Several years ago I gave a potential client an estimate on a video and told them it would cost $9,000 to create what he said they wanted. The person I met with got back to me a few weeks later and said he got another bid for $1,000 and if I could match that he’d rather work with me.

That is always a dilemma in trying to get a job, whether or not to lower your price. In this case it was an easy call, he probably found a high school kid who said he could make the video during his vacation. Could have been the next Steven Speilberg, or this company now has a marketing video that looks like a high school kid did it.

The way I run my business is this. If I give you a bid, it’s what I think I can do the job for based on what you told me you need. If someone can do it for less it raises some questions:
1. Are we bidding on the same thing, apples to apples.
2. Can the other company actually do what they say, and who will be working with you, someone with experience, or a junior member of the team who has a lower hourly rate.
3. If all seems equal, maybe you came along at the right time to get a great deal from that company.
I don’t believe in just changing a price for customers like auto dealers or repairmen. Those guys knock off thousands of dollars if they see you are willing to walk, which leaves me feeling they were sticking it to me in the first place.

If I give you one price and say “Oh, I can do it for half that, wasn’t I ripping you off the first time.

Maybe we need to take something out of the bid, or lower the number of shoot locations or the production time.
If your project ends up being all about price, be careful. It almost always rings true that you get what you pay for.

I’m George Siegal, the President of J.E.L. Communications, and you can email me at: george@jelcommunications.com

It seems like everybody has their own video camera these days, and that makes it attractive for them to call themselves a video production company and make videos working from home. I’m not saying that’s a bad thing, you just need to understand what you are looking for when you hire someone.

You need to understand your expectations in the quality of the videographer, the writing and producing of the script, the quality of the audio, the lighting of the content, and the ability of that person or company to meet the deadline you need to meet.

I’ve actually had potential clients show me demo reels from companies that had obvious mistakes in them, and the potential client didn’t notice. Well trust me, they would notice when that ended up happening in their video.

You may be able to get a great deal from someone, but it’s only a great deal if it matches the objectives you set for your project.

So before you accept any bid, ask questions, ask for references, and really take a good look at the company’s demo reel.

Low bid may be a win for the guy who gets it, but it could be a costly mistake for you.

I’m George Siegal, the President of J.E.L. Communications. I’d like to hear from you. You can reach me at george@jelcommunications.com

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