConsultin.