Video prospecting cuts through the noise of cold calls and text-heavy emails. It helps you connect with buyers, hold their attention, and close deals.
41% of companies are already using prospecting videos in their prospecting emails, with a whopping 81% saying video has a direct — and positive — impact on sales.
Personalized videos grab prospects' attention and let you tailor outbound messages to each account.
Below, we cover video prospecting best practices: the ROI data, how to create your first video, and which tools make it easier.
What is video prospecting?
Sales reps use video prospecting as an outreach channel to connect with potential buyers.
You can use videos in any part of the sales process, whether introducing yourself to potential customers, nurturing leads, following up with interested accounts, or sharing product demos.
You can use prospecting videos across channels: email, LinkedIn, and sales engagement platforms like Gong.
Why should you use videos for sales prospecting?
Short prospecting videos grab attention in a sea of text-based outreach.
Research by SalesLoft confirms the effectiveness of using video prospecting for sales professionals:
Sales teams that use video for email outreach see a 16% increase in their open rates
Video-featuring sales emails see a 26% increase in replies
Emails containing sales videos show a 4x higher click-through rate than emails without them
Video outreach feels more personal than text-based cold outreach, so you build trust faster.
Video prospecting also works well for nurturing and educating buyers. You show them how your product works instead of just describing it.
When you show instead of tell, buyers understand your software better and remember your message.
The result: you build rapport faster and close more deals.
When to use video prospecting
Video prospecting works for marketers driving inbound and B2B sales reps running cold outreach.
In fact, all the experts we talked to agree, with DocuSign’s Market Development Rep, Rhonda Alexander, going on to say: “Honestly, [I] think any type of prospecting/marketing could use video because it’s so humanizing. And if you can make it fun/entertaining, that’s key in my opinion.”
Video prospecting can be used when:
Prospecting one-to-many
Introducing yourself to a potential customer or prospect follow-up
Sharing company, product, or feature updates
Walking prospective buyers through personalized product demos
Getting in touch with an account that wasn’t ready to buy before
Reconnecting with an old user when they join a new target account
Reaching out to a product evangelist for a referral or to introduce you to a new account
You can also use video prospecting in your account-based marketing strategy. For example, the marketing team can create videos to communicate the key points of a new guide. And the sales team can use video to answer a specific feature-related question that a target account has.
How to make a sales prospecting video in 4 steps
Video prospecting success comes from knowing your audience, creating short engaging videos, and tracking what works.
Here are the steps you should take to get started:
Step 1: Research your target account
Start by understanding your target viewer’s pain points and how ready they are to buy.
B2B prospecting tools help at this stage because they can identify who is searching for a tool like yours and what their organizational structure looks like.
Tools like UserGems can also identify warm paths into target accounts by tracking customer job changes. This allows you to see which of your past (and possibly, happy) customers have switched to a new role and may be willing to introduce you to their new team.
Many of these contacts hold leadership roles. Our research shows new executives spend 70% of their budget in the first 100 days. You can convert them faster by reaching out to them in time using a personalized video message.
Step 2: Work out your video specifics
After you figure out who your target viewer is, make some decisions about the video you want to create. The specifics depend on your budget, tools, and prospect attention span. Here are key questions to answer:
What type of video will it be?
The type of video you make depends on what your goal is. For example, you could create a webcam-based video (great for introducing yourself) or a screen-recorded video (perfect for walking viewers through how your tool works).
You can also create pre-recorded videos to answer questions prospects frequently ask. Or a playlist or curation of videos that you can share by recording a personal intro for target accounts.
What sales funnel stage will you send it in?
Decide when you’ll send the video to better tailor its message. For example, will you send the video early in the sales cycle to introduce yourself, or will you create a personalized demo video?
How will you personalize the video?
Your research should inform the angle your video takes. Send creative, personalized prospecting videos.
Embrace creativity in your videos. Leah Zissimopulos Fraser, senior ADR at UserGems, shares, “I’m experimenting with making the videos fun — anything that can be used as a pattern interrupt to get people’s attention and make them laugh.”
DocuSign’s Alexander agrees. “Make it quirky. People are getting the same polite, professional business emails and even videos all day long. Remember to be yourself. That is what I’ve learned goes further than sticking to the so-called ‘tried and true’ rules for any game.”
How long will the video be?
Keep videos short to hold viewers' attention. Fraser recommends keeping them to 90 seconds or under. In fact, over 60% of viewers will continue to watch your sales video until the end if it’s less than 60 seconds.
Step 3: Create a video script
A video script outlines what you’ll say in the video and the order in which you’ll say it.
Scripts might feel like extra work compared to winging it, but they reduce retakes, sharpen your wording, and make your message more persuasive.
