How to win the vast majority of the video projects that I pitch, propose or quote on
Feb 17, 2023
Introduction
The “U” word. The dreaded “U” word. The word that no filmmaker, videographer or video production company owner ever wants to hear.
You finally get a great opportunity. You spend hours, if not days, putting that proposal, or pitch, together. You send it over, or you give that pitch in person, and then you wait. You wait for that call, that email, to confirm whether or not you've won the project. The project that would look great on your showreel. The project that you'd be so proud of. The project that would take you to the next level. The project that would release that cash into your business.
Then you see the email land. You open it up and there you see it.
“Thanks for putting your your ideas forward. They are excellent.” Great, you think. I've got it!
But then it hits you like a train.
“Unfortunately.” Urgh! “Unfortunately, we've decided to go with another video provider. We wish you all the best of luck in the future.”
Hopes and dreams gone in the blink of an eye. It's gutting. Genuinely gutting.
But what if there was a way to win the vast majority of your pitches, proposals or quotes? What if you could, say, increase your conversion rate to over 90%?
Well, that's exactly what we're going to do in today's How-To. How to win the vast majority of the video projects I pitch, propose or quote on.
Links
- Purchase: Conversion 90 for just $7 >>>
Transcript
00:00:00:03 - 00:00:35:16
The “U” word. The dreaded “U” word. The word that no filmmaker, videographer or video production company owner ever wants to hear. You finally get a great opportunity. You spend hours, if not days, putting that proposal, or pitch, together. You send it over, or you give that pitch in person, and then you wait. You wait for that call, that email, to confirm whether or not you've won the project. The project that would look great on your showreel. The project that you'd be so proud of. The project that would take you to the next level. The project that would release that cash into your business.
00:00:36:02 - 00:00:55:14
Then you see the email land. You open it up and there you see it. “Thanks for putting your your ideas forward. They are excellent.” Great, you think. I've got it! But then it hits you like a train. “Unfortunately.” Urgh! “Unfortunately, we've decided to go with another video provider. We wish you all the best of luck in the future.”
00:00:56:07 - 00:01:22:08
Hopes and dreams gone in the blink of an eye. It's gutting. Genuinely gutting. But what if there was a way to win the vast majority of your pitches, proposals or quotes? What if you could, say, increase your conversion rate to over 90%? Well, that's exactly what we're going to do in today's How-To. How to win the vast majority of the video projects I pitch, propose or quote on.
00:01:23:21 - 00:01:47:09
So welcome to this week's How To. Today we're going to work through the steps that you need to put in place to build certainty into your video business by increasing your conversion rate to over 90%. To help you implement what we learn today, I'm also providing you with the resources, and worksheets, and a few other things - for free - to help you take action on what we learn here in this video.
00:01:47:09 - 00:02:09:08
But before we begin, the lessons from today's video are taken from my book Conversion 90, which has helped over 3,000 video production professionals around the world to increase their conversion rate for their pitches, proposals and quotes to over 90% - 90.8%. And you can get that book that comes with a full step by steps via the link below for just $7.
00:02:09:15 - 00:02:37:23
Okay, cool. Let's get started. Now, a bit of context. For several years now, I've been in the blessed position to be able to work with thousands of production companies and freelancers around the world. This has given me the chance to study the way in which a huge array of production professionals from the U.K., to the U.S., to Australia, to South Africa, to the United Arab Emirates, present themselves at the beginning of a new working relationship and how they pitch, propose and quote for new work.
00:02:38:05 - 00:03:01:18
Coupled with that, I'm also blessed to have been working with thousands of marketing professionals over the past 15 years - first providing them services with my own production company, but more recently consulting with them to develop their own video marketing strategies. And this has given me the opportunity to truly understand both sides of the equation. I know what production professionals do, and I know what marketing professionals want and look for.
