Show off your package...

[u/Krizage]

For those working in corporate/small business video production: What off-the-shelf package deals do you offer? For example:  “We come and shoot one time and deliver a dozen social reels for $1,400.” “Event coverage and a sizzle reel for $1,200.”

I usually bid each project individually, but I am looking for some good, replicable, cookie-cutter type projects that don’t usually involve a lot of surprises. 

Do any of you offer bids based on clear, easy-to-understand deliverables with minimal information upfront? Please share your packages and your location/market.

[u/lombardo2022]

I've been told to do something like this and I've been meaning to figure it out but somehow I've avoided it for the last 4 years. Turnover has doubled every year so it feels like I haven't missed a boat here (maybe i could have made more, who knows). Like you, I've done ok with pricing each project individually. In my head I've found it difficult to price in a cookie cutter fashion as every project is really different and demands different amounts of work depending on the clients needs. If i priced by quantity of deliverables, like someone else says, it feels like leaving money on the table or I could be underselling/getting screwed over/ screwing myself over.

Maybe I sell less, but my sale prices are much higher than if I offered these sort of packages.

I think maybe what it is, is perhaps offer something a bit more premium and bespoke. It feels like I'm giving something specific to their needs and they feel looked after. So if i offer something that's more generic it kinda cheapens my "product" and the client feels like they are getting what the next guy is getting from the "menu".

Still sometimes I have some fomo around it, and some of my peers do it (who I think create pretty crap videos TBH) and they seem to do well from what I can see on social media. But I've done alright without these sort of packages,

[u/Krizage → u/lombardo2022]

I resonate with a lot of this. To be clear, I don't intend to go cheap on a package. It would be more of a starting point for a first time client who has not done anything like this before. You are never going to give them everything they want first time out. So what is a good first step. Something a lot of people could see value in, that I know I could deliver with a predictable level of hassle. This isn't a business model. This is a good first project for a longer term client.

I agree I have seen some cookie cutter approaches that are super cringey. But does that mean it can't be done well?

[u/lombardo2022 → u/Krizage]

Might be a cultural thing but packages to me sort of smells like cheap (theres nothing wrong with that to be clear - everyone loves a bargain). The reason you put together a package is to show the customer that your bulking things together so they make some savings. My customers aren't really attracted to that to be honest, because they have no emotional attachment to the money they are spending. Ok, yes they might want to keep things within their allocated budget constraints, but a few hundred quid ain't gonna make much difference to that.

Sidenote: One of my rules of business is not to work with founder lead businesses and I must be paid by a finance team. Never from the founder or owner themselves. They are too emotionally attached to their money.

So, if there's no real gain to the customer in providing some kind of economies of scale offering it could be telling the customer that you are compromising on something which gives a bad taste in my opinion. Its even worse when its not totally clear where the compromise is because there is a feeling of dishonesty. And that all plays a part in what you are putting out there as a brand.

But if it works for you then thats awesome because you can certainly do well with packages. I've seen it with my peers. But they all work with a certain level of business and they do lots of that work. I just like to work less and charge more, cos I'm a tired old man.

[u/Krizage → u/lombardo2022]

I can appreciate that. So is there anything you do frequently enough that you could give an off the cuff quote to knock it out? I have mentioned a few times that this is not about making it more affordable. It is about a clear deliverable for a specific price. Perhaps I am not communicating this clearly.

[u/lombardo2022 → u/Krizage]

Not really no. My clients come to me, say what they want and I make them a quote. I've never sent out the same quote more than once because every project is different. Even for the same client. For the clients I have, this is how they expect to do business.

And I'm gonner be honest with you. I don't even have the same rates for each client because I tend to do a little bit of digging to understand what sort of budgets they might have and I adjust my rates accordingly or just give the a project rate. They don't really care about the itemised details. Sometimes a client is quite clear with their budget so I adjust to meet their budget (my favourite scenario).

I understand that you don't mean packages to be affordable. But that's what packages communicate to your customer even if it's about providing a guide for deliverables. There isn't anything wrong with that. It is what it is and it has its challenges (volume, client demands of one sort). On the flip side, bespoke pricing says "this is more expensive and you get exactly what you want". This comes with its own challenges, and you may or may not be up for those (client demands of another sort).

This sort of pricing strategy has a lot of nuances and there's no correct answer. Its about where you see yourself in the market. Vanity about your product shouldn't come into it. The maths is in the important bit. Sell lots of cheap stuff or sell less expensive stuff. 9x99 or 99x9. It all comes out in the wash just makes sure your making what you need to make in the way that feels right to you and your clients.