Online presentation tools for the next normal

Presentation Tools

Which online presentation tools are most effective for sellers and buyers? After all, 80% of sales tools are designed to help sellers be more productive. Most of these productivity tools are used solely to benefit the seller. And that’s fine, but to what extent do prospects or customers also benefit from digital tools?

Since the start of the pandemic, we’ve been testing many new sales tools. We’d like to highlight a few standout tools that improve digital engagement and virtual presentations. We’ll do this by answering a few questions and sharing our own experiences, including the pros and cons.

1 – Vidyard

Vidyard is the all-in-one video platform for hosting, sending, and managing personalized videos to increase conversion rates. The video platform can be used for marketing, sales, or internal communication. Thanks to its various integrations with marketing automation and CRM systems such as SalesForce, Salesloft, and HubSpot, the platform also has the maturity needed to track the ROI of video in relation to leads and opportunities in the pipeline.

2 – VideoAsk

VideoAsk is a video solution for engaging with customers in an interactive way. Examples include video recruitment, where the initial screening takes place asynchronously, generic surveys, or a referral marketing program designed to boost engagement through VideoAsk’s interactive approach.

3- Pitch.com

Pitch is the future of “PowerPoint.” It’s a collaboration platform designed to enhance the interactivity and speed of presentations. It’s truly an all-in-one collaborative presentation platform with excellent integration of video messaging as part of the platform. In addition, it offers hundreds of templates to help you get up and running as quickly as possible.

4- Mmhmm app

The mmhmm app is a virtual camera that gives you complete control over your presentation. You do this by accessing the files on your PC and presenting them simultaneously while you remain the center of attention.

5 – Riverside

Riverside is a podcast production platform for everyone, regardless of their technical background. It allows you to capture high-quality recordings very quickly and without any training. In addition, the sound quality is excellent because Riverside records audio locally and uploads it to the cloud only after the recording is complete.

How did the platform add value to our sales approach?

Vidyard: With a team of 5, we’ve created more than 1,000 personalized videos in 18 months, and it has especially helped us with prospecting. At Vidyard, calling prospects after sending a video has been 5 times more effective than any other form of prospecting. We can measure almost everything, and it has helped us understand the quality of our pitch by analyzing the data.

VideoAsk: We created more than 50 VideoAsk sequences for various scenarios, and two of them were directly related to our sales approach:

1 – The use of lead forms in combination with video.

2 – To increase referrals and recommendations by launching a video series.

Pitch: It took us less time to customize a presentation with Pitch than with PowerPoint. Thanks to its intuitive look and feel, we felt like experts within an hour. Videos are embedded in the cloud, so we didn’t have any “sound issues” when we shared a video in our presentation.

Mmhmm: Time and time again, our clients are impressed by the interactivity and diversity of this platform. Unlike most platforms, you really remain an integral part of the presentation. Because let’s be honest: “the moment you choose to screen-share, it’s all about the content you’re showing, and you disappear from the scene as a salesperson.” This is what mmhmm has put an end to for us. We’re able to keep attention fully focused by personalizing to the extreme.

Riverside: The platform lets us edit podcasts very quickly in a format that really resonates right away. After a recording, we’re able to send a demo within 5 minutes that the client would feel comfortable posting on LinkedIn right away. That says it all…

Why is the platform valuable to prospects or customers?

Vidyard: Most people who watched the personalized video enjoyed the experience. Receiving an asynchronous video offers “freedom” of choice—it’s the buyer who decides when to watch, when to stop watching, or when to share your video with other stakeholders.

“Many people felt like they already knew us before we started a digital presentation or workshop”

VideoAsk: Two important reasons for us:

1 – Using video to encourage users to download a white paper.

You can build trust before someone downloads a white paper or e-book—and let’s be honest, how likely is it that your content will actually be read after it’s downloaded? Show your best side right from the start.

2 – To increase referrals and recommendations by launching a video series.

Customers appreciate the personal touch without having to respond right away.

Pitch: The buyer gets more value because the seller can provide a better experience.

Mmhmm: This app gives your audience the entertainment value needed to truly turn digital meetings into an experience.

