How to Create an Effective FAQ Video?
How many times have your sales reps answered the same questions on almost every first call? It is estimated that for most products and services, 80% of prospective buyers have the same questions.
How can we streamline the process? Build trust? Shorten the sales cycle?
Enter the FAQ video, sometimes called the 80% Video. Imagine this: Before a sales meeting, the sales team sends a video addressing the 5 - 7 most common questions of your buyers. How much more efficient and productive would that meeting be?
Anticipating your prospect's questions builds trust and shows that you really know your business and the prospect's concerns inside and out.
HOW TO CREATE AN EFFECTIVE FAQ VIDEO?
START WITH THE SALES TEAM
From the beginning, the sales team has to be involved in the process. They are the ones who have conversations with your prospects every day, and they know the questions prospects are asking. The first step is to get the sales team together and ask them simple questions like "What are the most common questions prospects ask during the first sales appointment?"
Notice we’re specifying the first sales appointment. In many sales cycles, there are questions that are common but come up much later in the cycle. For the purpose of this video, we need the first questions.
The key is to go with the question the clients actually ask, not the ones we would hope they would ask.
No matter how uncomfortable we are answering questions like, “how much does this cost?” or “are there any downsides to this product/service?” we must address them. Our answers will be an educational opportunity for our prospects.
Remember, this video is the beginning of your relationship, and building trust at this stage will only strengthen the bond your prospect has with you. Make it count.
MAKE A LIST OF THE RECURRING QUESTIONS AND PRIORITIZE THEM
Depending on the complexity of your product and the size of your sales team, the number of questions gathered in this initial round may vary. How do you narrow them down? One way is to consider what is going to be most helpful for your prospect to know ahead of time.
For example, you might end up with four cost-related questions. Is it possible that you could address all four in a segment titled “How Much Does It Cost to Work with Our Company?”
You have identified the top 5-7 questions, congratulations. Now it's time to
OUTLINE THE ANSWERS TOGETHER
The sales team should work together to outline the answers to the questions. This ensures that each representative provides consistent answers and avoids confusion and inaccurate information. While each representative should state things in their words, outlining the key points to hit for each question is essential. We recommend going with a rough outline, rather than a detailed script. Every sales person brings their personal touch to the team. Everybody will answer the questions in a slightly different style, and we want to keep it that way in the FAQ-Video.
How can we streamline the process? Build trust? Shorten the sales cycle?
Enter the FAQ video, sometimes called the 80% Video. Imagine this: Before a sales meeting, the sales team sends a video addressing the 5 - 7 most common questions of your buyers. How much more efficient and productive would that meeting be?
Anticipating your prospect's questions builds trust and shows that you really know your business and the prospect's concerns inside and out.
HOW TO CREATE AN EFFECTIVE FAQ VIDEO?
START WITH THE SALES TEAM
From the beginning, the sales team has to be involved in the process. They are the ones who have conversations with your prospects every day, and they know the questions prospects are asking. The first step is to get the sales team together and ask them simple questions like "What are the most common questions prospects ask during the first sales appointment?"
Notice we’re specifying the first sales appointment. In many sales cycles, there are questions that are common but come up much later in the cycle. For the purpose of this video, we need the first questions.
The key is to go with the question the clients actually ask, not the ones we would hope they would ask.
No matter how uncomfortable we are answering questions like, “how much does this cost?” or “are there any downsides to this product/service?” we must address them. Our answers will be an educational opportunity for our prospects.
Remember, this video is the beginning of your relationship, and building trust at this stage will only strengthen the bond your prospect has with you. Make it count.
MAKE A LIST OF THE RECURRING QUESTIONS AND PRIORITIZE THEM
Depending on the complexity of your product and the size of your sales team, the number of questions gathered in this initial round may vary. How do you narrow them down? One way is to consider what is going to be most helpful for your prospect to know ahead of time.
For example, you might end up with four cost-related questions. Is it possible that you could address all four in a segment titled “How Much Does It Cost to Work with Our Company?”
