Mpowered Podcast, Episode 19 Show Notes
Welcome to Mpowered, the podcast brought to you by Material Bank and created by ThinkLab.
In this bite-sized episode, we tackle the question, “How is video changing B2B sales?” Host Erica Waayenberg is joined by Olga Odeide, head of strategic partnerships at ThinkLab, to give you insight on digital body language, why you should embrace the saying “Help me, don’t teach me,” and how to expand your relational capacity through video messaging.
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If you have a question or topic you’d like us to tackle on air, we’d love to hear from you. Simply direct-message Material Bank on Instagram with your success story or question through the messaging function.
Welcome to Mpowered, the podcast brought to you by Material Bank and created by ThinkLab. Consider this your new weekly dose of bite-sized, actionable insights to help you succeed as a B2B rep. I’m this week’s host, Erica Waayenberg, head of research and content at ThinkLab.
We’ll be answering one key question each week, many of them submitted by you. Want to join in? We’ll share details about how to submit your question at the end of this episode.
Our question this week: how is video changing B2B sales?
Olga, you've leveraged video in your communications for some time now. Can you share why you've taken this approach?
Olga: Absolutely. There's actually quite a bit of research to support the effectiveness of video.According to a recent HubSpot survey, 94% of consumers watch video content to better understand a brand, product or service. And 84% stated that the video convinced them to complete the buying journey.
Erica: So how can you leverage video in B2B sales? We're going to discuss three key points, Digital body language, the phrase, Help me, don't teach me, and how to expand your relational capacity through video messaging. Olga, would you kick us off with digital body language?
Olga: Digital body language can make a big difference on the effectiveness of your video. When we used to meet in person, it was easier to understand the nuances of someone else's communication because you could read their body language. Meeting in person just made it easier to connect with someone and work well as a team. However, this is more difficult to do online. So to effectively communicate your message online, use video alongside digital communication to bridge that gap between the text and the interpretation of that text.
A few tips for positive digital body language. Sit or stand up straight. Relax your arms, make eye contact with the camera, and of course, smile. You can check out the book Digital Body Language by Erica Dhawan for more resources here.
Erica: Our second key point is the phrase “help me, don't teach me” which many people use in this digital era. Right now, designers are incredibly busy and overworked, so they don't have the time to research the product line that you are selling and learn everything about it. Rather than sending a designer a product handbook and telling them that the information they need is in those pages, try making a video like on Loom to answer their question in an empowering way. In your video, highlight where the information they need is within the handbook, and help them to understand where they can find answers to common questions. Essentially, you are helping them to be productive while not lecturing them on a handbook. By offering supplemental videos as a rep, you are helping designers expedite their time and efficiency by really dialing into the information.
The last key point we'll discuss is how to expand your relational capacity and connections through video messaging. In a hybrid era, it's harder to get face to face time with designers,which can make it harder to form genuine connections with them and get to know who they are, which is essential to your business.
Think about a new product update as an example. Sending a short video introduction to the product along with pertinent information not only allows the designer to understand your new product or service quickly, it is easily shareable, which can extend the reach of your message to others in the firm. And importantly, your message with your face and your voice is less likely to get lost in the shuffle of endless email newsletters.
You've also shown that you as a rep have put in the effort and you'll be more memorable to the designer and associated with being a great resource and supportive of that designer's work.
Olga: I know that diving into video may feel intimidating to some at first, but I encourage you to give video a try beyond servicing clients in a hybrid era. Video communication can build the trusted relationship designers look for when selecting a product. Remember, keep your message concise. You want your efforts to make their job easier and to make sharing internally seamless.
Erica: Thank you for listening in, and I invite you to listen in each week for more tips and tidbits to empower you as a rep. If you have a question or topic you'd like for us to tackle on air we'd love to hear from you. Simply direct message Material Bank on Instagram or LinkedIn. Drop us a note with your success story or question by clicking on the message button.