In 2002, barely out of college, Marcus Sheridan and two of his closest friends began a swimming pool installation company. Through the utilization of unique marketing approaches and an emphasis on building online trust, his company would make it all the way to the top spot in the vast array of swimming pool websites by 2009.
Marcus knew that his efforts in building trust with potential clients online was the biggest reason he owned one of the most successful pool companies in the United States and was in a league of his own in terms of building a successful online presence.
Soon after taking the title of most successful swimming pool website with riverpoolsandspas.com, Marcus would begin his own sales marketing and personal development blog— in order to share some of the same methods he used to build his brand.
The Sales Lion, as it came to be called, would focus on the importance of video in terms of gaining trust amongst the public. Marcus learned early on in his sales experience that when it comes to selling any product at all, you are in fact selling yourself first and foremost.
If trust cannot be established between the client and salesperson, there will most likely never be a sale, and the potential for a future relationship would become all but impossible.
The Future is Video
While radio, print, and common website still-frame advertisement work, video advertisements allow for something that the former just cannot accomplish— client comfort in being able to learn about who they are buying from.
Marcus says, “By 2019, 80% of content we consume online as buyers and consumers is going to be video based content.”
That staggering statistic shows just how important video is for the growth of a business in today’s online-centered marketplace. This trend will reach the 80% reality in just a few short months and will only increase from that point on.
Videos in Social Media
With social media and blogging now fully cemented in our social fabric, we are becoming more connected with each other than we ever could have thought possible.
The emergence of video on Instagram and the steadily rising vlogosphere have allowed people from different parts of the world get to know each other in an intimate setting that allows for interaction that one could argue even bests in person interaction.
With online video marketing, the potential client can form a relationship with the salesperson even if it is in a non-live setting. Trust can be transmitted to the clients with non-verbal cues.
Marcus goes on to say that substance is important, and the sales pitch must be legitimate and informative, but the trust established will be a virtual function of the “gut feeling,” gained from non-verbal projections sent from the salesperson to the potential buyer.
Marcus highlights different video formats and approaches that all types of business and brands can be used at different times depending on the goal and specifics of the marketing situation.
The 80% Approach
This first approach owes its namesake to the unfortunate phenomenon revealed by research that 80% of all product or service questions asked by prospective clients and buyers are the same questions.
This redundancy established by the clientele, at no fault of their own—creates a sense of monotony and blandness that can and usually does create a stale atmosphere within the workplace.
Sales team members are asked to compile lists of the top ten most frequently asked questions by clients. The top 7 most common questions compiled by the team will then be given their own videos put up front to eliminate the 80% of redundant questions right then and there.
This idea will not only allow for fresh questions that the sales team hasn’t yet become completely inundated with but will also automatically build trust with the clients.
Video Email Stamping
Marcus is also a firm believer that every product or service listed on a website for sale should have a video detailing the specifications alongside it.
Videos should also be highly considered to accompany the email capture form on a company’s site. A huge majority of potential email relationships with customers is lost because clients decide in progress, that filling out the form causes uncertainty about the brand.
A video reminding them how much their patronage is appreciated, while giving them another chance to get to know you—furthers the interest and trust.
Video Case Studies Are Helpful
Video testimonials are critical in establishing trust in clients, but video case studies are even more successful in achieving the goal of an increased client-company relationship.
While testimonials often seem unrealistically perfect, a case study highlights current consumer’s full experience with product or service, including the entire experience and all feelings about said product or service.
The more real and relatable the case study is, the greater the likelihood that a new client will become interested. With 100% transparency, these videos can sometimes detail negative experiences with the site that could have grown to become positives after getting more used to the offerings.
The Transparency of the Mission Statement
Mission statement videos are also crucial, but it is important to remember that rival companies and other competitors in your niche will be saying mostly the same lines. It is important to make these statement videos as personal and descriptive as possible.
The potential client should be able to come out of this video knowing everything that they need to know about the company. All aspects of the process and products should be detailed to offer crucial trust-building transparency.
Taking these videos one step further by stating exactly who your company is intended for can also be highly successful.
This tailoring of a target demographic shows that the company cares more about quality relationships with clients over just trying to push sales to everyone even if they may not benefit from buying.
Key Takeaways
With all these types of videos in one’s arsenal, any budding company can be successful in the incredible trend in video sales videos.
To be successful in today’s online marketplace, videos are an absolute must.
It is what separated Marcus from the pack and what drives all his success in helping the next big names in online retail and sales.
ABOUT MARCUS SHERIDAN
In 2001 and fresh out of college, Marcus Sheridan stumbled across his first business with two friends and began installing swimming pools. Nine years later, and with the help of incredible innovations through inbound and content marketing, Sheridan’s company overcame the collapse of the housing market and became one of the largest pool installers in the US and currently has the most visited swimming pool web site in the world—www.RiverPoolsandSpas.com.
With such success, in late 2009, Sheridan started his sales, marketing, and personal development blog—The Sales Lion, and has since grown The Sales Lion brand to be synonymous with inbound and content marketing excellence while being featured in multiple industry publications, including the New York Times where he was referred to as a “web marketing guru.”