00:03:02:04 - 00:03:26:22
Now, for those of you that haven't come across my training before and don't know about my journey, I started my first production company back in 2010. I started from scratch as a freelance videographer and transitioned quickly into a video production company. At its peak, I employed 33 full time members of staff working on projects with brands such as Adidas, Nike and Yves Saint Laurent, had hundreds of freelancers working on projects around the world
00:03:26:22 - 00:03:48:06
at any given time, the company was valued at over $20 million, and then in 2018, I lost it. We filed for bankruptcy. I talk about that a lot more within the book. But after I lost that company, I took a year out - partly to deal with the stress that I had accumulated, but also to regroup, to learn so I could build back stronger.
00:03:48:15 - 00:04:19:18
I read a book called Black Box Thinking. The subtitle struck a chord with me “Why most people never learn from their mistakes, but some do.” Now, I had made mistakes, a lot of them. I made some bad decisions, but I also made some pretty good ones. You don't build a business to that size without doing something right. But after reading that book, I knew that if I had the courage to learn from my mistakes, to review them, to analyze what was good and what was bad about my first production company, I'd be able to build back stronger than ever before.
00:04:19:18 - 00:04:47:16
I reviewed everything, every minute detail of my previous business, extracted the good and learned from the bad. I reviewed over 2,500 of the projects that we won and delivered in that time, but I also reviewed about 5,000 of the unsuccessful pitches, proposals and quotes. I knew that if I could figure out why some pitches, some proposals, some quotes, won the work and some didn't, well, I'd be able to apply that learning to my future business.
00:04:47:22 - 00:05:08:19
So I did just that. And what materialized from that review was not just a sales process that allowed me to win ongoing contracts with brands such as Shell, Deloitte and The International Olympic Committee. But it turns out it was a system, a framework, that any videographer, any filmmaker, any video production company owner, could apply to their video business too.
00:05:09:06 - 00:05:36:02
Over 3,000 production professionals around the world have now consumed what is taught within Conversion 90 and are across the board converting 90.8% of their pitches, proposals and quotes, to paid and profitable projects. That's why the book is now called Conversion 90. So today we're going to learn the steps we need to take in order to win the vast majority of our opportunities and how to turn them into profitable projects that we are proud of.
00:05:36:12 - 00:06:05:16
Now, on top of the experiences that I outlined just now, I also continually conduct my own research on marketing professionals via online questionnaires and in-person conversations. And one of the focuses of that research is to truly understand what makes them tick, what they look for in a video production supplier or partner. And I can tell you, from 15 years of working-with and studying marketing and communication professionals, the number one thing that they're looking for is results.
00:06:05:22 - 00:06:32:24
Very few marketing professionals really care about the creative. Rather, they see the creative as a means to an end result. And that end result is using video as a successful marketing or communications tool. And in my experience, this is something that is so often overlooked by our industry. I remember being in a pitch with one of my production clients that I consult with. When I start a new consulting role for the first time,
00:06:33:05 - 00:06:57:00
one of the first things that I do is sit in on a pitch. The end-client that day was sure, self-confident, almost cocky, and my client, the production professional, went in to pitch their concept. It was a typical production pitch, lots of creative, lots of video, lots of style frames, mood boards, storyboards, an animatic, a script. And to be fair, it was a strong creative.
00:06:57:00 - 00:07:23:13
But when my client had finished pitching their concept, the would-be end-client leaned forward and asked: “So what?” There was a moment of silence whilst my client tried to figure out what they were actually saying. “So what does this all mean? What were the results look like?”, the cocky marketing director asked. In that moment, that abrupt marketing director did my work for me and taught my client a lesson that they will never forget.
00:07:24:07 - 00:07:58:20
You see, marketing and communication professionals are only truly ever interested in one thing - the results. And how the results are going to help them to achieve their own intrinsic goals. More on this in a minute. But any production company, or filmmaker, or videographer, will know the importance of pitching and proposing and also the lesson focused upon, quote. You're usually up against a handful, often three, other production companies or freelancers, and you have to present your creative concept or costs in line with the facts that you have been presented with by the potential client.