Riverside: The platform is very user-friendly, so it doesn't feel overwhelming—it just feels like a different kind of video call.

How can you get started quickly?

Vidyard: Instant gratification helps people embrace change. So start with a happy birthday video, invitations to an event, or a thank-you video after a good conversation with someone you already know—and make a short 20- to 30-second video.

“Salespeople will keep doing what they’ve always done, even if they’re not satisfied with the results.” Why? Because unknown success is much more painful than known failure.

VideoAsk: Create short, 30-second trailer videos to encourage visitors to download the white paper or e-book from your website, before prompting your audience to take further action. A little further down the line, you can create 1-minute videos that focus on summarizing the value of downloading the white paper.

Pitch: Theflexibility given to respondents when answering a video-based question—you can choose between video, audio, and text. Convert your PowerPoint presentation to Pitch (on the Pitch platform) and track every interaction with your presentation. It only takes 1 minute to set up.

Mmhmm: Create a free account and set up the following:

• Find your place in virtual space
• Set the background for your space just as you would for Teams, Meet, or Zoom
• Show your PowerPoint presentation in the room

Riverside: The platform costs a few tens of euros a month, and you can basically do everything you need to record podcasts right away. The easiest way to get started is to simply swap out one of your Zoom or Teams calls for a Riverside call and click “Record.” Then, see for yourself just how easily you can edit the recordings afterward.

What is its most distinctive feature?

Vidyard: Its integration with Outlook, Google, LinkedIn, Salesforce, the desktop version, the Chrome extension, the Android app, and the iPhone app makes it easy to use the platform. Vidyard is simply integrated everywhere.

VideoAsk: Create short, 30-second trailer videos to encourage visitors to download the white paper or e-book from your website, before prompting your audience to take further action. A little later in the sales cycle, you can opt to create 1-minute videos—for example, by summarizing a white paper in context.

Pitch:A combination of presentations and online meetings for highly interactive workshops.

Before:

Zoom and PowerPoint.

After:

So using just Pitch could now also be an option.

Mmhmm: The flexibility I have to set up the virtual environment. It gives me maximum freedom to present things exactly the way I want to, without ever losing contact with the audience. Zoom has also recently added the option to use a virtual camera in combination with PowerPoint, but mmhmm offers 10 more options.

Riverside: The ease with which you can record a podcast without any technical knowledge is amazingly simple. And the ease with which you can literally cut someone out of the recording afterward is really great for Q&A podcasts. Highly recommended for anyone who’s all thumbs.

What areas need improvement?

Vidyard:The platform has a feature for cropping videos, but we prefer to trim videos on our phone or using the Videoleap app before uploading them. It’s just faster for us—and probably for you, too.

VideoAsk: Almost “perfect” in terms of functionality, but it does come with a few things to keep in mind. Make sure you’re standing exactly in the center when recording videos for VideoAsk. Horizontal videos are always displayed vertically, so be sure to be prepared—check your microphone, check your camera, check the lighting, and make sure you’re standing in the center… check.

Pitch:The video features are still in beta, and we’re waiting for a few improvements, but the platform is relatively new, and they’re rolling out features at a pace we’ve never seen before. So if I were to make a suggestion, this article would be outdated within a week. Check out their list of features to see what’s coming.

Mmhmm: The image quality is just a tad less sharp than what I’m used to on video calls. Even with a green screen, it’s just not quite as good without meticulous configuration. But if you have a dedicated home office, it’s definitely worth the effort to get everything perfectly tuned. If, on the other hand, you have a flexible workspace (even within your home), I think it’s a risk.

Riverside: The platform is currently focused primarily on streamlining the production process. What’s still missing is the flexibility to adjust the frames the way we do during a video call—deciding where you want to see whom, and making it easier to look someone in the eye during a recording by positioning the frames closer to the camera.

The Future

There are dozens of other tools vying for a unique position in the digital landscape. We expect that many of these solutions will eventually be available as add-ons within Zoom, Teams, and Meet. At the same time, the leaders in this category will try to maintain their unique position as standalone solutions by building comparable features themselves.

Check out our ten digital presentation tips for salespeople to put the finishing touches on your presentation.