If you have not implemented video messages in your marketing, you are missing out. Builders, Remodelers, Real Estate Agents, Contractors, and Vendors have products that need to be showcased…and video is the most effective means of demonstrating your product.
All you need is a video camera and an idea. The video camera can be as simple as the video feature on your cell phone or hand held Flip Cam which retails for less than $250.
The technology is the easy part. Just about any high school student can upload a video to www.YouTube.com for you in case you are a technophobe. The more challenging part is for you to come up with the ideas for videos that will distinguish you and elevate you above your competition.
So what constitutes a good video, a useful video that attracts customers? Consider these elements when using video on YouTube to promote your products and yourself.
This is not your parent’s vacation footage. Brevity is king. You are in a short attention span society. Think of your videos as fast food for customers. Make your point. Show your product quickly.
Authenticity rules. Be yourself. Be personable. You don’t have to take professional acting classes. You just need to be yourself. Be witty. Smile. Be friendly. Remember, you are showcasing how easy it is to get along with you in a sales environment.
Frequency. Regularly post videos and update your footage. There is virtually no hard cost associated with uploading videos, so there is no excuse for outdated information.
Be original. Be spontaneous. Carry your Flip Cam with you at all times and be ready to record anything that is remotely interesting or informative in your line of work.
Brief customer testimonials are very powerful. Anyone can have their uncle produce a written testimonial, but with a video testimonial the viewer can look into the eyes of your customer to gauge their sincerity.
Archive them in one place. Set up you own YouTube TV station. It’s free, simple, fast and can be customized with your corporate colors and logo.
Unless you want to make a travesty out of your video avoid these mistakes.
Bad lighting, bad sound, too much background noise. You don’t need to be Steven Spielberg to produce a decent video, but use some common sense when it comes to the quality of your videos.
Disrespecting the copyright laws. Music, photos, literature, and other videos have copyright laws which affect their use. If you wish to use these, conduct a brief Google search to see if you are infringing on any intellectual territories. There are multitudes of royalty free pictures and music.
Distasteful, off color, unruly, offensive or objectionable material. Can you be edgy and interesting? Absolutely. How is objectionable defined? I don’t know, but I know when I see it. So will you.
Not integrating your YouTube videos with all of your other Internet marketing strategies. YouTube videos should be a component of a well thought out marketing plan. In the housing industry, videos are not a business plan in themselves. They should only be a piece of your overall marketing landscape.
Copycat, copycat. It’s okay to take an idea and expand it to make it your own. Be as original as you possibly can. Avoid copying the video ideas of a competitor or colleague. Get your own ideas.
No contact information. Contained in every video should be your contact information. A simple email or website address is sufficient. As with other means of marketing, your end goal is to have prospective customers contact you for more information. Help them out.
Not combing your hair. Well, maybe you look better with the frazzled look. The point is that your videos will portray your personality. Think about the impression you wish to make. If you wish to portray a highly professional image, don a suit and tie while shooting video in your office at your big walnut desk. Do you wish to be a bit more casual because you are selling a community on a lake front? Dress comfortably casual while your video is filmed on an outside patio overlooking the lake (with a Mojito cocktail on the table).
Keeping your videos a secret. If you are going to make the effort to shoot video footage and actually upload it to a video storage site, by all means let the world know.
There are other video storage sites like Viddler.com and Flickr.com. Each has their own special features. YouTube is by far the most widely used and is universally recognized.
Videos give your prospective buyers a view into your product and your personality. Video can act as a lead generator as well as a lead qualifier.
As with most other forms of marketing, video marketing is a work-in-progress. The more you work with it, the more it will work for you. Go forth and video your message.
As a Builder, Remodelor, Realtor or housing industry professional, can you use blogging to promote your business and make more sales? Take a look at this video as well as the list below…
Top ten reasons a housing industry professional should blog…
1. To express your thoughts or opinions…about your market, your niche, your customers and who should take advantage of your services.
