You need a new car. You research options, determine what will fit your lifestyle and what you can afford. You meet with a sales person at a dealership. He shows you the car you need. Then he shows you the car you want. The difference is a hefty price, but he convinces you that the car you want is a better investment than the car you need. That’s called an upsell.
It happens in every industry. The goal of the upsell is to make more money. Maybe the dealership neglects to tell you that the fancier car you just bought cost more to repair than the sensible car. Maybe they convince you that you need a nicer car to impress clients. Or your passengers will be safer in the more expensive car. This play on emotions leaves you feeling that it’s irresponsible to buy the less expensive car. Until you discover that what is irresponsible is the extra cost you’ve just incurred for something that is more show than savvy.
Need vs. Want
At MF&M, we handle situations like this everyday following this protocol. When we meet with clients, we ask many questions. What do you want? What do you need and when do you need it? What is the ultimate goal? Your budget? Who is your audience? We aren’t selling a car or looking for a quick sale to meet a quota. We’re looking to solve a problem.
When a company takes the step of creating video content for the first time, they are vulnerable to getting taken for a ride. If they are not familiar with the process of creating video content and the marketing support required to support it, that naivete can be exploited. It’s possible they will end up paying for things they don’t need. This is why we ask clarifying questions, so we can offer the best solution at the fairest price.
Trust Matters
The end goal of our business is to create clients who come back to us for all of their video, still photography, and other marketing content. We work to earn their trust. We don’t overcharge and underdeliver. We honor our promise to create video that gets results. Selling you anything less would be irresponsible.
Results can mean many things to a client. To us, meeting your goal isn’t enough. We work to set a higher bar. Here are a few examples we are proud to share:
- Fundraising videos that inspire generous giving – goal exceeded.
- Event videos that prime an audience to fill a stadium or two – goal exceeded.
- Advertising videos that drive up customer demand – goal exceeded.
- Product videos that demonstrate value to a target audience – goal exceeded.
- Culture videos that reframe a company’s reputation – goal exceeded.
We Make You Look Good
Results are measured in many ways: new clients acquired, profits increased, sales leads filling your pipeline. All of this should be credited to the company’s employee who spearheads the video project, drives up expectations and brings in more powerful content. In other words, we want to make you look good.
When you leave the first meeting with a video production company, you should feel excited, relieved and eager to get started. If you leave feeling underwhelmed, we suggest you move on and find a company that truly understands you and your company.
