Visual Prospecting : Think beyond text
In a world where our inboxes and social feeds are endlessly flooded with messages, standing out is more crucial than ever. That's where the magic of visual prospecting steps in –while most messages takes the logical route, it takes advantage of the pyschological part of the human emotions. It makes them more impactful, memorable, and starts more conversations.
Why Visuals? The Quick Science Bit
Did you know that humans can process images in as little as 13 milliseconds? That's faster than a blink! This incredible ability means that when your message pops up, with the right visual, it's not just seen—it's felt. In the digital world where words often fall flat, a well-placed image or video can speak volumes.
As a kid, I remember always going for comics more than the story books with no pictures. I am sure the same is true for you and even now to a large extent.
Making Visuals Work for You
Visual prospecting isn't just about slapping any image onto an email or a LinkedIn message. It's about a well thought strategy that captures attention, educates, and connects on an emotional level.
Grabbing Attention: In a big sea of text, a compelling visual guides prospects to your message. Think about an email signature that includes not just your name but an eye-catching logo or an engaging banner that reflects your brand.
Conveying Complex Ideas, Simply: Use simple visuals like charts, quick videos, or pictures to make hard topics easy to get.
During my tenure at Salesken, It took one image to tell everything we did.
Emotional Engagement: Choosing the right picture or video can cheer people up. It can also make them trust you, or spark their curiosity, making it easier to connect.
(Ezgi,One of the student at School of SDR uses GIF to invite prospect for a coffee)
I use GIF like this for my follow up emails
Visuals on LinkedIn? Yes, Please!
You can send a short video using Loom or use the GIF feature to make follow-ups more fun, show your personality. This can remind them you're real, not just another email..
Booked a meeting with Sahil Singh, then VP at Salesken during my time at Slintel.
Best Practices to Shine
Here are a few tips to ensure your visual prospecting hits the mark every time:
Deeply Personalize: Make your pictures and videos match what your audience needs, dreams of, or faces problems with. It shows you're not just talking at them but to them.
Tell a Story: Use a picture story or a video to show how things are done at your place or how to solve a problem, like a guided tour with visuals.
Another venn diagram got me so many meetings without writing a text.
Keep It Simple and Professional: Your visuals should highlight your message, not overshadow it. Maintain a clean, professional look that aligns with your brand's identity.
To GIF or Not to GIF?
While GIFs can add a spark to your messages, they're not always the right choice. Remember, GIFs in cold emails might reduce your open rates due to their size and sometimes distracting nature. On sites like LinkedIn, where talking is more casual, the right GIF can really grab someone's attention.
I use GIF in my follow up emails but you must AB test before taking my advice.
Your Toolkit for Visual Mastery
Use Vidyard for making your own videos, Canva for making pictures and designs easily, and Sigstr for making your email sign-offs stand out.
These tools can simplify the creation process, letting you focus on crafting messages that resonate.
Tools like Hyperise allows you to take visual prospecting to a level which will blow your mind. We used this to book 50+ meetings for an event.
I could target each individual working at B2C Company and make them feel special.
You can simply upload .csv files to get hundreds and thousands of images personalized at scale.
and get results like this. You can customize fonts & have various placeholders based on your unique use case. Possibilities are endless.
Conclusion: A Picture's Worth a Thousand Words
Adding pictures, GIFs, and videos to how you reach out isn't just about being trendy. It's about using what we're naturally good at—understanding visuals. To share your message, connect with others, and build strong bonds. Remember, each visual is a chance to share your story and connect with people in a meaningful way.
I'd love to see how you've used visuals in your prospecting or hear any tips you might have! Feel free to reply to this email or share your thoughts with me on LinkedIn.
Wishing you visual success,
School of SDR Team
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Looking forward to our next chat.
Happy prospecting!
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