Plan out the following in your script:
Video structure
What will you say first, second, and last? A good structure to follow includes an intro, the purpose of the video or the value proposition, a call-to-action, and closes with a thank-you message.
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Video hook
Decide how you’ll start. Your hook must be compelling to encourage the viewer to continue watching.
Mike Manzi, the founder of Official Sales, suggests, “For the best videos, have a great hook like ‘No one's talking about this,’ ‘You probably care about (something funny), but,’ or ‘I hope I’m not the first person to say this to you’ and always, always, always leave your name and company to the end.”
Video thumbnail ideas
Consider your video’s cover image carefully since it will show in your outreach message. It’s important to make it inviting to encourage prospects to click through and watch your video.
“Get creative with the thumbnail that gets included in your email,” recommends Alex McNett, Senior ADR at UserGems. “Make sure it’s a GIF, and make people want to see what will follow next.”
Struggling to write your script? SendSpark has a template that helps. SendSpark has assembled a template that provides you with the perfect formula for crafting a video script that is guaranteed to make an impact (For more example video scripts check out this blog from SendSpark that details some examples).
Step 4: Record, send and analyze the results
Once you’ve planned everything out, start recording. Make sure to shoot your video in a well-lit room with a clutter-free background.
Close all windows to minimize external noise, and use a carpeted room with curtains to minimize echo if you can.
Finally, analyze your videos’ metrics. See which ones are getting the best responses and identify factors contributing to their success so you can create more audience-resonating prospecting videos.
Tools that make video prospecting easy
Video prospecting takes effort, but the right tools make it manageable. Here are some of the ones we recommend to ease automation, target the right prospects, and track performance.
Video recording software
When it comes to recording your prospecting videos, there are a handful of tools you can choose from, such as:
Vidyard: Vidyard is a video tool specifically for sales and marketing teams. It lets you record and edit videos as well as analyze their performance.
Vimeo Screen Recorder: Vimeo Screen Recorder is a free chrome extension that lets you shoot and edit unlimited screen-recorded videos with or without including your webcam. It also shows you who has viewed your video.
Potion: Potion is an AI-powered video prospecting tool. It lets you create personalized engaging videos within minutes. Upping the chances you capture your prospect's attention, increase response rates, and close more deals.
Loom: Loom is an easy-to-use tool that lets you create up to 25 five-minute-long screen-recorded videos for free using a browser extension.
SendSpark: SendSpark is a video tool made specifically for video prospecting. With features like dynamic video, and an AI script generator, it gives you the best chance of reaching your target prospect and booking that first meeting.
These tools integrate with your sales tech stack.
Video editing software
Once you’ve recorded your video, edit it using your screen recorder tool or a specialized tool like VEED to access advanced editing features.
VEED lets you trim videos you create, add captions, and include overlays (graphics showing your company logo and CTA messages).
You can also use a DIY design tool such as Canva (our preferred tool here at UserGems) to create thumbnails for your videos.
Pipeline generation tools
Pipeline generation tools identify the right prospects for you to create videos for.
UserGems, for example, tracks key accounts and contacts for job changes. When a customer changes their job, you get a notification, letting you add them as a warm lead at a new account in your sales pipeline.
Odds are these are happy ex-customers who are likely open to giving you a referral or recommendation. Creating a video to connect with them is a surefire way to receive a positive response.
Sales intelligence tools
Finally, you need sales intelligence tools to unearth insider info about prospects. This will help you identify who to target at a new account and understand their pain points so you can personalize your prospecting videos.
This software also tells you who’s searching for a tool like yours so you can reach out to ready-to-convert prospects before your competitors do.
Some of the best video prospecting examples we've seen
Your first prospecting video is the hardest. Even with research and the right tools, knowing where to start isn't obvious.
Here are examples of effective sales videos that can improve your reply rates.
1. A prospecting video with a super personalized approach
UserGems’ Leah Zissimopulos Fraser created this prospecting video for a potential customer to introduce them to UserGems. It starts with a strong hook, empathizes with the account’s struggle, and positions UserGems as the solution.
2. A short and sweet prospecting video
UserGems’ Alex McNett shared this video, noting that many prospects watched it in full thanks to its short length. As with other prospecting video examples, this one also starts with a compelling hook. And it quickly and naturally positions UserGems as a solution to the prospects’ problem.
Warm up your outreach with a prospecting video
Video prospecting works when you use it to build rapport and earn trust with potential customers.
You can record prospecting videos for any stage of the sales funnel — be it introducing yourself or sharing a discount code to close the deal.
Be sure to research your target viewers well and spend time planning the video, including its hook, CTA, and thumbnail.
And don’t forget to use the right tools to create results-driving sales videos. Start today by choosing a video recording tool that integrates with your current tech stack and using software like UserGems to track key contacts and accounts to connect with. Book a free demo today to get started.
