What Do Prospects Find When They Look Up Your Leadership?

Think about the last time you chose a vendor or partner for something that mattered. Chances are you checked out the leadership. And if you found a video of that person speaking with confidence about how they think and how they work, something clicked. You felt like you knew them before you'd shaken their hand.

So what do your prospects find when they look you up?

What Are Prospects Looking For When They Look Up Your Leadership?

They're trying to answer one question: can I trust the people running this company with my money and my reputation?

A headshot and a bio paragraph can't answer that. Neither can a LinkedIn profile last updated three jobs ago. Buyers want to see how you think, how you talk about their problems, and whether you sound like someone they'd want on the other side of the table when something goes wrong.

If all they find is a stock-looking photo and a bio from 2019, you've left trust on the table, and in a close decision that can be enough to lose.

Why Does Visible Leadership Tip Close Deals?

In deals where two or three companies can all do the work, buyers lean toward the one whose leadership they feel they already know.

The research backs this up. In the 2025 Edelman-LinkedIn B2B Thought Leadership Impact Report, a survey of nearly 2,000 business decision-makers, 53% said brand recognition matters less when a company's thought leadership is strong. 79% said they're more likely to champion a vendor in the RFP process if it consistently publishes quality thought leadership (Demand Gen Report summary of the Edelman-LinkedIn study).

That first number matters most for smaller firms. Strong thought leadership narrows the gap with bigger, better-known names, and buyers can only weigh it if they've heard your leaders think out loud.

Why Video, and Not Just a Bio or a Written Post?

Video is the closest thing to meeting in person without being in the room.

A written post shows what you think. Video shows how you think: your tone, your pace, your conviction, the way you handle a hard question. That's what buyers are actually trying to read when they look you up.

It also scales in a way meetings can't. One recording session can put you in front of thousands of prospects, in cities you've never visited, while you're doing something else entirely.

Do You Have to Be Polished on Camera?

No. You have to sound like yourself, and good coaching gets you there.

Most leaders freeze up because they're talking to a lens. So in my sessions, I play your customer. You answer the questions a real buyer would ask, the way you would in a meeting. Sessions are capped at about 60 minutes. Being on camera is more tiring than it looks, and after about an hour people simply run out of energy, and it shows in their voice and face. So we stop while you still look and sound fresh.

And here's the encouraging part: the bar is low. Most of your competitors' leaders are invisible online, so simply showing up puts you ahead.

What Should Executive Video Actually Cover?

The best executive video answers the questions buyers already have about you.

• Where your industry is heading, and what you think most people are getting wrong about it.
• How you approach the work, in plain language a buyer can repeat to their boss.
• The questions your sales team hears every week, answered by the person whose name is on the door.
• What you won't do, which tells buyers as much as what you will.
• Why the company exists, in your own words.

Every item on that list comes down to point of view. The same Edelman-LinkedIn research found 86% of decision-makers favor perspectives that challenge their assumptions.

Is One Video Enough?

One video is a start. A steady series is what makes buyers feel they know you.

The familiarity that tips a deal comes from repetition: seeing the same leader, saying the same core things, week after week. We go deeper on that in Why Does a Video Series Outperform One-Off Videos?.

Where Do You Start?

Start by looking yourself up the way a prospect would.

• Search your name and your company's name. What comes up on the first page?
• Open your LinkedIn profile as a stranger. Is there anything there that shows how you think?
• Check your website's About page. Is there a single video of anyone in leadership speaking?

If the honest answer is a headshot and a bio, that's the gap. You can close it with one well-run session. Before you book it, decide who approves the final cut. Naming that person up front keeps good footage from stalling in a review loop. Our Launch Pack ships a camera, mic, and light to your office, and we record together remotely.

If you'd rather talk it through first, that's what the free 30-minute Blueprint Call is for. We'll look at what prospects see when they look you up, and where the gap is. Book a free Blueprint Call here.

Most of your competitors' leaders are invisible. Once buyers know yours, that advantage is very hard for anyone to take away.

Jim England, Founder, Maverick Marketing