Video production for Corporate entities is a client orientated task. This can sometimes become a logic battle between what will work best for the paying business and what they are requesting. If you create a video for advertising their product and it does not increase sales then a lot is to blame. It can be unlikely that anyone hires you again. On the other hand, if you do not offer the services they want it is rare that you will get the job in the first place. Everyone with a camera wants to make well crafted, powerful videos but your goal is to make the client happy. Here are a few insights to offering the client a valid presentation.  Make it effective for their needs and something works as a piece your company will be proud to have in their portfolio.

Subject Expertise – Show your client that you know what you are talking about. This may mean hiring outside consultants but most professionals in any field have a knowledge in many subjects.  Get to know the people you work with and their company. Learn all you can about that industry including history, competitors, benefits, and dangers. Express this knowledge to your client. You should do this both directly to reassure them you are the right company for the job. Be indirect by including the facts you know in the work. Of course, you will not have the same specialty as the client company but you should be in the same ballpark. On that same note remember that your client might not be as tech-savvy as you. Try to steer away from too much terminology they might be unfamiliar with.  You don’t need to baby it down but keep it in plain English. However, you should prepare to talk at lengths about the aspects of the video industry in case they ask. There are for more video production enthusiasts now than a couple decades ago.

Evaluation – During the pitch, your company needs to present a direct line between costs and increasing your client’s profits. There are many valid reasons companies should be paying for professionally made corporate videos. It is your job to reveal these facts to them. What type of advertising they will need depends on the product or services the client offers. Find out what types they have tried before and how well those worked. Show how the types of advertising you are proposing have worked before.  Non-promotional videos created for internal use are ones you can persuade for saving money. The details include training or cost prevention. Make sure to give an actual number in your presentation. This means getting to know the size of the client’s company which should most likely be public information.

Proposal – Try to have an in-person Meeting with your client. If you visit their offices then be professional and bring all the appropriate parties you might need. Bring your own instruments for display unless you have prior knowledge of their equipment. If you host a meeting then go out of the way to make your clients feel welcomed. If you do the meeting online then make sure your connections are proper and the client can view any materials ahead of time. In person, meetings go a long way and people still feel most comfortable with a handshake to seal the deal.

At the end of the day, things are what they are. You could have the greatest presentation with rock-solid numbers and still not get the job. This is just how business is done. People have their preferences and sometimes they are just fishing the waters for alternate possibilities. Without any real intention of moving forward on them. Sometimes a business is just too new and cannot afford professionally made videos yet. Be professional and sincere and keep possibilities of future communication open.