Questions

Do you have suggestions for how to communicate with a video/script team so that they understand our product / services?

We're creating a product video to use for marketing and we hired a freelance team, but find it difficult to educate them on our product and its use. It's for a B2B product so the scope is quite big and there are technical aspects involved.

5answers

Get a tool like screencast or camtasia and narrate as you navigate your website. Its the equivalent of storyboarding and most freelancers should be able to relate.


Answered 10 years ago

Is there a possibility of having them experience the product? Invite them for one of your presentations so they get the feedback and thought process directly from the crowd which understands what you are offering (your potential clients) and then use that to brainstorm with them about what the product does and how can a message be crafted to reach the underlying value it offers.. Sometimes that value is not even the product itself but the time it saves and what they can do with that time or other resource. A marketing message such a video is best crafted when the value is clear not the service.

If you get the value right the features don't even have to be mentioned. But if you have a freelance team, share video pitches of you presenting to potential investors or potential clients, or video Q&A so they understand the pain points and values it can bring.


Answered 10 years ago

Interesting. First, I would honestly ask yourself if the team is having a hard time understanding your product because they are not in your business, or is it because you are having a hard time explaining it clearly. Granted, it may be both, but a hard look at how you express the features and benefits of your product will likely benefit both parties in the long run.

To be more specific, it's critical that you clearly define the audience for this video. In my experience marketing enterprise level products, companies often make the mistake of trying to speak to the needs of all potential audiences at once. This creates a confusing mishmash of messages. For instance, is the video focused on c-suite executives? If so, then how technical does the video really need to be? That audience is far more likely to be concerned with broad business benefits: cost to implement, return on investment, operational benefits, etc. On the other hand, if the video is for mid-level IT managers, you would likely focus on ease of legacy integration, customization, ongoing maintenance and support. If you feel you need to speak to multiple audiences, then I'd highly recommend creating multiple short videos, each focused on the needs of a specific group. This will give your sales team much more flexibility in approaching potential clients, while avoiding the trap of boring EVERY audience with information they don't need.


Answered 10 years ago

Sit down on a call with them do three things:

1. Have them explain to you their understanding of how product/service works and is used. Take note of where there are misconceptions or misunderstandings.

2. Explain the product/service again yourself, but highlight the areas that they didn't understand, and walk them through it.

3. If possible let them experience or use the product/service so that they can see how it works firsthand.

Chances are that it's just a failure to communicate clearly on both ends and to identify the gap in understanding between the two teams.


Answered 10 years ago

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