Video works in outbound when it gives the prospect a useful reason to continue the conversation. Give the prospect something concrete to react to and give yourself a clear next move after they watch. A short explanation often makes the next conversation easier than an ambitious pitch. A call can make the contact aware of you while the video carries the detail. A meeting can create context while the video carries a focused recap. Record for the moment you are creating and stop when that moment is complete.
Decide whether video earns its place
Choose video when the message gains from a face, a visual reference, or a compact explanation. The trigger tells you whether recording will help the prospect process the message.
Video fits when you have a strong visual observation to reference, such as a LinkedIn post or company news.1 It also fits after written outreach has gone unanswered.2 Offer a video when the prospect wants to see the product in action.3 Video outreach on LinkedIn can connect salespeople with people in engineering and product roles immediately.4
Before you record, write down why this prospect should watch. If you cannot explain that reason in a sentence, change the message before opening the camera.
Give the video a clear purpose
Decide what the recipient should do with the message. That purpose determines the opening, the amount of context, and the next step you ask for.
- Use the opening step of the sequence to introduce yourself with video.5 For someone new, keep the introduction to 45 to 60 seconds tops.6
- Use a pre-meeting video to summarize what your company does, who it serves, and why the offering may be relevant to the prospect.7
- When a referral creates the opening, say that you spoke with the referrer and made a one-minute video for the prospect.8
- When the prospect sends a question, answer it with an individual video.9
- When a prospect has requested a quote and gone quiet, use a video message to prompt a response.10
Pick the purpose before you write the script. Cut anything that does not help the prospect understand the point or decide what to do next.
Record for a response
Write the opening sentence before you press record. Make every line move toward relevance and a next step.
Prospecting videos are usually about one minute and at most two minutes long.11 Use a deliberate setup before recording.12 Put as much useful value as possible into the message.13 Keep the delivery conversational and human, so the prospect hears a person explaining something useful.14
A practical relevance frame is: "I made you a quick video under 60 seconds showing how we're helping similar job titles from similar competitor brands accomplish X, save time on Y, and get rid of Z."15 Replace the placeholders with a real outcome you can explain, then stop when the point is clear.
The recording should create enough interest for the prospect to continue the conversation.16 Leave the viewer with an easy reason to reply, watch the next item, or keep the scheduled conversation.
Place video in the outreach sequence
Video works better when the surrounding message gives it context. Use the written or spoken touch to tell the prospect why the recording is worth opening.
Pairing an email with a video gives the prospect something to latch onto and makes the outreach more personal.17 Videos can move through email, LinkedIn, or another channel, with the content tailored to the contact.18 A call can remind prospects that you exist, followed by a video that carries the useful detail.19
After a LinkedIn request is accepted, send a video direct message capped at 45 seconds.20 You can also use a permission-based ask: "Would it be useful if I sent you a 90-second video showing how we can help you respond to RFPs?"21 Offering a video for the prospect to evaluate is a low-friction ask.22
Move on when the prospect has a clear choice. That choice might be watching the recording, answering a question, or agreeing to continue the conversation.
Use video after the initial touch
Once the prospect has context, the recording can carry information that would consume meeting time. Give the video a precise role between conversations.
Use video to warm an executive before a conversation.23 A pre-meeting video can communicate additional information when executive meeting time is limited.24 It can also express excitement about the upcoming meeting.25
A salesperson can send a very short custom-filmed video to a customer.26 That video can be sent between meetings.27 Before a future demo, send a short value-focused video and follow it with a case study about the same use case, with no ask in the video.28
For a product-heavy call, send a prepared seven-minute demo before the call and ask buyers to bring two questions to begin discovery.29 Keep the recording connected to the conversation already underway, so the prospect knows why it arrived and what to do with it.
What not to do
These mistakes add work for the prospect or make the recording harder to act on. Keep them beside your recording checklist.
- Do not assume a prospect has room for a long recording. One scenario has 20 three-minute videos competing for attention among 100 to 150 emails.30
- Do not use the video to close the deal. Create enough interest for the prospect to continue the conversation.16
- Do not rush your words. The sender should speak slowly in prospecting videos.31
- Do not record without a deliberate setup.12
- Do not perform for the camera. Video prospecting should sound like natural conversation and human connection.14
- Do not overthink every recording. Establish a routine of recording and sending videos.32