From Stranger to Client: Using Video to Build Trust Before the First Meeting

Have you ever wanted to warm up your prospects before meeting with them so you know them better, and they know you better? Here’s a tip that we use and teach our clients, which I believe will help you a ton. You can precondition prospects through a video series before they meet with you.?

In our funnels, when someone books an appointment with me, they receive two or three emails confirming the call. Included in these emails is a link to a video from me.

The first video typically covers my background, our company, why we do what we do, and how we do it. It introduces who we are as a company and who I am as a person, helping prospects bond with me and understand my ethos and how I operate.?

The second video delves into our process, explaining in detail how we help clients create a book without writing a single word in under 24 hours of their time. This video is longer but very compelling as it answers many of the questions prospects have in mind.?

The third video reveals our programs and pricing. We disclose this information to our prospects before we ever meet with them for several reasons. First, it builds great trust, which is crucial. When you are transparent, prospects do not come into the meeting expecting to be pressured into buying something. We provide them with all the necessary information upfront, which preconditions them. In that video, I also mention that if creating a book is a larger investment than they expected or if they are not ready to make such an investment, they should go ahead and cancel the call. I want them to be ready to discuss their business and strategies and how we can help them grow their business.

This approach of preconditioning prospects before the call using a structured series of videos is something we teach our clients. Consider using video in your pre-appointment funnels to precondition your prospects. Help them get to know you, like you, and trust you. Explain who you are, what your company is about, how you serve people, and what they should expect from the appointment. Is the first appointment a casual conversation? Is there an agenda? Clarify this for them. No one wants to walk into a dark room where they don’t know where the lights or furniture are. You want someone who can guide them through that room, giving them an idea of what will happen in that first meeting.

When you precondition prospects this way, you will find that they show up for the sales call already knowing, liking, and trusting you. A lot of their questions will have been answered, leaving only a few more for the actual meeting. This approach shortens the sales cycle, makes sales calls more productive, and helps you win clients faster because you have given them information and time with you in advance. Remember, the more time someone spends with you, the more likely they are to spend money with you because they will like you. If they don’t like you during the preconditioning, they won’t like you during the sales meeting and won’t buy from you.

Reveal yourself to them. Don’t try to present one face during preconditioning and show up as something else. Always be yourself. Use video preconditioning to build trust, confidence, and credibility. Few people do this, and it’s a missed opportunity to connect with your prospects before meeting them. This way, the first sales call feels like a second or third call for them emotionally and intellectually, because you’ve already given them a lot of information and answered many of their questions. They already like you.