CHAPTER 1
The New Way to Communicate, Connect, and Convert
We see each other once or twice a year, but my sister doesn't call often. My wife talks with her more often than I do. We keep up through social media, text messages, and a phone call every now and then. So, when she called on a weekday in the late afternoon, I knew I needed to answer.
“Hey, what's up?” I asked.
“Umm … Mom's dead,” she quietly replied. Calm, but without confidence, she followed with an apology. “Sorry to be so blunt. I didn't know how else to say it.”
Our mom died unexpectedly in early 2018. She felt dizzy, fell down, and never got back up. She was at home with my dad, sister, and nephew doing what she often did—rushing back into the kitchen to get that one final dish to complete a dinner already on the table. A two-time cancer survivor, she was in a great phase of her life after losing weight, replacing a knee, working out with a personal trainer, and traveling a lot more to see her kids, her grandkids, her friends, and the tropics. All that positive momentum made the phone call even harder to take than it would have been otherwise.
A few days later, I flew back to my hometown of Grand Rapids, Michigan. The first visitation was on a Friday evening. Prior to it, we put together a few photo boards from the hundreds, if not thousands, of prints she'd made over the years; framed and magnet-pinned photos of family and friends lined her walls and bookshelves. Seeing her face through the years and seeing her with so many other smiling, familiar faces was a pleasure. We saw many of them in person that night; the volume and warmth of support for her and for our family was wonderful.
The next morning, we hosted the second visitation, which was followed by the funeral service. You know how these social occasions go. You don't keep your gaze fixed when you're in a conversation. With no disrespect to the person with whom you're talking, you glance around the room. As I stood and spoke with a supportive family friend that morning, I saw a familiar face over her shoulder. But it was an unexpected face; it didn't make complete sense in the moment. It felt like seeing your dental hygienist at Costco—without the uniform and the context of the office, you don't recognize the person as quickly. After I wrapped up the conversation, I headed over to him.
This gentleman greeted me with a soft smile and warm hug, as did his wife. I'd never met either of them in person. I'd never spoken with them on the phone. Neither one of them knew or had ever met my mom. Neither of them knew a single one of my family members. They knew no one else at the visitation. And yet they drove two hours across the state to spend three or four minutes with me. The gesture was incredibly meaningful; I can still feel the moment when my mind put together what they'd done.
What inspired them to invest more than half a day to create that brief, in-person meeting? Relationship. Our relationship was built through simple video messages recorded and sent back and forth, off and on over a couple years' time. And it's a real relationship. I felt as though I knew him before I ever met him—and I know he'd say the same about me. When we later swapped video messages about their visiting with me that day, he speculated, “That never would have happened through regular email. It was the video portion of our emails that caused that to happen. And that just enriches life.”
I now call Andy Alger a longtime BombBomb customer-turned-friend. A real estate agent in Grand Blanc, Michigan, he generates nearly all of his business from his database of past clients. Staying in contact meaningfully with just a few hundred people creates repeat business and personal referrals. Relationships, then, are fundamental to his success. I suspect he's made gestures like the one I experienced many times before in other people's lives.
To stay in touch with the new ways people are using video, we regularly look at the top customers in our database in terms of videos recorded and sent per day. We often reach out to learn about their motivations, strategies, and outcomes; this book is, in large part, the result of these efforts. Andy showed up on my radar pretty quickly. He signed up nearly five years ago and, in that time, has sent 4,000 videos. Back in April 2014, I reached out to learn more about what he was doing and why he was doing it. At the time, he was closing in on his 500th video. By one-to-one video, of course, he told me: “Personal videos make what I do fun again. And my clients respond to it very well—and, really, that's why I do it. I started it because I thought it was a neat idea, but then I saw the reaction of my clients and it's great. They love it. I love it.”
To stay connected with the people who matter most to his business, Andy used to block out time on his calendar to make phone calls. But he increasingly felt like he was intruding on their day and interrupting their lives. A phone call became an imposition on his clients' time with which he grew less and less comfortable. Recording and sending videos, however, could be done on his own time. And each person plays his video and experiences the message whenever it's most convenient. One person might open it and see Andy immediately. Another might see it 10 minutes later, another two hours later, and another three days later—whenever it's convenient.
