How Much Sales Communication is Too Much?

At the top of a recent article titled “Attitudes Toward Information Signal Buying Effectiveness,” Gartner analyst Hank Barnes billboards this alarming headline

43% of Buyers Feel Strongly That Volume of Information Overwhelming

The feeling captured in the headline emerged in Gartner’s studies of how organizations with different psychographic profiles think about enterprise technology adoption.

“Too much information” is something we’re all familiar with. But, besides the overwhelmed 43%, the data also distinguished a group of technology buyers who actually craves more information.

IT-led buying teams want more information

What these technology buying teams have in common is that they are IT-led, or exhibit good cooperation between IT and the business. “They want the details; they want to understand keys to successful implementation; they want checklists; and more,” Barnes writes. In other words, they’re not at all averse to getting down in the weeds.

Gartner data shows that sellers who can satisfy this information, are the ones who usually end up with more “high-quality deals.” The conclusion: “Good information is valuable. Understanding the desire and comfort that buyer team members have with information may be even more valuable.” So, here is also a big opportunity to outshine competitors by providing welcome information more efficiently and effectively. Video has a lot to offer.

Weed whacking video professionals

Many companies concentrate most of the video budget on product introductions, testimonials, thought leadership, and branding videos with fairly high production values. Purely “informational” videos that venture into “the weeds” (demos, webinars, tech talks, etc.) and frequently talk the viewer through long stretches where there is little or no action happening on-screen. This doesn’t necessarily make them boring or unwatchable. But companies who can make these trips into the weeds less of a slog will gain a competitive advantage.

While non-professionals can use today’s video tools to create amazingly entertaining and useful videos at little or no cost, crafting a first-rate video takes editing, skills, and a substantial time investment. It’s not feasible, or economical, to expect salespeople and subject-matter experts to do it consistently.

You may be surprised at how economical it can be to work with video professionals. They can take advantage of lots of experience working with limited budgets to tell stories concisely and visually — even deep “in the weeds.”