▶ Leveraging YouTube for Better Networking
YouTube’s Impact on Business Relationships
From what we’ve seen with our clients at Playstack and in general, having an established YouTube presence creates multiple advantages in networking and sales:
Better First Impressions
When you meet someone who’s already watched your content, you start from a position of familiarity. They’ve heard your voice, seen your presentation style, and been exposed to your ideas. This immediately changes the tone of the conversation from sceptical to collaborative.
More Efficient Meetings
YouTube-educated prospects typically come to meetings with more advanced questions. They’ve already learned the basics from your videos, so you can skip past introductory explanations and have more productive discussions about specific solutions.
Higher Trust Levels
There’s something uniquely trust-building about video content. When prospects see consistent, helpful content from you over time, they develop a sense of knowing you personally. By the time you meet face-to-face, that trust transfers to the in-person relationship.
Smoother Sales Conversations
For businesses using YouTube effectively, we have noticed that price objections tend to decrease, and conversations focus more on implementation details rather than whether the service is worth the investment. The “convince me” phase of selling becomes considerably shorter as you are basically pre-qualified.
These make it so much easier to make networking more productive, especially at conferences where you meet hundreds of people.
Content Opportunities Everywhere
One major advantage I see on this trip is how travel and conferences create content opportunities that are harder to find at home around the same crowd
The main reason I'm in Australia is to attend DMA Sydney, a two-day event that we attended on Gold Coast late last year, which was a big success for us in sales.
I then added a few extra days to this trip in a few other cities to meet with clients, old friends, peers, and prospects.
I'm looking forward to creating content to document but also in-person interviews with clients, at the conference and just on-the-spot content as I get inspired while traveling.
Who I’m Meeting With On This Trip
During this trip, I’m connecting with a few people:
- Existing Clients: Meet face-to-face with clients in Melbourne. I’ve noticed that in-person meetings tend to strengthen relationships, something that's a lot harder to achieve online. This reduces churn in the business.
- Potential Prospects: We have conducted several meetings in Sydney with businesses that have expressed interest in our services. As well as further away in Queensland, people appreciate the effort you put in making it all the way to them.
- Industry Connections: Catching up with peers and industry friends. These connections often lead to unexpected opportunities and collaborations.
Balancing Business, Content, and Family
On a personal note, juggling this business trip with FaceTime calls to my 2-year-old daughter has been a poignant reminder of why documentation is essential. These trips not only create business growth but also create memories and milestones worth capturing.
I began my career by documenting and capturing my travels, which had been things I hadn't done in a while. Pushing myself to create content has had a consistently positive impact on everything I've done in my career, including founding Playstack.
I even watch my old videos like a diary. So, keep an eye out for more content coming to my channel.
Finding time between meetings and work to create content isn’t always easy, but remembering that today’s quick video could be tomorrow’s big opportunity keeps me motivated.
P.S. Has YouTube presence ever given you or someone you know an edge in a business meeting? Please let me know by simply responding to this email - I read (and reply to) all the emails we receive.
P.P.S. Thank you to the receptionist at the hotel for checking me in at 6 am after my overnight flight, which left me exhausted.