00:07:59:02 - 00:08:28:23
The winner, of course, is the one that gets the buyer most excited by their response to the challenge. We know this, but what it all really comes down to is confidence. The winner will be the person or the team that instills the most confidence within the client that they can pull off what they are proposing. Having been working in this world for 15 years, from both a production point of view and a marketing point of view, over time, I've been able to condense this decision making process down into three major boxes.
00:08:29:08 - 00:08:47:01
If you take all of these, you will win the project. And that gives you the chance to not only deliver an outstanding project and get paid handsomely for your efforts, but it also opens up the chance for you to convert that one-off project to a long term and highly profitable contract. Let's talk through these three key points now.
00:08:47:01 - 00:09:09:17
The three critical parts of a pitch, proposal, or quote, that help you win the confidence of the buyer. So number one, your creative ability and production credentials. Now, in this day and age, high production values are taken for granted. It's unlikely that you've got to the pitch stage, or the proposal stage, or even the quote stage, without them seeing your previous work, or at least your showreel.
00:09:09:24 - 00:09:32:17
Whilst it's important to show that you are creatively excellent and deliver beautiful video content, in today's competitive environment, realistically, this is never going to win you the work alone. And it's the production professionals that believe ‘best creative wins’, who are the ones that are struggling. Thousands of people roll out of filmmaking courses each and every year. There's no lack of quality production
00:09:32:17 - 00:09:51:18
people, or teams, around. And the buyer knows this. You know this. So to think that your pitch is going to win off the back of a strong creative alone is just silly. Please don't get me wrong. You need to show that you are skillful in the craft. But my point is that your pitch is unlikely to win off the back of a strong creative on its own.
00:09:52:05 - 00:10:10:09
So let's take a look at the next key part. Number two, your interpretation of the brief. Now, more often than not, when you are asked to pitch for a project, you'll receive a chunky brief document. The buyer will outline their business and provide you with key information such as the budget, time frames, what they are looking to achieve and so on.
00:10:10:18 - 00:10:26:13
If you don't receive a brief, it goes without saying that you need to get on the phone with them and ask some questions so you're clear on what they want to achieve. But it's what you do with that brief that allows them to truly believe that you understand and are on the same page as them. When working in production,
00:10:26:13 - 00:10:47:05
we quickly understood this and every single proposal, or pitch, that we gave started with a section called ‘Reinterpreting The Brief’. We used a simple model of ‘Get To By’ to concisely show that we understood them and are setting out with the same common goal. The ‘Get To By’ model is simple - Who are we looking to get? What are we looking to make them do?
00:10:47:13 - 00:11:08:01
And by which means are we going to do that? This simple but effective reinterpretation helps you build out the rest of your pitch, proposal, or quote. And that leads nicely into the next key part of any winning pitch. Number three, how you are going to get results and in turn make the client look good. This is where your strategy takes form.
00:11:08:01 - 00:11:27:03
Now, it's not realistic to lay down a perfect and in-depth strategy to the content that you are creating at pitch stage. And I wouldn't expect you to do this in full without winning the work first. But in order to win the work, you need to give them the confidence that what you are proposing is actually going to work, is actually going to drive results.
00:11:27:03 - 00:11:53:22
And here, like it or not, you need to be working with data. Now, the word data scares a lot of production people. You may be all about beautiful video and have no understanding of the world of data tracking and reporting. But let me tell you ... this is the single most important part of any pitch. At the end of the day, you are articulating your ideas to a person, a person that has their own fortunes at the forefront of their mind.
00:11:53:22 - 00:12:14:08
It sounds selfish, but it's absolutely true. If you can help the person that is in charge of the budget achieve remarkable results that can be proven. And if you can prove the return on investment, you will win the project - hands down. Put yourself in the mind of the buyer. They are in charge of driving results from the content that you are going to help them to create.
00:12:14:17 - 00:12:34:14
So they want to show that their campaign, or their project, has been a success. It may mean that they get that promotion. It may mean that they can boost their CV, or resume. It may mean that they can make themselves more wealthy, if they're the business owner. It may mean that they win that award. A successful project is only going to have positive outcomes on the buyer's life.
