In the article “How to create an effective sales presentation” I listed 3 features of videos or live speeches that impress the audience:
– a detailed list of features/applications/benefits of the product;
– an abundant repetition of the fundamental concepts;
– an emphatic instead of a monotonous tone.
While the first two points refer to the content, the third is the way things are presented. That’s what we want to focus on today.
Presentations made with soft tones seem more “credible” to everyone, and that’s why we are surprised when we see videos or teleshopping with exaggerated tones.
And if you think that this emphatic mode only works in sales for a target of consumers, then what I’m about to tell you will surprise you.
Table of Contents
Video marketing test
A few years ago, I followed the results of a video marketing market test carried out secretly in the USA by Strategic Profits. I’ll bring you the essential notes:
- two videos were compared, and we will call them A and B;
- the same person on video: Rich Schefren promoting a product;
- same clothing, same setting;
- same texts;
- same target: the audience is not made up of housewives, but entrepreneurs (therefore video marketing for business-to-business);
- the videos were published on a website and were alternating so that 50% of the website visitors saw the A Video, and the other 50% saw the B Video (this is called A/B split test);
- The A Video was played with emphatic mode and posture, teleshopping style;
- The B video, on the other hand, was presented in an ordinary mode, in a consulting style.
The goal of the video was to get an “opt-in”, i.e. to make sure that those who saw the video subscribed to a free registration form with their email address.
Ah, I forgot the duration:
- A Video, emphatic, spoken out loud and fast and with a more “aggressive” posture, lasted just under 8 minutes;
- B Video, restrained in tone and mode, lasted just over 12 minutes.
The company that was carrying on the video marketing test was ready to swear that the B Video would win overwhelmingly, because it was more consistent with the style and expectations of its typical customer.
And in fact, the customers who saw the first video found it too “commercial”, as the comments sent out showed. But the goal of the videos was to collect opt-ins: what mattered to the business was that the videos would collect a lot of emails. The best video would therefore be NOT the one that collected the most positive comments, but the one that collected the most emails…
Which one won?
Against all odds, the victory went to the A Video, the emphatic and commercial one.
But what is really surprising is the gap between the two results … because it was not a small +3%, or even a +10%, but a resounding
+42%!
.
Let’s do the math to understand the importance of this figure:
- Let’s suppose that the two videos were each watched by 10,000 people;
- If the B Video has collected, for example, 10% of subscriptions, it is 1,000 emails;
- and so, the A Video (+42%) collected 1,420 of them.
Now let’s imagine that 3% of those 1,000 then bought, within a month, the product, for a €1,000 value.
This means that the B Video B generated a turnover of
1,000 x 3% = 30 x €1,000 = €30,000
while A Video (emphatic) generated
1,420 x 3% = 42 x €1,000 = €42,000!
How can you use this information for your business? Here you go:
Sales & Marketing Action Plan
- If you don’t have it yet, create your own product presentation speech, and call it A Presentation. Use the formula in the article How to create an effective sales presentation.
If you already have it, call it A Presentation and keep it as it is. It can be an online video, or a speech you make during a seminar; or it’s the demo you use to present your product at the fair; or the “speech” you use in a meeting in person;
- Now try to create a B Presentation that is equal to A in content, but more emphatic. Warning: obviously you’ll have to dose the level of emphasis. In a meeting in person you can certainly not start screaming in the face of the customer, but you can still try to instil a more passionate tone and maintain a more energetic posture.
- Now you too can test a small segment of potential customers and measure the results.
If by hypothesis your B Presentation will also convert 40% more, the same product that so far has perhaps brought you 300,000 euros per year of turnover, from today will bring you…
€420,000!
Not bad, for trying to speak a little louder and a little faster…
