Don't let quarantine stop you from making sales.

Anyone who is used to doing business face-to-face might be wondering how they can take customer relationships and sales online.

While the entire world is "social distancing" right now, the country is looking for ways to stay connected and keep some semblance of normalcy.

Using video is the perfect solution to maintaining relationships with customers and offering solutions for them to purchase.

When used correctly, video can be a really effective tool for both retail and service-based businesses.

Here are 6 suggestions for any business who wants to use video to sell online:

• Done is better than perfect
• Tell a story
• Keep it brief
• Suggest an action
• Keep it simple
• Plant the seeds

Sasha Gray of Scattered Sasha is a life and business coach, author, and speaker. She started her Facebook page over 8 years ago and grew her following to over 261,000 using weekly live videos to nurture her audience.

In this video interview, Sasha and I talk to in-person brick-and-mortar retail and service-based businesses who need to quickly take their business online due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

Done is better than perfect

Unless you've been doing video consistently for a period of time or you have a budget for video, it's perfectly fine to use whatever equipment you have.

Your audience doesn't expect you to be perfect. In fact, data shows that audiences favor authentic videos over the more scripted versions.

Don't apologize to your audience. Stay confident in your message.

And remember, people can't act or react to a message they haven't seen or heard. So just hit publish already.

Tell A Story

One of the most-asked questions I get from clients regarding any of their content is — "But what do I talk about?"

Any business using video to engage an audience or to generate interest in something they're selling can boost engagement by using a story to viewers and relate it to the product or service at hand.

What makes video so effective is the ability to incorporate personality and facial expression into the communication.

Let's say you are a children's boutique. If you want to use video to sell baby gear, for example, don't just point the camera at the product and spout the features and benefits of the item.

That's pretty boring content for any viewer. What you might do instead is offer a colorful story about a customer who's used the product and how they have benefitted. Maybe you have a story to share about how or why you chose to offer this product in your store. Perhaps there is a unique feature that you can describe how it changes the lives of buyers.

Think about the reasons you stop the scroll and what you find interesting. How can you incorporate that into your videos?

Keep It Brief

On any given day, people are exposed to anywhere between 5,000 and 10,000 marketing messages.

You have a very brief window of time to engage with a viewer who stops to watch your video, so keep it short and sweet.

If you have a lengthy topic, consider breaking that topic into multiple shorter videos, narrowing your content as best as you can.

Suggest an action

Most sellers assume the audience will infer an action from their video.

The human brain is an interesting specimen. You would think that after watching a video highlighting a product or service, viewers would understand that they are invited to purchase.

This is not the case.

Issue an invitation to viewers when you want your audience to take an action.

Whether the invitation is "click here" or "email me at" or "visit my website," you need to be clear on that next step with you.

Keep it Simple

When you are selling online using video, it is important to eliminate all obstacles to the purchase process.

The easier it is for viewers to initiate and complete the purchase process, the more sales you will make.

Consider your last online purchase.

How many steps were involved? How easy was it for you to enter your payment information and click "buy now?"

Whenever you have the opportunity to keep platform changes to a minimum, eliminate clicks, and reduce the amount of information a customer provides, the easier it will be to make sales from your videos.

Plant Seeds

Whether you are using video online to make sales or to stay engaged with your customers, any seeds you plant right now will sprout and grow when the economic conditions improve.

People are paying attention right now. They notice who is showing up, who is serving customers, and who is being a resource whenever they can.

So remember, even if you aren't making money right now, this will soon be over. And when the disaster is past, there is a bright shiny new day where all the seeds you planted have blossomed into beautiful flowers.