March 2, 2022·11 min read

Outreach is f@*#ing hard. Cold outreach especially so. Video prospecting can help you break through the noise, get a response, and book that meeting.

You’ve found a good prospect. You’ve done your homework. Now it’s time for outreach. But how to capture their attention? When Frank Weschler was a Sales Development Rep at Dynamic Signal, the answer was easy: video prospecting.

When he was assigned Buffalo Wild Wings as a target account, Frank knew he needed to do something special to break through the noise.

That’s why he drove to one of their restaurants and picked up an order of their hottest hot wings to go. Made from ghost peppers, the company’s Blazin’ wings measure in at 350,000 units on the Scoville scale.

Frank hit record on a one-to-one video message and started to eat. Once he was down a wing, he delivered his pitch—through laughter, tears, and near-choking.

Needless to say, he booked the meeting.

A man holding up a box of buffalo wild wings as an example of video prospecting.

Of course, video isn’t all that made Frank’s pitch stand out. His creativity and bold approach were a huge factor in his success (and a big part of what netted him a coveted Video in Business Award). But video is the medium that let all of that shine.

Think about this: If he’d simply written that he tried the wings in an email, or sent a photo after eating one, it wouldn’t have had nearly the same impact as watching him struggle to share his pitch in real-time.

There’s a fundamental truth that all sales reps know: Outreach is f@*#ing hard. Cold outreach especially so.

Video can help you break through the noise, get a response, and book that meeting.

Watch and Learn

Want to watch instead of reading? We made a video version of this blog with all the video prospecting 101 tips you need to learn more about video as part of your outreach.

  1. Contents
  2. 1. Video Prospecting Definition: What is It?
  3. 2. Why Should I Bother Prospecting with Video?
  4. 3. When Should I Use Video Prospecting?
  5. 4. How Do I Make a Prospecting Video for B2B?
  6. 4.1 Choose Your Timing
  7. 4.2 Research Your Prospect
  8. 4.3 Decide What Type of Video to Use
  9. 4.4 Write Your Script (or Use One of Ours)
  10. 4.5 Record Your Video
  11. 4.6 Select an Attention-Grabbing Thumbnail
  12. 4.7 Write Supporting Message Copy
  13. 4.8 Include a CTA
  14. 5. What Are Some Best Practices for Video Prospecting?
  15. 5.1 Keep it Short
  16. 5.2 Dedicate Time Blocks for Video Recording
  17. 5.3 Send Out Account-Level Videos for Key Accounts
  18. 5.4 Group Leads and Record One Video for Multiple Recipients
  19. 5.5 Leverage a Folder of Pre-Recorded Videos
  20. 5.6 Don’t Be Afraid to Get Creative

Video Prospecting Definition: What is It?

So, what is video prospecting exactly? It’s outreach that incorporates video. It can be done via email, social media, or even text message.

Video prospecting uses video messages as a fundamental component of the outreach to capture a prospective customer’s attention and connect with them.

The concept is simple. The results are powerful. And anyone can do it—all it takes is a free tool, a webcam, and a little bit of practice.

Free Video Prospecting Tool Easily record and share prospecting videos.

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Why Should I Bother Prospecting with Video?

A whopping 40% of sales reps say that prospecting is the most challenging part of the sales process. Luckily, video’s here to help.

Frank isn’t the only one seeing success with video prospecting. These stats prove just how far-ranging the benefits of video outreach (and video for sales, in general) are.

  • Improve Open Rates—sales teams that use video get a 16% bump in open rates (SalesLoft)
  • Get More Replies—sales teams that use video see a 26% increase in replies (SalesLoft)
  • Net a Higher Click-Through—emails that contain video have 4x the CTR of emails without (Inside Sales)
  • Close More Deals—closed deals involve using webcams 41% more often than lost deals (Gong)
  • Gain a Competitive Advantage—only 43.8% of sales teams use video in their prospecting strategy (Inside Sales)

But that’s not all.

Video makes sending outreach emails faster and more effective. How? Unsurprisingly, sales reps spend 21% of their day writing emails.

Whether you’re recording a quick video rather than writing out a long message or adding a pre-recorded video to boost an email, video is a big time saver.

Personal video allows us to showcase our personality and create that important human connection. Unlike a phone call or an email, a personal video is memorable and puts a face to a name. So even if you do end up on a phone call with a prospect, the call is just that much better.

profile image for Roger BernardinoRoger Bernardino1HuddleVP of Business Development

But video doesn’t just help in the messaging phase. It’s also a key tactic when it comes to follow-up.

Every sales rep knows how much timing matters. In fact, reps who reach leads within an hour are 7x more likely to have meaningful conversations with decision makers. Video makes that easier too. How?

A video tool built for sales (like Vidyard) actually notifies reps when prospects have watched their videos—in real time. That means you can follow up exactly when your prospect’s most engaged.

Connect, Convert, and Close More Deals Easily create and share 1-to-1 videos.

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Convinced? Read on to learn more about when and how to use video prospecting in your sales process.

When Should I Use Video Prospecting?

The answer to the question, “When should I use video prospecting?” can be as simple as: Wherever and whenever you need a boost.

The slightly more detailed answer is: Start with a part of your process that feels like a natural fit for video, and test, test, test to see what works.

Figuring out where to use video prospecting comes down to thinking about the parts of your process that would benefit most from face-to-face interaction.

In many cases, actual in-person meetings simply aren’t possible. Video is the perfect digital substitute for face time—it builds similarly strong connections, but at a fraction of the cost, time, and effort.

Video prospecting generally works well for:

  • Sending cold outreach
  • Reconnecting with a prospect
  • Leveraging recent news to connect with an account
  • Prospecting from one-to-many
  • Highlighting a piece of marketing content

It all depends on your process, your business, and your prospective customers. Test video in a variety of different points in your cadences to see where it works best.

Sample Video Messaging: Video Scripts and Email Templates

Sales Video Scripts and Email Templates Sample Video Messaging: Video Scripts and Email Templates Use proven formulas to create sales videos that get results. Get video scripts and email templates that work. Download Now