A Producer's Guide to Getting Results in Corporate Video
Russ Jolly,co-owner - PixelPops Design, LLC
Seminar Description: Learn how to understand a business client's needs to successfully bid, win and produce corporate video. From training videos to marketing videos to corporate events, discover the skills you need to get profitable results in the corporate market. Russ Jolly, co-owner of PixelPops Design and award-winning writer/producer/director of numerous corporate videos, will share tips and tricks that he employs from the very first contact with a potential client through post-production and delivery. If you've ever wondered "How much should I charge for a corporate video?" or "How do I find and book these kinds of corporate jobs?" then this is the seminar for you… Topics include: first contact, discovery, budgeting, scripting, project management, production. Discover the secrets to breaking through in this rewarding market!

Seminar Overview
The Mindset
The Opportunity
Examples of Videos Businesses Need
How to go about Getting the Business
The Key to Success
The First Contact
The Discovery Meeting
The Proposal
The Proposal Presentation
The Contract
Project Management
Case Studies

Seminar Goal
Gain confidence booking and producing videos in corporate market.

Brief Background of Information Source
The information presented in this seminar comes from my own experience as a producer/director of a variety of corporate videos as well as my experience as an established event videographer. I am sharing information as it has worked for me. These are my opinions/my experiences. Results may vary!

PixelPops is probably more known among videographers for Photoshop training/software, web design, or as association award winners Blue Sky Media Group. What many event videographers may not know is that corporate video production is the largest segment of our business as well as the fastest-growing part of what we do. Clients include Hotels.com, Fossil, Mission Tortilla, 7-Eleven, MBNA as well as many smaller companies in the DFW area.

Our target is non-broadcast video production typically budgeted in the $5,000 to $30,000 range, primarily training videos for larger companies and promo videos for smaller to medium sized companies. We have produced several of our corporate videos with the same tools that many videographers use for event videography including MiniDV cameras like the PD150-170. We also employ larger DVCam equipment (DSR300) when needed.

The Mindset for Producing Corporate Video
Proactive vs. Reactive: Drive the bus
Be proactive in this market through all phases including your marketing materials, first contact, presentations and throughout the production. Clients need your help and anticipate/appreciate a proactive approach. This can be different from the reactive approach I normally find myself taking for event videography.

The Opportunity: Why Video is a Growing Market
A very brief history of electronic communication and where we fit in as corporate video producers going forward: From origins of television (single station, tube that needed to warm-up prior to operating, difficulties connecting to few channels) to a vast number of satellite stations today, communication through video has exploded because of the power of the medium to inform, persuade and emotionally connect. Likewise, from the beginning of the Internet (Arpanet) as text only to motion graphics and to streaming video today, the web has made a similar journey with a growing emphasis on video as a favored communication tool. The future of combined video and web means an infinite number of video opportunities are possible. Google indexes over 8 billion sites. Each could be considered their own television station as video becomes full screen, full motion, no buffer as technology progresses. There are many IT people to take care of the technical side as the growth continues. However I believe there will be a growing need for creative content providers – producers who can tell a story.

Examples of Non-Broadcast Videos Businesses Need
1) training seminars – informal single cam
2) formal speeches & presentations - multi-cam with editing
3) informal groundbreaking ceremonies
4) retirement parties
5) company events
6) employee training*
7) marketing/promotional*
8) company documentaries/histories*
9) tradeshow loops*
10) non-profit fundraisers*
11) welcome/orientation*
12) product instruction*
13) editing a client's existing footage
14) creating video from photos only
15) creating videos from an idea only
16) interviews, testimonials shot for other production companies

*our target markets

How to Get this Business
Internet The corporate video production/samples pages from our own website.
Networking
Referrals
Event or duplication clients turned to corporate clients
REPEAT BUSINESS
These are the primary ways that business comes to us. We have a variety of samples available on the web. Networking is as simple as being aware in a conversation how what we do can benefit someone else's business and asking a few simple questions. Repeat business can be very good in this market. We've worked with some clients for several years sometimes doing 6 or more projects per year.

Just starting in this market and looking for demo material? When I first started, I needed material to show as a demo for this market. I sought out a volunteer opportunity that would tell a great story, serve a good purpose and would connect me with a wide variety of people of all backgrounds. I created a video of a Habitat for Humanity project that several congregations worked on together. It gave me an opportunity to hone my skills with this kind of video, meet a variety of business people and it gave me a solid demo to show to prospective corporate clients. (I also won a silver Telly Award and was able to promote that as well.)