00:12:34:14 - 00:12:58:16
So tap into that and take time to show them how they are going to succeed by choosing you. So, what role does data play in all of this? Well, let's go back to that word confidence. Your creative concept may well be perfect, but unless the buyer is confident in the route that you are taking, you'll be leaving the door open for other production companies or freelancers that are going for the work.
00:12:58:20 - 00:13:22:11
And that's where data comes in. By backing up your ideas with data and research, the buyer buys into the creative concept that you are putting forward, and it's no longer finger in the air stuff. And here's the best part of it all ... It's so easy to source the data to drive your creative concept. It’s all out there. Yes, sometimes it's a struggle to know where to find it and how to use it to your benefit.
00:13:22:11 - 00:13:43:06
But that's what we're going to focus on here and how you can source and use data to ensure that you win over 90% of your pitches, proposals or quotes. And don't worry, it's nice and easy. But what would that mean to your business? Quite a lot, I'm guessing. But first I want to address one of the key concepts that we must understand if we are going to see that success.
00:13:43:15 - 00:14:04:11
And that is the buyer's mindset. If you're able to fully grasp this concept, you will drive ridiculous results within your video business. And the good news is that it's quite a simple concept to get your head around, but one that will more often than not be overlooked by your competition. Let's take a look at it now. The buyer's mindset. Now, I just touched upon this point, but I'm going to say it again.
00:14:04:20 - 00:14:23:23
If you build enough confidence in the buyer that you are going to deliver results, you will win the project. It sounds obvious, right? Everyone, of course, knows that. Well, they don't. They really don't. Here's what a typical production professionals pitch looks like. They start off with their showreel and make the buyer watch 90 seconds of their best shots.
00:14:24:05 - 00:14:49:05
They move into their creds and tell the client how great they are in order to position themselves as credible. They usually show some previous work, or case studies. Again, to build that credibility. They then look at what they know from the brief that the client has provided them with. And then they jump into the creative - what the video should look like, how they're going to create it, some timelines and key days. And then they end with the costs and any questions.
00:14:49:05 - 00:15:16:11
Now that's typical, but obviously changes from business to business, but at no point have they ever considered what a successful project would do for the person that they are pitching, proposing, or quoting to. We'll cover this in more detail shortly, but your client very rarely cares what the end product looks like. And, as I've said a few times, they care about the results and how those results are going to get them closer to their own intrinsic goals.
00:15:16:19 - 00:15:47:19
Your client has intrinsic motivations that are going to shape their decision as to who gets the work. They have their own aspirations. They have deep internal drivers that subconsciously push them towards achieving what they want to achieve. And it has nothing to do with you. I'm sorry. Think about that, though, for a moment. A marketing professional within an agency may want their campaign to be a success because that may help them towards getting that promotion or getting that pay rise, which in turn will help them get closer to purchasing their first house.
00:15:48:04 - 00:16:23:00
A business owner may want their video to be a success because it would mean more sales, which may mean that their profits increase, which may mean that they can sell their business for a significantly higher fee, which may mean that they are able to retire early, or pay for their child's education, or stabilize their marriage, or whatever. Are you getting this? If you speak to that driver, that intrinsic motivator, and if you show them how you and your concept is going to help them, you will leave them with no alternative other than to instruct you, because you've got them so fired up and you fill them with confidence throughout the pitch proposal or quote. You
00:16:23:00 - 00:16:42:02
are the person, or company, to help them get there. And in doing so, you're going to make them look great. By structuring your pitches, your proposals, and your quotes, in a way that fills them with confidence, you will win that project and you will ensure that you are paid what you are worth to do it. Can you see how powerful this is?
00:16:42:09 - 00:17:04:23
Can you see how just by being mindful of this one key concept that your pitches, your proposals, and your quotes, need to shift a little to ensure that you fill your client with confidence and make choosing you an absolute no brainer? Everything that we put into a pitch, proposal, or quote, is designed to build our client's confidence and get them excited by the results that we are going to drive for them.