You have identified the top 5-7 questions, congratulations. Now it's time to
OUTLINE THE ANSWERS TOGETHER
The sales team should work together to outline the answers to the questions. This ensures that each representative provides consistent answers and avoids confusion and inaccurate information. While each representative should state things in their words, outlining the key points to hit for each question is essential. We recommend going with a rough outline, rather than a detailed script. Every sales person brings their personal touch to the team. Everybody will answer the questions in a slightly different style, and we want to keep it that way in the FAQ-Video.
DECIDE ON THE FINAL FORMAT
What does your sales process look like? How many steps or touch points happen in a typical sales cycle? Is it always “one face to the customer” or will customers meet different sales people through the cycle? How big is your sales team? We need to consider this process in detail, because ideally the FOQ video mirrors the process. Depending on the answers, it may be feasible to record every sales person individually, and create individual versions of the FAQ video for every team member. If the sales force is too large for that, there could be one FAQ video for the whole team, with a short 1:1 introductory video for every sales person. For a smaller company, or wherever sales is more of a team effort, you may only need one final video. The key here is to look at the salesperson - client relationship in your organisation.
PRODUCE YOU FAQ VIDEO IN-HOUSE, OR HIRE A PRODUCTION COMPANY
Thanks to the power of today's smartphone cameras and the easy availability of editing software, it's possible to create high-quality in-house videos. There are several benefits to producing your own videos, such as the ease of scheduling, particularly when filming a larger sales force, and potential cost savings, especially if you have video-savvy team members with proven post production skills at this scale.
However, even companies that create bottom-of-funnel video work in-house outsource FAQ videos to production companies to benefit from:
Consistently great lighting and sound quality that impresses potential customers with that extra sparkle.
Guidance and support from experienced video producers.
The excitement that comes with having a "film crew" present. Your sales team will be enthusiastic and give their best in front of the camera on that day.
The size of your market also plays a role. If you conservatively estimate that a professionally produced video will result in a 10% bigger sales boost than an in-house product, it's easy to figure out when it's worth involving a video production company.
In conclusion, an FAQ video is a powerful tool that can help answer your prospect's questions even before the first sales appointment. Creating an FAQ video can build trust with potential customers and shorten your sales cycle, leading to higher quality sales conversations.
Thank you very much for reading. Don’t hesitate to get in touch with any questions or ideas.
I wish you a happy holiday season.
Gerrit Haaland
What does your sales process look like? How many steps or touch points happen in a typical sales cycle? Is it always “one face to the customer” or will customers meet different sales people through the cycle? How big is your sales team? We need to consider this process in detail, because ideally the FOQ video mirrors the process. Depending on the answers, it may be feasible to record every sales person individually, and create individual versions of the FAQ video for every team member. If the sales force is too large for that, there could be one FAQ video for the whole team, with a short 1:1 introductory video for every sales person. For a smaller company, or wherever sales is more of a team effort, you may only need one final video. The key here is to look at the salesperson - client relationship in your organisation.
PRODUCE YOU FAQ VIDEO IN-HOUSE, OR HIRE A PRODUCTION COMPANY
Thanks to the power of today's smartphone cameras and the easy availability of editing software, it's possible to create high-quality in-house videos. There are several benefits to producing your own videos, such as the ease of scheduling, particularly when filming a larger sales force, and potential cost savings, especially if you have video-savvy team members with proven post production skills at this scale.
However, even companies that create bottom-of-funnel video work in-house outsource FAQ videos to production companies to benefit from:
Consistently great lighting and sound quality that impresses potential customers with that extra sparkle.
Guidance and support from experienced video producers.
The excitement that comes with having a "film crew" present. Your sales team will be enthusiastic and give their best in front of the camera on that day.
The size of your market also plays a role. If you conservatively estimate that a professionally produced video will result in a 10% bigger sales boost than an in-house product, it's easy to figure out when it's worth involving a video production company.
In conclusion, an FAQ video is a powerful tool that can help answer your prospect's questions even before the first sales appointment. Creating an FAQ video can build trust with potential customers and shorten your sales cycle, leading to higher quality sales conversations.
Thank you very much for reading. Don’t hesitate to get in touch with any questions or ideas.
I wish you a happy holiday season.
Gerrit Haaland