Because they provided a more effective and more satisfying way to work, simple webcam videos replaced phone calls as Andy's preferred way to stay in touch. In the same amount of time he'd block out for calls, he could record and send a couple dozen truly personal messages. One video for each person, couple, or family. Like a voicemail, but with his face, voice, personality, sincerity, enthusiasm, and all the elements that can't be delivered through faceless, digital communication. He delivers himself, in person, at scale. And unlike voicemail, video email allows him to know exactly who's opening the email and playing the video—and exactly when.
This method is less demanding and more respectful of people's time. Andy treats people as he himself prefers to be treated, getting his message across more personally, more often. This is what it can look like to rehumanize your business.
A SIMPLE VIDEO MAKES A BIG DIFFERENCE
Andy sprinted out of the gates with 488 videos sent in under five months. Averaging more than 100 videos per month and more than three videos per day every day of the week, he'd obviously found a few very specific ways to use video and committed to them. At that rate, the videos are always personal, one-to-one sends. To learn best practices and to teach others, I've regularly reached out over the years to people like Andy to share their tips, insights, and successes with others. Here are two ways I could've reached out to him. Figure 1.1 shows a nice, traditional email and Figure 1.2 represents a more personal approach.
Option One: Plain, Typed-Out Text
FIGURE 1.1 Traditional Email
Option Two: Personal Video Email
FIGURE 1.2 Video Email
The Difference
Instead of constructing the 200-word email in Figure 1.1, I simply clicked “Record” and talked to Andy as if we were casually meeting in person. Instead of spending three or four minutes organizing my ideas into a well-structured email that didn't come across as pushy or demanding and didn't contain typos, misspellings, improper grammar, or egregious punctuation, I spent about 90 seconds speaking to him from my office through my webcam. Instead of relying on ALL CAPS, exclamation points, or emoticons to convey my excitement, I used an honest smile and my sincere enthusiasm to let him know how much I appreciated him and the milestone he was approaching. Instead of sending a laundry list of questions to answer, I asked the questions conversationally, just like I would in person. He then “knew” a person at our company. My smile and enthusiasm far outweighed any minor errors I may have made in the video—like an “um,” a pause, or a misspoken word.
These are just a few reasons I went with the second option in Figure 1.2—and reasons why some of the messages you'll send this week shouldn't have two options anymore. With that video email, I improved communication, connection, and conversion with Andy, who complied, replied, and gave me more than I needed to publish a blog post. It was built from the excellent tips and insights he provided in his video reply. And I then “knew” one of our customers.
I shared this example because it's so specific to the story on which this chapter opened. The ideas and execution, though, can be used in situations you face every day at your desk, across town, or around the world. With recruits and employees, customers and future customers, partners and suppliers, or anyone else connected to your business. Just as there's an art and science to writing effective emails, there's an art and science to personal videos. Your success depends in part on whether or not you take advantage of concepts like:
- Introducing yourself for the first time through video instead of text
- Making clear in the email body that the video's personal, not automated
- Holding a whiteboard, sticky note, tablet, or another surface in your video thumbnail or animated preview with a custom note
- Writing on that surface her or his name, a relevant detail, a common interest, or another idea inspired by briefly researching the person (even draw a logo or picture)
- Adding a little text along with your video that encourages people to click to play
- Providing a simple reason (“because”) along with your request or call to action
- Watching for notifications and alerts to confirm the email open and video play
Several elements are in play here that you may not recognize or appreciate now. But as you keep reading, we'll unpack strategies and tactics that can change your relationships and outcomes with all the stakeholders in your personal and professional success. You're going to click “Send” dozens or hundreds of times this week as you reach out to these people. Each send is an opportunity to experience the big difference a simple video can make. Soon, you'll understand why—and what to do about it.
Everything you're going to learn was learned through years of our own use of video and years of working closely with community members in this personal video movement. What kinds of roles are they in?
