Pitch Video Styles

So having read Tip 3 in my previous article, you may have decided that in future you’re going to consider using a custom video as part of your presentation. But what sort of video should you create? It largely depends on what sort of product or service you’re trying to sell.

For example, if you’re selling a service that will be delivered by people, then it might be an idea to have some of those people on camera. Your prospect wants to see the whites of their eyes. They want to see that these are friendly people that they would want to work for them.

If you’re selling something that is conceptually quite complex, you might prefer to use animation, it’s great for creating visual metaphors to explain tricky ideas. Like this one we created for an IBM / Panasonic product launch:

I'm personally a big fan of the more 'papercraft' look, like this video:

If you’re selling a software product, be careful about overusing screenshots. We get a lot of people asking us for demo videos of software. Whilst these have a place in the sales cycle, it’s not really ideal at this point in the pitch video. As soon as you start showing your prospect what the software looks like, it takes you down the feature / function route, rather than a benefits / solutions road which is where we want to be. The reason is that if you show them what it looks like, people get fixated on what your software looks like, not what it does for them. And let’s face it, most software looks pretty boring - but that’s OK, it doesn’t matter.

You sell Coca-Cola by showing cool kids on skateboards and people having fun in the sun.

I always tell my clients that no one sells Coca-Cola by telling their audience how many bubbles per minute it gives off, or what Pantone shade of brown it is.

You sell Coca-Cola by showing cool kids on skateboards and people having fun in the sun. In other words, it’s not what Coke is, it’s what Coke does for you that sells it. This is why a video is so powerful. It can really get across what the product or service does for you, not necessarily what it is or what it looks like. It excites people.

Another option is using stock footage. Stock footage videos can work especially well when you’re trying to create a very “broad picture” kind of relationship with your client. A State of the Union type of big picture idea rather than a detailed proposal. For example, if you want to show how your company and their company can work together in a great partnership, or if you’re the incumbent, how you have worked together as a great partnership.

So, which of these is right for your presentation? Whilst it probably would be a good idea to show somebody on camera, for example your CEO, showing that your company is really committed to this particular deal, the problem is that it’s usually not very practical to do at this stage. Often at the time of pitching your team is not assembled yet, because there is no actual project yet. Even if you do have a team, there’s often no time and most people dread being on camera. So, in practice, we often just use animation or stock footage, occasionally with some limited screenshots of software, used with caution.

If it’s vital to have a video of someone, then of course, you can include that. But do remember that if you film somebody and then the course of your proposal changes, then that person’s message may now no longer be relevant. If that person is very senior within your company, good luck with explaining why you need them to film again and trying to get back on their calendar without ticking them off!

So, our default answer would be to opt for animation or possibly stock footage. In our experience, stock footage can be a little overused, especially if you are part of a large company and your marketing department churns this sort of stuff out all the time.

Animation however, and often quite simple animation, tends to surprise and delight people. If your company is very large, your prospects are probably not used to seeing something that is hand drawn and quirky from you.

This is a good thing because that contrast can capture their attention and convey the core idea that you want them to receive quickly and effectively. The response that we’ve had from these kind of animated videos has been very positive and we get a lot of repeat business when clients use them. Another advantage is they can be adapted and reused for similar proposals which we also get asked to do a lot.

Do get in touch if we can help you with a video for an upcoming bid or proposal!

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