When you are talking to a prospect about producing a video, some smart questions will help you make the sale and create the video that will truly help your client.
One of the first questions to ask is “Should we include any other decision-makers in our conversation?” It is very easy to spend a lot of time talking to the wrong person in a corporation. Ideally this conversation should include anyone who could kill the deal. And certainly anyone who has the power to say “yes.”
What goals should we make for this video?
What’s your approximate budget for this project?
When would you like to start using this video?
Who is the audience for this video?
These are some of the questions I use when meeting with a corporate marketing person or other decision maker interested in having me produce a video. These videos typically fall in the marketing or training categories.
Ask The Right Questions And Listen Carefully
One of the most common mistakes made by inexperienced sales people is that they talk too much about themselves and their business. One of the keys to sales success is to keep the focus on the client, not on you. People like to talk about themselves and their work. So if you have a big ego like I do, just remember that your goal is to get a signed contract, not to boast about or explain your entire business. So ask leading questions like why they want a video, rather than a static webpage or printed piece. Ask if they think a video on their website would help make sales and why. Then listen carefully to their answers.
Listening carefully is important to sales success. By listening you will learn who they are, what they want and what they want to buy. Listen very carefully and they’ll give you a world of vital information. Then it’s a fairly simple matter of giving them what they want in your proposal.
You are gathering information so you can help this company. So when you visit a company, keep your eyes open. While sitting in the reception area waiting to meet your prospect, look at what’s hanging on the walls. Awards, testimonial letters and the like can give you a lot of important information about this company. Many times these details will end up in the video. Browse through the trade magazines on the table. While you’re waiting, ask the receptionist if there’s a company brochure you might have. There are clues all around you.
When you meet the person, look them in the eye, smile and give them a good business handshake (firm, but not overbearing). Be sure to use their name in your greeting. If you have any doubts about how to pronounce the name, ask. It’s very important to remember this person’s name and pronounce it correctly. And don’t forget all the social courtesies your mother taught you. Open a door for a lady, take your hands out of your pockets, don’t chew gum and all that other stuff she tried to drill into your head. I do hope you remember it all because now’s the time you need it.
First impressions mean a lot. I believe that many sales decisions are subconsciously made in the first couple minutes of a meeting. If that’s true, then from that first meeting until you have a contract everything you do must reinforce that initial positive impression.
Excerpted from Professional Video Producer
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