- Inside sales
- Outside sales
- Customer service, support, and success
- Account-based marketing
- Account management
- Leadership and management
- Recruiting and talent development
- Business consulting and coaching
- Real estate, mortgage, and title services
- Financial planning and advising
- Automotive sales
- Insurance sales
- Network marketing
- Nonprofit fundraising and programming
- Entrepreneurship
- Teaching and education
- Speaking, music, entertainment
- More roles that delight and surprise us every day
If you teach, train, sell, or serve in any capacity, video can help you reach your desired outcomes faster, because it leads with your strongest asset … you. No matter where you fall on the Myers-Briggs, DISC, Birkman, Enneagram, or any other personality assessment, who you are matters. You're the difference-maker. Everything you've achieved so far has been achieved with and through other people based on your personality, expertise, and other qualities difficult to capture and convey in the typed-out messages you rely on every day. You're uniquely qualified to rehumanize your business.
VIDEO FOR RELATIONSHIPS, NOT JUST FOR MARKETING
When most people think of “video” in a business context, they think of scripts, lighting, casting, equipment, editing, postproduction, and other polishing touches that require a significant investment of time and money. We call this “marketing through video”—traditional video that's created in the style of a television commercial or a movie trailer. And this is a perfectly valid and useful effort. Videos with a long shelf life, wide audience, or high profile can provide a return on that investment in a “professional” production. For any person or company committed to marketing through video, keep going!
The personal video revolution drops the gloss and polish and capitalizes on video for its communication value in a no-fuss way. You smile, hit “Record,” and talk to each person as if you're leaving a voicemail. You don't need a script for a voicemail. And you don't need any special equipment to say, “Thank you,” “Nice to meet you,” “Here's an update,” “Happy birthday,” or another message in this more personal way. You need only what you already have: a smartphone or a webcam, along with a message that's delivered better in person than in plain, typed-out text. You can see the difference with just a glance at Figure 1.3.
FIGURE 1.3 Marketing through Video versus Relationships through Video
We call this type of communication “relationships through video.” By losing all the extras, the video doesn't just feel more authentic—it is more authentic. It's you … a person we can look in the eye, hear out, and connect with despite the time and distance between us. You're communicating as if you're sitting across the table over coffee or lunch. And, like that experience, there are no do-overs—you just record and send. It's warmer and more complete than a typed-out message. It's faster and easier than writing, producing, and editing a video. And it's a return to the way humans have exclusively communicated for thousands and thousands of years—eye to eye, face to face.
The simple video style can be used in a variety of ways. Nearly every social network now has native video features that allow you to record or upload videos. YouTube, Snapchat, Facebook Live, Facebook Messenger, Facebook posts, LinkedIn posts, Instagram Stories, Instagram's IGTV—and that's just a short list of places people are hosting, posting, and sharing simpler videos. Though you'll be able to apply what we explore and explain to video in social posts, it's even more applicable to videos in text messaging and social messaging. Posts are broadcast. Messaging is personal.
You might be thinking: This approach seems insufficiently professional. Too casual. Too informal. And you can find people who share this opinion. The irony is that these qualities are exactly why it's so effective. It's imperfect and makes you more approachable. Personal videos are more honest than marketing videos. When a video opens up with flashy, whooshy animation and stylized graphics, the viewer's guard goes up against a production that's designed to sell something. When a video opens up with a smiling face, a little wave, and a greeting to you by name, your guard goes down and you're drawn in by natural human connection.
If you've never done video, you can start with relationships through video. If you're marketing through video, you should layer in this personal style and equip your team members to do the same.
IT'S LIKE WE'VE ALREADY MET
As my coauthor Steve walked down a Chicago street, he heard his name shouted from across five lanes of traffic.
“Steve Pacinelli!” the person called out.
“Charlie Foxworth!” Steve shouted back.
Even though they'd never met in person or even spoken over the phone, Charlie felt enough confidence and enough connection to shout over to Steve. Even though he'd only “met” him through webcam videos, Steve recognized Charlie's face, recalled his name, and excitedly returned the greeting from 25 yards away. Years later, Charlie still tells that story. He recently shared it on a panel discussion that Steve moderated at a leadership conference. That moment years earlier clearly left a huge impression on Charlie and it was only possible because they had built their relationship through video. It was like they'd already met.
