If you haven’t leaned on video too heavily in the quest to convert leads to customers, chances are you’re looking into ways to integrate this visual tool at more points within your strategy. However, this is easier said than done, and any missteps — whether they’re video-related or not — could create problems within your sales funnel.

That’s because the more time your leads spend in the sales pipeline, the more resources your organization will spend trying to retain and advance them. We also know that the average company’s sales cycle has become over 20% longer in just the last five years. Savvy buyers are taking their time researching arrays of potential solutions, and thanks to an uncertain economic climate, they’re thinking even more carefully before committing their dollars.

However, this doesn’t mean that sales leaders should keep their selling strategy as-is and eschew video altogether. Finding more mindful ways to incorporate video elements into their organizations’ selling strategies will certainly pay off in the long run. Around six in 10 consumers say videos help them make purchasing decisions, and one of the best ways to incorporate this element is through video-based emails to leads.

Including Video in Sales Emails: What to Consider

If you’re looking to start sharing video content with leads, integrating these visuals into your email communications is a safe starting point. In our work with clients over the years, we’ve identified a set of universal best practices you can rely on:

1. Tailor your videos to the tune of your emails. Of course, the video you include in your emails should follow the same principles as your sales emails. To determine whether your video content complements your email communications, ask yourself the following questions:

• Does your video speak to its audience on a human level? Above all, your video should help further establish your team’s relationships with prospects and clients alike. The best way to do so is to ensure your video communication touches clients on a human-to-human (rather than a seller-to-prospect) level.
• Does your video speak to not only your value proposition, but also the recipient’s individual needs? Remember: The beauty of a diversified content library is that you’ll have something tailored to each piece of email communication. With that, ensure that you have enough videos in store for every stage in the sales pipeline. More importantly, ensure the videos you include in your emails reflect both your value proposition and the recipient’s needs — wherever they might be in the decision-making process.
• Is your video diplomatic? This might go without saying, but your video should be confident instead of aggressive. Show off your team’s knowledge without forcing prospects to make important decisions.

2. Continue following email best practices. When you use video elements in emails, your goal is to avoid sounding mass-produced and overly stiff. Try to avoid the following pitfalls common in marketing and sales emails:

• Using unnatural elements: Try not to go overboard on things such as exclamation points, capital letters, or bright colors. Overall, keep your communication natural and on the subtle side.
• Sounding spammy: Try to avoid overly used phrases (such as “click here” on buttons or clickbait in subject lines).
• Sending to multiple recipients within the same organization: Besides sounding impersonal, these kinds of emails are often blocked by company firewalls.

3. Allow sellers to put a personal touch on their videos by using the right tools. If you’d like sellers to create or choose the videos they’ll include in sales emails, great! This is a tried-and-tested way to personalize each piece of communication. However, the tools you equip them with are important.

• Are you able to provide sellers prerecorded video templates or allow them to create these templates themselves? This cuts down on time sellers would need to spend creating one-off video content. Does the video-recording platform you provide allow them to easily edit individual videos down and add clients’ logos, for instance? This allows your sellers to enhance the buyer’s journey.

4. Don’t limit video outreach to the top of your sales funnel. When it comes to contacting leads, don’t stop at offering video-based email outreach to those who have just entered the sales funnel — video remains an effective tactic throughout the entire sales cycle.

• Once leads are passed off to members of your team who manage accounts, consider drafting emails that include different types of videos. These might include more detailed demos on specific parts of your platform or service offering, personalized follow-ups, or even outreach for accounts that ended their contract or leads who have stopped replying.

How ClearSlide’s Video Mail Can Reinvigorate Sales Pipelines

In a bid to move past mass-produced emails, the ClearSlide team analyzed video to see whether it could be an effective tool within the sales pipeline. In analyzing more than 10,000 pieces of video content, we saw open rates increase by 60%. Similarly, at least 70% of emails with individualized sales videos were forwarded by their recipients.

What we found surprised us so much that we created Video Mail: a tool our clients can use to record and upload videos to their own sales presentations. Sellers can use the tool during any stage of the sales cycle, and sales enablement teams can incorporate it in their training, coaching, and certification processes.

Interested in learning about more tried-and-true tactics that will help you strengthen your sales pipeline? At ClearSlide, we’ve worked with numerous companies that have revamped their selling process using video elements, including global media company Hearst. We recently spoke with Tracy Carracedo, director of client development at one of Hearst’s media properties and an ABC media affiliate based in Boston: WCVB-TV channel 5.

Download our whitepaper to learn how ClearSlide’s suite of sales tools — including Video Mail — helped Tracy captivate leads using engaging videos and presentations.