3 Reasons Why Visualization is the Ultimate Sales Tool
As a digital marketer, visualization has always fallen under my domain. I’ve been involved with over 10 different web, augmented reality and virtual reality visualizers. Everything from a web visualizer for TimberTech pavers, to the first augmented reality deck visualizer for AZEK, to virtual reality kitchen designers for Lowe’s and Toll Brothers. .
Visualization is often considered a marketing effort, as it should be. But, there is a huge opportunity that is often missed - which is the massive benefit it brings to the sales team. For every website i’ve managed, the visualizer has been the top lead generator. The most exciting “marketing tool” that sales reps call me about is visualization tools.
Companies tend to launch these great visualizers on the website without getting the full potential out of them. It’s not uncommon to follow this formula - promote to homeowners, gather the leads and send them out.
You want to see a quicker and larger ROI? Train your sales reps. Give them the tools and ability to help their customers visualize their projects. It will change your business. I guarantee it.
Now let’s step back for a minute. What is the purpose of visualization?
At its core, visualization is all about inspiration. Depending on where the end user is on the path to purchase, visualization can look very different.
To keep it simple, our path to purchase starts at Consideration and ends with Purchase.
For example, those closer to “consideration” will be inspired by glamour photos. Installed photos of your product. They see the best applications and begin dreaming what the product will look like on their home. This is valuable content for your website and social media.
As they move closer to “purchase” they will want to see product visualization. That could be free product samples or a simple web visualizer that allows a user to change color and profiles.
The most powerful visualization is personalized visualization.
Personalized visualization is when you see the product in your space. That could be visualizing the product with augmented reality in your home, or using a web visualizer to see that product on your home. This is what moves a consumer from consideration to purchase the fastest. Once they see it in their home or on their home, it’s only a matter of time before they purchase.
For this post, we are going to focus on personalized visualization and talk about why it’s the ultimate sales tool.
1. The ultimate lead generator. Web visualization is the ultimate lead generator…if used correctly. There are multiple factors to consider when gathering and qualifying your leads.
Should the experience be gated? Requiring a user to create an account before using the tool provides more leads, but they aren’t qualified. Plus, information is currency these days. Consumers want to see value before giving contact information. You may be losing users. If your tool is valuable, you’ll get the lead. There are many factors that go into whether or not to gate your experience. I’ve done both.
How long did the user spend in your tool? This is one that’s often left out - from both the manufacturer and the vendor building the visualizer. The more data the better. Demand to have as much data as possible. If you know that it takes on average 10-15 minutes to visualize product on a home or build out a deck - then every session that is below 5 minutes IS NOT A QUALIFIED LEAD. But it is valuable data. They were either just curious, or your visualizer tool needs improved UX (user experience). The visualizer is too difficult, users are getting stuck and simply quit. Pay attention to these users and the data, but don’t send them out as “qualified leads”. Place them in your lead nurturing campaign and/or have internal sales follow-up and better qualify them. Simultaneously, improve your visualizer! Continuous improvement is the game and data is the key to winning. (I should trademark that).
Continuous improvement is the game and data is the key to winning.
If you need strategic help in how to best generate and nurture your leads - let’s talk.
2. The ultimate customer service tool. Pay attention here, because this is often overlooked. Providing your customers with a visualization of the end project is a simple, quick and inexpensive deliverable that instantly provides incredible value to the customer. Your customer will be so thankful and impressed by what you are offering. It builds trust with your brand.
Every marketing employee, inside sales rep and outside sales rep should be comfortable using the visualizer tool. No excuses. It should be a required training. Take it a step further and designate key people in your company to support your outside sales reps in visualizing projects for their customers. Reps should be focused on selling and have the ability to use a visualizer on simple projects. More custom or larger projects should be sent to internal employees that can support the efforts.
Another option is to charge for this service, and offer rebates after they purchase the product. What serious buyer wouldn’t pay $50 to get a personalized visualization, with the guarantee that they would get it back if they make a purchase.
Look for ways to take away the barriers of getting your product on their home. Visualizing your product in or on their home is the quickest way to move them down the path to purchase.
3. The ultimate closer. Ask any contractor, builder or sales rep. Seeing is believing. If they can show what the end project will look like, it’s the ultimate closer. You have wow’ed them with your customer service, with your ability to inspire, educate and “see” their dream come to life. It will be incredibly difficult for them to walk away from that.
I’ve seen and heard of hundreds of deals being closed thanks to visualization. It should be a key tool on every sales reps tool belt. It works.
As a marketing team, it’s your job to eliminate the barriers and make it simple for reps to use this ultimate sales tool. It’s one of the best ways to build the relationship between sales and marketing. We all want that, don’t we? Teamwork makes the dreamwork. Corny, but it’s vital to the success of your company. Sales and Marketing must work together and support each other. Visualization is one of the best bridges for that.