YOU CAN'T BUILD RECOGNITION AND NEW CUSTOMER ENGAGEMENT FROM UNDER A BOX

Your reps want more opportunities. Video can help put new prospects at the top of the funnel. So why does everyone suddenly have an excuse when the camera comes out?

There is a frustrating contradiction happening in a lot of business systems dealerships.

The sales team wants more leads. They want the phone to ring more often. They want more prospects entering the pipeline. They want more opportunities to quote, demonstrate and close. Then marketing says, “Let’s use video to get in front of more potential customers.”

And suddenly, the excuses begin.

“We don't have time.”

“I don't like being on camera.”

“We don't have the right equipment.”

“We don't have anywhere to record.”

“We need to figure out the technology first.”

“We'll get to it when things slow down.”

That's the box. And the problem isn't the box itself. The problem is what it represents.

The Lead Problem Nobody Wants to Talk About

If your team is complaining that there aren't enough leads, but refuses to participate in activities designed to create more awareness and attract new prospects, you have a problem that isn't necessarily a lead problem. You have a participation problem. No marketing tactic is magic. But video has become an exceptionally effective way to introduce businesses, expertise and ideas to people who may not know your dealership exists.

That makes video particularly valuable at the top of the funnel. A prospect may not be ready to buy a copier today. They may not need a managed IT solution this week. They may not be shopping for a document management system right now. But they might be watching a video about how to reduce printing costs. They might see a salesperson explain a cybersecurity mistake. They might watch a quick demonstration of a technology they didn't know existed. They may not become a lead that day. But now they know your name. That's how awareness begins.

The Faulty Thinking Goes Something Like This

“We need more leads.”

“Here's a way to reach more potential customers.”

“Great. But I don't have time to make videos.”

That doesn't make much sense. Neither does saying you need more visibility while refusing to become more visible. Or saying your salespeople need more opportunities while asking them to do nothing different to create those opportunities. The truth is, there will always be a reason not to do something. The question is whether the reason is legitimate or simply convenient.

No Time?

You don't need to produce a television commercial. A 30- to 60-second video can answer one customer question. Record several in one session and you've created content that can be distributed over weeks. Better yet, capture videos while your salespeople are already doing what they do every day: answering questions, demonstrating products and explaining solutions. Don't create a separate job. Capture the job they're already doing.

No Equipment?

A smartphone can produce remarkably good video. You don't need a production truck, a studio or a Hollywood cinematographer to answer a question on camera. A tripod, decent lighting and a microphone can make a difference, but don't allow the pursuit of perfect equipment to become an excuse for never starting. The audience cares far more about whether you have something useful to say than whether your camera cost $5,000.

No Place to Record?

Find a wall. Find a conference room. Stand in the showroom. Sit at a desk. Walk through the office. Record outside. The world is full of backgrounds. And if the environment isn't perfect, there are simple ways to improve it or edit around it. Again, the perfect recording location is not a prerequisite for creating useful content.

Don't Like Being on Camera?

Now we're getting closer to the real issue. For some people, this is genuinely uncomfortable.

But consider what your salespeople already do. They walk into unfamiliar businesses and introduce themselves. They sit across from executives and ask probing questions. They give presentations. They demonstrate equipment. They explain complicated solutions. They build relationships with strangers. And they're good at it. So why should a camera suddenly make them forget how to communicate?

The answer is simple: they're treating video like a performance instead of a conversation.

Don't ask them to act. Ask them to explain. Ask a question they know the answer to and let them talk.

The Box Is Becoming More Expensive

Here's the part that deserves some serious thought. Every time someone says, “We don't have time for video,” while simultaneously complaining about a lack of leads, there is an opportunity cost. Every week you don't publish is another week your competitor could be showing up in front of potential customers. Every useful answer that stays inside your salespeople's heads is content that could have introduced your dealership to someone new.

Every excuse delays the process of building recognition. And recognition takes time.

You don't turn on video today and expect a flood of qualified leads tomorrow. Top-of-funnel marketing is about consistently putting your expertise in front of people so that when a need eventually arises, your dealership is already familiar. That's the game.

Three Things to Change

1. Stop asking, “Who wants to be on camera?”

Instead, identify who has something valuable to say.

Your most knowledgeable person may not volunteer. Your most outgoing salesperson may surprise you. Start with the people who naturally answer customer questions well.

2. Make the commitment ridiculously small.

One question. One answer. One minute. Don't launch a documentary series. Build a habit.

3. Measure the response and show the team.

Track views, social media engagement, comments, shares, website activity and conversations that result from your content. When a salesperson sees that their 45-second video reached hundreds of people or prompted a prospect to call the conversation changes.

The camera stops being a marketing nuisance and starts looking like a sales tool.

Stop Complaining About the Phone While Refusing to Give People a Reason to Call

There is nothing wrong with wanting more leads. There is nothing wrong with wanting the phone to ring. There is nothing wrong with wanting your dealership to be better known.

But those goals require action. If the data tells you that video is an effective way to capture attention, increase engagement and introduce your business to people who aren't yet in your pipeline, then continually inventing reasons not to do it isn't strategic thinking. It's resistance.

And resistance doesn't create leads. Visibility does. Consistency does. Expertise does. Being useful does.

Your sales team already possesses the most important ingredient: knowledge.

Now put that knowledge where prospective customers can find it. Take the box off.

Turn on the camera. Start talking. Get seen.

Tim Votapka is the VP and Director of Marketing at Prosperity Plus. He may be reached at tvotapka@prosperityplus.com or 631.382.7762.