When I approached Andy Alger from across the room that day, it felt as if we'd already met, too. In the moment, I wasn't clear whether or not we had ever met face to face. This is something I've experienced with many other customers, too. In these moments, we smile, hug like longtime friends, then take a moment to establish whether or not we'd ever actually met in person. This happened with Ryan Shields, a sales professional from Brandon, Manitoba. By the time Ryan and I met in person the first time, I'd sent and received videos, written about him and his wife Jenn in our blog, told the story of the couple's journey into video success in a training course, and connected on a couple of social networks. When we finally connected face to face, it felt as if we'd already met. Further, it seemed unlikely that we hadn't.
One of the most consistent pieces of positive feedback we hear from people using video this way is that their recipients “feel like we've already met” when they initially meet in person. Leads, prospects, referrals, and other people with whom initial contact is digital are best greeted personally. These days, “digital” increasingly means visual, but for the past decade, direct communication's been all text all the time. Putting a face with your name in a personal video provides a stark and wonderful contrast to the standard … plain text.
VIDEO MAKES YOU MORE FAMILIAR AND APPROACHABLE
Building relationships through video isn't limited to one-to-one videos in emails, text messages, and social messages. It's not even limited to simple, casual videos. For decades, people sat in their living rooms and formed relationships with local television news anchors and weatherpeople, with game show hosts, and with fictional characters. That psychological connection is bred through frequency of exposure and creates a level of familiarity that brings us back night after night, week after week, episode after episode.
Prior to joining BombBomb, I spent nearly a dozen years running marketing teams inside local NBC, ABC, and FOX television stations. Our on-air talent often went out to live events like parades and festivals where viewers could meet them in person. Most who approached to connect and converse knew how long they'd been watching and offered one or two specific reasons they watched that anchor, reporter, or weatherperson. Many approached them as celebrities—with a degree of awe. Others, though, approached as if they were longtime, personal friends. These viewers shared deep and detailed stories about specific experiences watching that news or weather person on television.
Whether it's a Tina Fey sighting on the Upper West Side or a local news anchor sighting in the produce section of your neighborhood grocery store, we often experience a moment of “Hey, isn't that …” And this same familiarity is happening for normal, everyday people who are sending videos in order to communicate. Not for putting on a video “persona,” but for being who they are. They're making themselves more approachable by getting face to face at scale. By humanizing their messages, processes, and businesses, they're no longer faceless email signatures and voicemails. They're familiar people.
As someone who's sent more than 8,000 videos in email and as someone who's embedded hundreds of videos in company blog posts, I've enjoyed dozens of customer conversations that I'd never have had otherwise. This happens most often at trade shows and starts with “Hey, Ethan,” or “Hey, BombBomb guy,” whether I'm standing in line for coffee, walking into a keynote session, or riding an elevator back up to my hotel room. And it happens whether or not I'm wearing an event badge with my name or wearing a company logo. It happens even more for Steve, who's not only sent thousands of videos but who's also delivered more than a thousand stage presentations.
More and better conversations as a consequence of sending video isn't restricted to in-person meetings. When I sent a personal video reply to one of our customers yesterday, I got a video email back with the subject line, “You are the MAN!!! Thanks for responding to me personally, I have finally arrived Ethan :)” A four-year customer, Connor MacIvor had sent more than 2,500 videos himself and was excited to have a personal video exchange with someone he felt like he knew by watching my videos over the years. It feels good to get a reply like that, and it feels great to share mutual respect with a customer through video.
This commitment to replacing some of your text with video creates a sense of familiarity that can function like minor fame or celebrity within your own network. This dynamic is often an excuse people make not to record videos. They think it's egocentric or begs “Hey, look at me.” Just like any other piece of communication, though, video isn't about you unless you make it about you. If you're a humble servant, you come across as a humble servant in your videos. If you're a selfish egocentrist, that will come across, too.
Personal video should be rooted in customer empathy and consistent delivery of value. You become more recognizable, approachable, and connected in the process.
