How to Make a Video Sales Pitch That Converts
Pitching a prospective client or trying to get a contract signed by an investor isn’t only done in-person. Often, video pitches represent a great way to introduce and solidify your brand’s value and story. Here’s how to create a video sales pitch that’s bound to succeed.
Capitalize on virtual conference rooms with an amazing video sales pitch
A sales pitch is a sort of concluding statement, a summary of the benefits a product or service will bring. It is short enough to be given during an elevator ride, and it usually ends with a question or call to action: buy our thing, hire us, work with our team, etc.
But in today’s world, you’re as likely to end a sales pitch by waving at a webcam as by shaking hands in a boardroom. The changing landscape of business means sales pitches need to evolve, too. And that’s where the video sales pitch comes in.
What’s the difference between a video sales pitch and a commercial?
A “pitch” implies some kind of connection to the other party. If you’re thinking in terms of baseball, a pitch is the start of the action, the question posed to the batter and the outfielders. Will it be a strike? Will the player daydreaming in left field finally make that game-changing catch? Will the person on third steal home? The pitch is the moment where the action starts between all parties. It’s the same in business: the pitch is the moment of decision.
A commercial, on the other hand, is a more passive experience. If a pitch is a single person sending a targeted message at a prospective client, a commercial is more like playing Battleship. A series of shots in the dark, aimed at a vague area but not at a single person. Commercials also tend to make us think of media, be it television, radio, the ads that play before a YouTube video, or even a billboard. A video sales pitch is hyper-targeted—usually aimed at one person or a single group of specific people—and it’s almost always personal in some way.
When Should You Choose a Video Sales Pitch?
Use a video sales pitch any time you might be tempted to cold-call someone or send a message on LinkedIn or another social media platform. In lieu of a generic introduction message, you could send a custom Animoto video. Check out our tutorial on making an “about me” video to get an idea of where to start.
Start with a greeting specifically targeted to the person in question, and say something like this: “I thought our product could help you out, so I wanted to give you a bite-sized tour of it. I know your time is valuable, so it’s only a minute long. Hope you enjoy!”
Video sales pitches work very well when an in-person meeting is a bit further down the pipeline, but you need to get your target invested now. You can either use this technique as the opening salvo of your overall marketing strategy or you can use it as a sort of mid-roll ad for your product or service—something to whet the client’s appetite. And, of course, you can use a video sales pitch instead of an actual concluding statement at the end of negotiations.
How can adding video elements to your sales pitch increase its efficacy?
Common sales tricks and tactics that worked well in board rooms don’t work as well now, in the age of email-instead-of-meeting and Zoom introductions. Video pitches can bridge that gap.
Creating a custom video in Animoto can make your pitches more effective because you can practice and do multiple takes. There’s no need to get camera shy or worry about misspeaking or getting the client’s name wrong. When you can practice and have do-overs, it takes some of the pressure off. Combine that with a few of our lessons on how to make stunning video content, and you will be sitting pretty.
Additionally, with video sales pitches, you can use effects to bolster your message. You can include closed captioning to aid hard of hearing or non-native English speaking viewers in understanding your message, and you can stylize the text to make it exciting to read.
You can also include graphics, images, and music to help illustrate your points. All of these tools could have been accessible in a boardroom setting, but they are just as easy to implement effectively through video presentations.
Finally, thanks to the prevalence of TV, movies, and video apps, people are used to watching videos on any kind of device. Creating a sales pitch video taps into that. It’s not a strange thing anymore to have a friend send you a video, and the same is true in the business world.
A step-by-step guide to creating a successful video sales pitch
To really nail a video sales pitch, take advantage of all the benefits the medium offers. Include storytelling elements like a plot hook and good pacing, and keep it short and sweet. Here’s how to do just that.
Open with a hook
Hooking your viewer is the key to success in the online world. YouTubers, TikTok stars, and even actors in movies and TV shows all start with a bang to get the viewer invested. There is so much distraction in the world, from email notifications to cute cat videos, that most content creators have realized the importance of capturing a viewer’s attention right away. Businesspeople using video to create sales pitches should embrace this concept as well. Start with something that hooks in your viewers, and don’t let go until your video is over.
Be clear in your messaging
The purpose of your pitch should be clear from the opening seconds of your video. The trick is to frame it in a “you” statement, focusing on the benefits of what you are offering. So, don’t start your video by saying, “I want you to buy my product or service.” While it is true, it misses the point: your prospective customer doesn’t understand your business or product yet. Instead, frame the conversation in terms of the benefits you offer.
Imagine you sell a service to musicians converting their songs onto vinyl. It’s a service targeted at small and medium-sized artists who might not have access to big money to print ten thousand records. You could say, “I want to put your music on vinyl,” but imagine you said this instead: “I want your fans to hear your music on vinyl, the way it was meant to be heard.”
Suddenly, you’re framing it in terms of the benefit you offer. It’s appealing to people who prefer records to digital music, it’s cool and chic, and it nicely frames the value you offer. It’s not about you, the person selling the service or product: it’s about the client and their target audience.
Rely on the benefits of the medium
Have you ever been to see a movie, and once you settle down with your big popcorn and your 128 OZ soda, you see an ad that’s just text on the screen? Maybe with a little music? That’s exactly what not to do with a video sales pitch.
An ad that could work as a billboard does not belong in a movie theater, and, likewise, a sales pitch that’s just a video of somebody talking is much less effective than one that takes advantage of the benefits offered by the medium. Don’t just record the CEO talking at a camera. If the goal is to land a sale, using every available advantage is incredibly important.
Here are a few ways to maximize your use of film as a medium for sales pitches. First, use narrative to keep the viewer engaged. After your hook, ask a question that doesn’t get answered until the end. It should be something interesting that will make the viewer want to keep watching. For example, “Is it possible for an indie artist to sell vinyl records and make a profit?” Or, “Can you really hire a complete marketing firm for less than a cup of coffee per day?”
Beyond that, make sure to balance length and clarity. Anybody can spend three minutes or less watching something. Remember, the old rule was that the length of an elevator ride was all you got. Keep that in mind when making your sales pitch video.
Finally, keep things personal. Build rapport with the viewer by showing yourself or whoever is presenting the pitch as a human being. Show them laughing, making jokes, maybe misspeaking even. Communicate that this is a real person making a real request, not an automated video produced just to sell stuff. Let the video capture the presenter being charming, humorous, and charismatic.
Animoto tools help you turn a video sales pitch into a home run
Animoto offers a variety of tools to maximize your sales pitch video presentations, from royalty-free music to attractive fonts and color palettes. Take a look at the Product Promotion or Service Promotion templates to get an idea of what you can use to build the perfect video sales pitch.