00:17:05:03 - 00:17:25:21
And most importantly, what this is going to mean for them, their career, their family and so on. So how do we know what that driver is? Well, let's take a look at the steps that we need to take in order to get there. In order to get into a position where we have fully understood the buyer's mindset, there's a few steps that we need to take for each quote, proposal, or pitch, that we work on.
00:17:26:03 - 00:17:51:13
This will ensure that we are fully focused and mindful of what they are really wanting to achieve and what that's going to mean to them. This is not something that we put into our pitch, but it's certainly something that we need to be aware of constantly throughout the creation and delivery of our pitches, proposals, or quotes. Now, below this video, I've linked to some resources and worksheets to ensure that you can run through the tasks that we are about to talk through.
00:17:51:13 - 00:18:13:16
Now, you can use the template provided for each new quote, new proposal, or new pitch, that you develop. We're ensuring that everything that we do within the pitch process drives straight to the heart of the reason that they are setting out on this journey. So let's get stuck in straight away. The first step is to identify everyone that is involved within that decision making process for your project.
00:18:13:24 - 00:18:33:03
We're going to get our thinking straight on exactly why they are setting out on this project and what success looks like to them. So write down their name, job title and the role in which they are likely to play within the project. Now, for each of them, ask yourself what problem are they trying to solve and how will a successful project help them to solve it?
00:18:33:15 - 00:19:00:12
Pop some notes into the worksheet once you’ve developed the answers to this question. Then, for each person, spend some time thinking about and writing down what success looks like to them six months after this project is complete and they've seen the results. We’re focusing on numbers here and not their own intrinsic motivation just yet. And then finally, having achieved those results and fixed the problem that they were facing, write down what impact a successful project will have on their life.
00:19:00:18 - 00:19:29:16
What's their real intrinsic motivation behind wanting a successful project, and what is that going to mean for them? And that's it. That short, sharp exercise will get you clear, crystal clear, on what you're setting out to achieve as we progress through the Conversion 90 framework and winning over 90% of our pitches, proposals, or quotes. So, now that we’ve performed that simple exercise, we're now in a position to use that information within any pitch, proposal, or quote, that we give.
00:19:30:00 - 00:19:52:04
Then, we build each pitch, proposal, or quote, out in the following way. We start off by reinterpreting the client's brief, by using the ‘Get To By’ method. This ensures that we're able to quickly and concisely show the client that we understand exactly what they are setting out to achieve. And this also provides the rest of our pitch, proposal, or quote, with some structure.
00:19:52:08 - 00:20:10:03
The ‘Get’ is the client's target audience. Who are we looking to get? We show that we understand them intensely, which is going to obviously build confidence, but it will also give us all the answers that we need throughout the rest of the pitch, proposal, or quote. The ‘To’ is the action that we want the client's audience to take.
00:20:10:11 - 00:20:43:06
What is success being measured on? What are we looking to get them to do? Here we show the steps that the viewer is going to take on our content and how we transition them to a conversion. And the ‘By’ is the creative. What does this content actually look like? By which means are we going to do that? This is where we show the creative, the treatment, the script, the storyboard, the animatic. And once we've covered off to ‘Get’, the ‘To’, and the ‘By’, we then forecast the results and show the client what success will actually look like if they go with us.
00:20:43:15 - 00:21:14:01
And then finally, we put forward the costs and provide a quick summary of the anticipated return on investment. Now, that may sound like a lot and be a bit confusing at this stage without the step by step. But as I mentioned earlier, I've written a book that has been consumed by over 3,000 production professionals around the world, and I want to offer you that framework, that book, for just $7. Within the book, within Conversion 90, I walk you through the steps that you need to take in order to build confidence throughout any pitch, proposal or quote.
00:21:14:09 - 00:21:36:03
And it's a system that achieves a 90.8% conversion rate - on average - for those who apply it to their video businesses. So I hope that has been helpful. Hopefully you now know how to increase your conversion rate to over 90%. You've seen the framework and, as I've said, you can get every single step that you need to take in detail within this book for just $7 via the link below.
00:21:36:14 - 00:21:43:15
Now if you have any questions, please feel free to drop them in the comments below. But thank you for being here and have a fantastic day!
