The Brand-New Strategy for Increasing Email Open Rates by 5X [Infographic]

Optimizing prospecting and sales emails is something you could probably dedicate the rest of your life to. You might even argue that that’s a good part of what you’ve been doing to this point. Because, if your sales team can’t stand out in the inbox, grab attention, and ignite a response from their prospects or accounts, how are they going to close a deal?

They’re probably not. Or, they’ll at least struggle a lot.

Which is why it’s exciting when a new tactic is uncovered that will significantly improve open, click-through, and response rates.

We’ve seen that happen with video.

Reps that use video in prospecting, relationship-building, and sales emails see 5x higher open rates and 8x higher open-to-reply rates. And they’re just getting started.

As sales leaders learn that video is the next generation of sales communication, they’re starting to ask not “Why should I be using video?” but “How should I be using video?”

Take a look at the videos you should use for reaching out to new prospects, keeping in touch with existing ones, and closing deals.

Let's delve into using video in the three main types of emails. 

What to skip straight to the infographic? I've got you covered.

Using Video in Prospecting Emails

When you’re freshly reaching out to a new lead, it’s so important that you stand out and get noticed. Prospecting emails have to stick out in crowded inboxes. For BDR and SDR teams, the best opportunities to spice up those prospecting emails with video are:

• Prospecting
• Follow up
• Account-based selling

The biggest things to keep in mind here are similar in nature to any other form of prospecting: You’re trying to capture attention with an audience that doesn’t really know you yet. You’ll want to focus your videos on:

• Capturing attention: Use “video” in your email subject lines and include the thumbnail in the email body
• Establishing credibility: Reps should give their prospects a reason to engage with them other than pulling out their checkbook right away
• Making it personal: Top reps spend time learning about an individual and their business and then use this info to connect with leads individually

Try this template:

Using Video in Relationship-Building Emails

Sometimes, you already know your leads. You don’t need to introduce yourself and establish your position in the market: Your leads already know this information. But you do need to stay top-of-mind to keep building the relationship and be there when it comes time for them to make a decision. Focus your videos on:

• Sharing marketing content
• Using content from the web
• Saying hello

Remember to:

• Make the content hyper-relevant: Encourage your reps to keep their own, detailed notes on various leads and consume content in areas they’re familiar with.
• Be approachable and encourage dialogue: Reps should give prospects a reason to respond so they can have a conversation, not a one-way broadcast.
• Think about how your reps can help them: Their communication should be helpful and educational so they can build mutually beneficial relationships.

Try this template:

Using Video in Selling Emails

Continue to use video as leads get closer to the bottom of the funnel and are passed off to an account executive (AE). The most effective video types at this stage include:

• Micro-demos
• Follow up
• Check-ins with existing customers
• Breakup videos with prospects who have gone cold

In selling emails that are getting closer to the close, it’s important to:

• Tie your company’s value prop to the prospect and their needs: Just like any sales pitch, they need your reps to do the heavy lifting for them. Videos should answer the question, "Why do they need your product and how can you help them?"
• Be confident, but not pushy: Leads want to know that your team knows their stuff, but no one wants to be strong-armed into a deal.
• Make it personal and connect one-to-one: People do deals with people. If your AEs can build camaraderie with their accounts, they’ll have the upper hand.

Try this template:

Why Video is Invaluable in Sales [Infographic]

Check out the infographic or Vidyard's Video Selling Institute for more information on using video in sales.

Editor's note: This post originally appeared on Vidyard and has been republished here with permission.