Even small businesses have gone global in the modern economy. At the same time, the pandemic has made remote operations more common, often complicating the process of person-to-person discussions. Salespeople need a strategy to deal with these new wrinkles on the old problem of landing new clients.

Asynchronous video provides a tool to deal with the hurdles imposed by the current business environment. By using these offerings, salespeople at small businesses can reach more prospects and close more deals. Here, you'll learn the basics of this strategy and see how you can leverage this content to optimize your growth potential.

By using [asynchronous video], salespeople at small businesses can reach more prospects and close more deals.

What is asynchronous video communication?

To define asynchronous video, it might help to start by looking at the opposite approach: synchronous video. This is a fancy way to describe a typical Zoom conversation. A salesperson has a remote meeting with a potential client. Both participants in the communication are present at the same time. In other words, synchronous.

With an asynchronous video, the participants don't take part at the same time. Rather, your sales representative makes a video that a client can watch at their leisure.

What are the benefits of asynchronous video communication?

Integrating asynchronous video into your sales process offers numerous benefits. Here are a few of the advantages you gain by adopting this strategy:

Gives Clients Playback Potential

Sometimes things seem clear in the moment but get murkier when time passes. Details fade and confusion sets in. Your sales staff can end up making the same pitch several times, as they attempt to keep information fresh for their prospects.

Asynchronous video can prevent this. Potential customers have a permanent record of the information provided. They can rewatch as needed, use it to craft more detailed follow-up discussions, and show it to other decision-makers within their organization, pushing the overall sales process closer to completion.

Creates Evergreen Reference

This asynchronous content doesn't only have value as a sales tool. The same presentations can provide further value after a sale is closed. The videos can become a key resource as your customers implement and maintain your offerings over the long term, acting as an effective long-term reference.

Improves Sales Productivity

It's difficult to find time to meet with every client. Your sales team needs to prioritize their efforts to make the most efficient use of the resources available. Asynchronous video makes this easier.

Allows Simpler Scheduling

Your sales personnel aren't the only ones with tight schedules. The clients you are trying to reach have their own time pressures. Asynchronous video gives them the freedom to review information at their own pace and engage in more substantive conversations with your staff when the time comes.

Solves Certain Logistical Issues

Remote work has created a new set of tangles for live interaction. Loud home offices. Time zone concerns. More intricate work schedules. Using asynchronous video lets your staff break through these potential troubles and fast-track contact with prospects.

Opens Up Possibilities for Higher Production Quality

Let's face it: live conversations can be boring. You can share screens and attempt to keep the energy level up. But charisma tends to die somewhere along with a Zoom connection.

You can get some of that pizazz back with asynchronous video. Because you have more preparation time and because the video has a longer shelf life than a single presentation, you can afford to invest additional resources in the process. Better editing and better production values can lead to higher interest, higher retention of information, and better sales outcomes over time.

What are the best uses of asynchronous video?

Asynchronous video can't replace old-fashioned sales swagger. Clients will still want to talk to a representative to answer questions and to provide a meaningful attachment to your organization. Rather, this strategy should be used as a complement to your existing sales organization.

Here are a few situations that lend themselves best to this strategy:

Large Online Gatherings

Asynchronous video has become popular in academic settings. Rather than requiring students to appear at lectures where little interaction is possible, these presentations are offered online for viewing at convenient times.

You can use these tools in a similar fashion. Large meetings, in which little cross-conversation will be possible, can be turned into asynchronous presentations.

Educational Tools

Speaking of an academic setting, you can turn to schools for another important model of how asynchronous videos can improve your operations. So far, we've talked mostly about sales applications, but you can use the videos for internal uses as well. Create training materials or content to keep your staff informed of company progress.

Product/Informational Updates

Think about simple household chores that you don't do very often, like lighting the pilot light on your furnace or cleaning your oven. How do you get instructions for how to do these tasks?

Whether you know it or not, the answer is likely asynchronous video. You check YouTube for instructional information. Your company should leverage this potential by creating your own content detailing the benefits of your products and services, as well as the best way to utilize them.

Mixed Use

You don't have to think of synchronous and asynchronous offerings as irreconcilable strategies. They can dovetail with each other. Here are a few examples:

• Record presentations for future use.
• Offer traditional video conversations as follow-ups.
• Offer other live help, like texting, along with your asynchronous video.

Best practices for asynchronous video selling

We've looked at the benefits of asynchronous video. But you can only extract maximum value if you know how best to use the content. With that in mind, here are some best practices to apply to your asynchronous video program:

Train Your Sales Staff Properly

You hire your sales staff for their selling ability, not for their technical prowess. Yet, they need to be able to make and present the asynchronous videos properly. They might even need to do some light troubleshooting if a prospect runs into technical difficulty. First-rate training makes these tasks go much smoother, raising the chance of a sale.

Invest in Video Quality

Because they aren't delivered live, you have added time and consideration to invest in asynchronous video. Get the most out of this. Acquire the right equipment and consider professional editing help. This will let you develop more effective sales tools.

Consider User Experience

Think about how your potential customers will use your videos. Is it better to create a two-hour comprehensive video? Or should you break it up into shorter clips that are more focused on particular subjects? Maybe you should make both available?

Questions like these will help shape your content. By thinking about the user experience (rather than ease of production or other similar organizational concerns), you can deliver videos perfectly suited to the target audience.

Have Other Options

Asynchronous video represents an excellent resource. But they might not present the ideal choice for every potential client or for every situation. Complement these offerings with other sales tools, like live chats or the option for face-to-face talks with sales personnel.

Maintain a Strong Customer Service Presence

Automation can have its price. Don't forget your customers once the sale is made. Keep customer service in mind as you integrate asynchronous video into your process. You won't just maximize your sales ability. You'll increase retention as well.

A new tool for a new economy

Virtual selling is key to small business success. That has become increasingly true in the wake of COVID, when most potential clients have become accustomed to remote options. That’s why it’s so important to make the most of this situation.

Asynchronous video gives you this opportunity. By adding this tool, you improve your sales efforts and upgrade your internal operation. Use the information here to begin developing a plan to leverage this powerful sales accelerator.