The Key to Success
Discovering the Need
Understanding the Goal
Uncovering the Objective
Solving the Problem
Clarifying the Result

What RESULT is needed? What is the problem that needs to be fixed? Be a problem solver. Search for the need. Determine how results would benefit the company.

ROI
Tie the client's need to Return on Investment. Production values are determined by budget and budget is determined by client's consideration of desired ROI. When the need is fulfilled or the problem is solved, how will those benefits be calculated as ROI? Help client think of benefits. All of these projects can be/should be an investment and not an expense. Ways to increase ROI include repurposing the video for other needs. Help client visualize ways to increase ROI and find value in the project.

The First Contact
Quick contact, immediate return of phone call/email.
Some examples of open-ended questions that can help to begin discovering the client's need:
What's the purpose of this video? What do you want to achieve with this video?
Who is the target audience?
What do you want the audience to do after watching the video?
Do you currently use video for your training/marketing?
What do you like and dislike about other videos?
Do you have brochures or other marketing materials that include some of the information you'd like to put into the video?
How will the video be shown?
What is your deadline?
What is driving your deadline?

If in the initial conversation the caller says they need a "training video" I may say something like, "Tell me how you currently train your employees."; "Do you use video now for their training?"; If yes, "Tell me how that video has worked for you." "Can I see that video?" This would be an opportunity to set a Discovery Meeting. After qualifying them, I would set that meeting to learn more about what they currently do, what improvements they need to make, and how I can begin to visualize improvements through video that would benefit their organization.

Qualify - Auto analogy: Mercedes, Chevy, Yugo.
Next step – set Discovery Meeting.

The Discovery Meeting
More questions/open-ended.
Determine scope of project – may require subcontracting, talent, etc.
Demo: videos similar to what client is looking for or videos that show varying production values.
Using analogies tied to their industry to explain process or budget considerations.
Shaping the production VALUES to the client’s budget.
Info you CANNOT leave this meeting without getting: budget.
Next Step – Set Proposal Presentation.

Creating the Proposal (or Action Plan)
Proposal must focus on the result and the benefits tied to the result (what you’re going to fix, how you’re going to fix it, benefit of having it fixed).

Proposal resources:
www.proposalkit.com
Proposal Kit is a set of pre-written proposals and contracts that you can use to quickly assemble professional proposals. You can easily customize this material.

www.captureplanning.com
Good articles on writing proposals.

www.freelanceworkshops.com
Dan Turner's website has nine workshops (12+ free pages of online content) that are good reads for pursuing a booking work as a freelance artist. This info was written for web/multimedia, but can easily be applied to video production.

www.santcorp.com
ProposalMaster: Tom Sant has written several great articles on how to create a winning proposal. Free downloads from the Articles page of his site as linked above. Highly recommended reading!!

The Proposal (Action Plan) Presentation
Set a meeting date within 48 hours of the Discovery Meeting.
Confirm that all decision makers will be present.
Copies of action plan for all present – Pricing on separate page.
Solve the problem in your proposal presentation.
Get positive feedback/affirmations as you lay out the plan, confirm everyone is on board.
Once vision has been presented and affirmed, then detail estimate.

The Contract
Ways to protect yourself:
Clearly identify scope of the project including amount of time shooting, editing, prepping that they are paying for.
Always include a change order form in case changes need to be made mid-production. Both parties sign this form which will specify exact changes and cost of changes.
Bill for every hour and track your hours.
Larger jobs may need to be contracted in phases: contract scripting only, then contract production, etc.

Project Management Helpers
Wall calendar/ Gantt chart/ Excel spreadsheet.
Manage your projects proactively.

Online Project Management resources:

http://www.basecamphq.com
This is the online project management system we use. We like the ability to have clients communicate through the project manager and to assign responsibilities to ourselves and the client with clear Milestone deadlines. Try it for free. Different plans are available depending on the amount of active projects you need at one time.

Others to look at:
http://www.php-collab.org
http://www.dotproject.net
http://www.quickbase.com
http://www.intranets.com
http://www.grovesite.com
http://www.copperproject.com
http://www.infowit.com
http://www.creative-manager.com
http://www.taskspro.com
http://www.designlinks.net/ws/index.html

Importance of Project Management
Drive the bus! Keep your project urgent and lines of communication open.

Other Resources/Contact Info
Keep me updated on your progress and share ideas with me when you can. You can contact me through my email address: russ@pixelpops.com

You can also read my monthly column on corporate video production in EventDV Magazine.

Good luck!