SalesMail Blog

You might pour your heart and soul into creating a great SalesMail for your potential future residents, but after a week they still haven't watched it. This can be a brutal experience, and too many of us have experienced it.

That's why today's episode is all about earning the click on your video - we're tackling strategies to help you stand out in the inbox and get your recipients interested in what you have to say. Specifically, we're dialing in on optimizing the first three seconds of your video, which show up as a preview to your SalesMail in your recipients' inbox.

Today's first lesson comes from the one, the only, Captain Skipper. His words, first uttered in the 2005 movie, Madagascar, ring powerfully true today.

"Just smile and wave, boys. Smile and wave."

People like personal connections. A smile and wave humanizes us (the ones sending the SalesMail) and makes the recipient feel acknowledged, which creates a sense of personal connection, even in a virtual setting.

This ‘smile and wave’ approach is great for all kinds of previews. It's great for... 

• As you start your virtual tour, just a little wave as you introduce yourself and the property 
• Sending an introductory email to a potential future resident 
• Announcing availabilities and events (like this guy, don’t include in video just for reference) 

While a smile and wave is effective, there are many other attention-grabbing ways to connect. Here are some examples: if you're sending a SalesMail to...

• a coffee fanatic, you can ‘cheers’ them with your morning cup of joe
• an animal lover, you can hold your dog (or cat) in your arms or on your lap
• a foodie, you can hold out a fresh baked pastry from the cafeteria or a nearby bakery  

Whiteboard option 

Another option involves a tool so powerful; it might as well have a cape: the whiteboard!

You should put 1-5 words on the whiteboard to keep the words large and readable. The goal for the whiteboard is to be read quickly while providing the necessary context; so that your viewer quickly picks up on the point of the email without getting distracted by a hard-to-read paragraph.

Despite the "rules" I laid out above, try to not overthink this part, especially if you’re sending a custom SalesMail. Just putting your recipient's name on the whiteboard shows that this video is just for them! A custom video is more likely to be clicked because it feels personal and tailored, showing the recipient that you value their individual attention.

One more thing: 

But here’s the cool thing about video: your choices are infinite. You can connect with people in all kinds of different ways to make them feel special. I know one leasing agent who goes above and beyond by writing his potential future residents’ name on a massive whiteboard before he starts recording.

Challenge: think about the experience of whoever receives that video. The first thing they see in an email is their own name written as big as a wall! In that moment, they're made to feel special (because they are) by being personally recognized in a unique way.

Ask yourself...

"How can I captivate curiosity?"

I’ve given you examples to do just that, but the real magic happens when you get out there, experiment, and put your own unique and personal spin on it. 

So what are you waiting for?! Go out and make some magic happen!