THE NUMBERS: VIDEO EMAIL VERSUS TRADITIONAL EMAIL
We've received countless anecdotes about the benefits of mixing personal videos into day-to-day business communication. In fact, I just received one from salesperson Justin Doornbos. Preparing for a speaking engagement, Justin reached out to the event coordinator for details, so he could book his flights and hotel. The response to the relatively unremarkable webcam video he recorded in his office: “OMG that is the BEST email I have honestly EVER received! I mean no joke. It made me smile and I will give you any agenda you need! Wow! Totally made my day!” And later in their email exchange: “That was the best email I have ever received and I get plenty of emails each day.”
What was the coordinator trying to do with the ALL CAPS and exclamation points? She was trying to give back the positive energy and enthusiasm Justin delivered in his video simply by being himself. We get some version of this “more and better replies and responses” story all the time. So we sought to quantify the benefit based on that feedback. We asked people who have sent at least 10 videos what improvements they received from video email compared to traditional email. Here's what the nearly 500 participants reported:
- 81% get more replies and responses
- 87% get more clicks through their emails
- 68% have increased lead conversion
- 90% stay in touch more effectively
- 56% generate more referrals
- One in six doubled or more than doubled their reply rate
- One quarter doubled or more than doubled their click rate
- One in 10 doubled or more than doubled their conversion rate
- One in four doubled or more than doubled their ability to stay in touch
- One in 10 doubled or more than doubled their referrals
- Overall, 77% of people surveyed told us that video improved their results compared to text and 20% doubled their results.1
When we ran the same survey specifically for people recording, sending, and tracking video emails directly inside their Gmail inboxes through our Google Chrome extension, the results were similar, but higher across the board.
- 84% get more replies and responses
- 90% get more clicks through their emails
- 71% increased lead conversion
- 92% stay in touch more effectively
- 53% generate more referrals2
We also collected verbatim feedback in the survey to understand more specifically how and why they reported the lift. Here are some comments from coast to coast.
“I'm in the relationship business so my messaging through video has made a HUGE difference in my business and in the responses I receive!”
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BRADENTON, FLORIDA
“I use video to follow up with my remote coaching clients after our calls. I think it really helps for them to see my smile and hear my voice, and so even if they never come to Durham, they feel like they know me, and in turn can trust me. Plus, being able to track my open and click-through rate is very helpful.”
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DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA
“Video is personal and a big part of my business. It instills trust and builds relationship quicker. It can also save time, as people will know if they want to work with you or not. My smile is my brand but doesn't convey well in a simple email. It's also different than all other salespeople who've not even figured this out yet. Plus, I enjoy it!”
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BARRIE, ONTARIO
“I've been able to close some fairly large and important deals, and I've been able to get the attention of some fairly high-level authority figures (in my world, anyway) that otherwise would have been very difficult to communicate with. Video has made a huge difference in my ability to communicate in an effective and engaging way that gets real, tangible results.”
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GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN
“It allows me to communicate with people and it feels more personal because they see my face. When I meet them in person, I notice they are so much more relaxed in themselves than if I did a normal email. We sent videos while we were doing missions overseas and were able to show our supporters exactly where we were and the kids we were interacting with. It made fundraising overseas so much easier. Now I use it a lot to communicate with coworkers and to get RSVPs for events.”
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PARKER, COLORADO
“It's all about building trust with people you don't know or don't know very well. Personal video has the ability to cut through the clutter and noise consumers are bombarded with and puts a face and a voice with a name.”
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LA JOLLA, CALIFORNIA
“Video gives me a fantastic way to stay connected, to solidify relationships, and to build new ones because of the eye-to-eye conversation. Since using video, I have become one of the top recruiters in my company and I absolutely can say 100% that personal video plays a role in that. My customers appreciate the personal messages!”
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HUNTINGTON BEACH, CALIFORNIA
“Video has provided me with the ability to make clients and potential clients feel important and that I care. I recently had coffee with a client who recently was promoted to Executive Director of the nonprofit where he began as a part time worker. He shared with me that he got many messages of congratulations. The one that meant the most to him was my video email. It made him feel important because in the midst of my busy travel schedule I took the time to send him a personal message. When watching the video, he felt like I was talking to him live in person.”
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FEDERAL WAY, WASHINGTON
The themes are obvious. This new way to communicate, connect, and convert is more personal than the status quo's faceless messages. Simple video builds trust and relationships. This is the foundation for sales acceleration and better customer experience.