2. To market or promote your business…blogging allows you to overtly promote your company. It also allows you to build value by offering credible information for your customers.
3. To establish yourself as an expert…the more you write about your industry, the more you can be perceived as an expert…people prefer to do business with experts.
4. To help people…the more people that are exposed to your helpful information, the more credibility you build. If you want to be helped, help others.
5. To make money…you can sell your services and products online on your blog. You can offer discounts to readers, referral fees, and incentives to gather leads.
6. To distinguish your company or yourself as unique among your competitors. The features of your blog and the way you present it to the public can make you stand out above the competition.
7. To stay connected to customers, prospects, vendors and your professional network…Blogging allows you to maintain an ongoing personal appearance with regular product updates.
8. To poll your customers…with features like comments and rss feeds, you can get a beat on what your readers are interested in, what they want more of and less of.
9. To stay abreast of the latest trends, technologies and news in your industry...regular blogging calls up on you to do research in your industry. You will also receive suggestions and information from your readers that keeps you up with the industry.
10.To attract a more savvy, influential customer base…it’s true that the internet provides a source of information for savvy buyers. The more savvy the buyer, the more research they do. When you position yourself on the Internet with your highly informative blog, you will have a greater chance to attract a more discriminating, affluent buyer.
There are plenty of other reasons to blog. It can be fun and an outlet for you to be creative and express yourself. You learn along the way and you open yourself up to a whole new world of information and technology.
If you want to positively impact the perception of your customer, get your sites clean and safe. I walk this site and point out what is unclean, unsafe and unsightly for a customer. Take a look and leave your comments below.
Be sure to follow me on Twitter and Facebook for regular housing industry updates to help you make more sales and make more dinero.
This is the question that may make your butt cheeks grip. Why? Because it is the question most sales people never ask. They never ask this because they are chicken****, and they have some crappy thinking about the business of sales.
Check out this video and send along your feedback.
Make it a great week of sales.
Take care,
Paul
Ps. Follow my on Facebook and Twitter. Check out the links on the side bar….over there.
Question #4 of the Fab Five is my favorite. I like it so much that I will frequently ask it right out front. Why not? If your personality fits and you want to cut to the chase, then go to this question.
Watch the video and then send in your comments below.
You must be able to know how a prospective client defines success. In other words, how will they know that their needs, wants, desires, wishes, requirements of you are being fulfilled?
The answers you receive to fab question #3 “cement” everything for you during your sales presentation.
Watch the video and then send in your comments below.
Until our paths cross again, take great care,
Paul
Ps. You have got to check out my Sales Mastery Home Study Course. The investment will make you more sales for sure. Go here to see all the details… Sales Mastery Home Study Course.
Don’t let price objections stifle your sales presentation. Ask this quesiton and gather all the information you need to move forward with your sales presention.
Watch this video to help you move your buyer from a price conversation to a value based conversation.
Share this video with your colleagues and also add your comments to this blog below.
Until we cross paths again, take great care.
Paul.
You gotta follow me on Twitter for regular housing industry updates and positive news.
Jump start your sales conversation with a question that will open up the flood gates of information. Ask this question and get them talking about what they want, what they need, what they desire, why they are there to buy, etc.
Check out this video and add your comments at the end.
The rest of the Fab Five questions can be found here on YouTube. Check them out if you wish and send along your comments.
Feel free to share these at your next sales meeting.
Of all the essential skills of a professional sales person, this one is the most important if you want to sell more deals. It may sound fundamental, but it is the most overlooked skill of all.
Check out this video and then add your comments to the blog.
The secret is out…the Internet is here to stay…(LOL)
There are many, many ways to use the Internet to generate more leads and more sales. However, in order to sell more, you have to understand the real reasons your buyer has visited your website.
Check out this very short video (1:40 min) for my thoughts about understanding Internet buyers. Its segment three in the five part series. The first two segments are in earlier blog posts (below). Send your comments and feedback.
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You can contact me directly by email: Paul@PaulMontelongo.com