THE STATS, CLAIMS, AND HYPE TO IGNORE
Over the years, we've seen all kinds of hyperbolic statistics about video come and go. I've even cited one or two of them myself (I blame youthful ignorance). The use of these stats and claims is like the use of inflammatory political memes on Facebook in that they don't serve anyone well and hinder substantial, meaningful conversation. So, let's go beyond the hype …
A Minute of Video Is Not Worth 1.8 Million Words
The trope goes like this: if a picture is worth a thousand words and a video is 30 frames per second, then video is like 30,000 words per second. This book contains a mere tens of thousands of words—let's say it's 60,000 words long. If a minute of video was worth 1.8 million words, we'd be able to deliver the entirety of the contents of this book to you in two seconds of video. That's ridiculous.
Video Does Not Produce a 200–300% Increase in Click-through Rate
This one is still being trotted out after making an appearance in a 2008 Forrester report. Rather than being an actual, measured result, it's completely anecdotal. I used it back in 2009 when there were no real stats and few real video email practitioners. There's absolutely no reason to use it today. Expect increases in engagement when you use video, but don't expect a tripling or quadrupling unless you're adding the video play itself to your other link clicks. Video provides human connection, not magic.
It Doesn't Matter That 82% of All Consumer Internet Traffic Will Be Video
The Cisco forecast that 82% of all consumer internet traffic will be video is solid, but using this statistic as an argument that you should be using video is foolish. Video is dramatically larger in file size than audio, photos, and graphics, which are dramatically larger in file size than text. As the image quality of videos continues to improve, gaps in traffic volume will grow even larger as it'll require even more bandwidth. Further, video's share of consumer internet traffic is driven far more by binging all nine seasons of The Office on Netflix, crushing hours of FailArmy videos on YouTube, and hosting billions of hours of commercial and residential security video recordings than it is by sending thousands of 52-second videos to prospects, customers, and team members.
Your Communication May Be 93% Nonverbal
You see this statistic on nonverbal communciation everywhere, not just around the topic of video. It comes from a flawed interpretation of two studies by UCLA Professor Emeritus of Psychology Albert Mehrabian with Morton Wiener and Susan Ferris in the late 1960s. In the “liking” or positive effects of a spoken message, 55% is attributed to facial cues, 38% to vocal qualities, and just 7% to the words themselves. Among the flaws of the statistics on spoken messages and the way they are popularly used are the following:
- This 55/38/7 split was produced by blending the results of two separate studies.
- In Mehrabian's own words, “Numerical values in this equation are only approximate.”3
- Participants were all female; only half of our population was represented, and only a small group of women.
- Instead of being included in the context of a phrase, sentence, or real conversation, words were spoken individually; the women were reacting to just a single, spoken word like “brute” and “maybe,” delivered in 15 different emotional tones. This was an artificial setting.
- Current research designed specifically to get at the humanizing effects of face and voice rather than text alone assigns equal or greater weight to voice.4
There's much to be learned from Mehrabian's work, but the takeaway that the words you choose don't matter very much isn't one of them. You don't need misinterpreted and misused research findings to know that your face and voice make your messages more effective.
Don't get confused or excited by claims being thrown around about video in your business. It's as simple as this: if you want to restore a human element to your business, if you want to save time by talking instead of typing, and if you want to build real relationships even when you can't get together in person, personal video as we've pioneered it with and through our customers is for you.
THE ONE QUESTION TO ASK YOURSELF
This style of video requires no production budget, special equipment, or specialized skills. You may be using videos on your website, in blog posts, in social media, and in other places, but this book isn't about broadcasting to large audiences and racking up anonymous video plays. We'll cover the basics of creating videos, but we won't reveal the secrets to becoming a zillionaire “YouTuber” or a paid Instagram “influencer.”
What's unique here and what we're focused on are simple webcam and smartphone videos recorded and sent directly to the people who matter most to the success of your business or organization. These videos aren't to be compared to produced, polished, or “professional” videos. Instead, the proper point of comparison is the plain text you'd otherwise rely on to communicate that message.
So, the question to ask before you next click “Send” on a faceless message is, Would I be more effective if I looked my customer or colleague in the eye and communicated with a personal video?