In a way, I could see his point; after all, a company should avoid spending too much effort to develop features that nobody cares about. In most companies, time and manpower are precious commodities that must be invested wisely. Nevertheless, his statement left a rather sour taste in my mouth, and here's why.

First, his choice of words suggests that customer's needs are relatively unimportant, and that profit-making is only thing that matters. To my mind, this is a false dichotomy. It's true that a company has to guard its bottom line, and that its resources are limited. It's true that it must avoid making extravagant promises to its customers. At same time though, a company that adopts a lukewarm attitude toward pleasing its customers is unlikely to engender a great deal of client loyalty. A successful company is one that understands importance of customer delight.

Why choose great quality?

Show viewers a video with below average quality or even average level of quality many production companies give, they will have trouble focusing on message. Without all of elements of quality in your video, it will not achieve results you are looking for. On flip side, when you do have good quality, viewers really don’t notice it. What they notice is content of show. They become absorbed in your message. When you watch TV or movies, do you think about production quality? Most people don’t notice elements of show such as shooting, pace, camera work, lighting, sound, editing, music, etc. They experience show and get message. Also keep in mind that your video quality will reflect on quality of your company, yourself and your message. It’s similar to principle of dressing for success! Your video can impact your image. Here are some examples of where quality can make a difference:

- A nicely done employee orientation tape or corporate communications tape “sets a tone” that can influence employee’s perception of company, inspire pride and can even motivate them.

- In a sales or marketing video image is everything. For example, who would you hire to manage your money? An investment counselor who drives a Kia or a Lexus? Good video quality identifies you as a credible success who can be trusted, and with something valuable to offer. Poor quality teaches viewer not to trust you.

- A training tape with good quality says you are knowledgeable and serious about your subject. It will influence viewers to “buy in” to what’s being shown. It also says that you value them enough to give them something valuable. - A demo tape with good quality says you are a successful in demand consultant.

- A public relations video must have good quality for stations to use it on air, and to draw viewers’ attention. While paying a high price for your video is not a guarantee of quality, often opposite is true. Usually bargain that’s hard to pass up is what you should pass up. There is always someone out there who will charge you less.

Here’s a little story I heard that says it all. Driving along road to work, a man passed little 2-man barber shop that had been there for ages. The lot was filled to brim and there were cars lining street... There were LOTS of folks going in. As he passed throng, he saw sign out front:

"We fix 7-dollar haircuts".

I’ve had many clients come to me to fix programs done by other companies that were poorly produced. It may seem like you are getting a deal at time, but in essence you may be throwing away your money.

It is true that in today’s economy, production companies have had to drop their overall prices somewhat. Generally those charging below industry averages are either without experience and/or talent, without right type of equipment and resources, or those whose businesses are in process of going under.

Although you may be able to find rare true bargain, I have seen over and over in world of video that old adage is true when it comes to extreme low prices: You get what you pay for. What makes great quality?

Let’s look at several areas that you need to be aware of when determining level of quality a production company will give you:

Equipment: Believe it or not, a high priced company using best equipment does not automatically translate to quality. You can put me in a gourmet kitchen, but would you serve my food at a dinner party attended by your boss and co-workers? No way!

It is same with video. Having best tools can help, but without right knowledge, experience and skills you can end up with an ineffective video that you would not want to be associated with. So beware of production company that primarily stresses their state-of-the-art equipment.

It’s become easier and more affordable to buy video equipment. So these days, many people are becoming “video professionals”. In fact, it seems like almost everyone these days has two careers – whatever they do for a living, and video production. Yet every aspect of video production really is an art form. It takes talent, years of experience and a wide range of training to make a quality video. When choosing a company it is essential to look beyond equipment, and to total package you will be getting.

That being said, main requirement concerning equipment is that it be broadcast quality. As long as it falls into that category, you have potential to receive good quality. Anything below this will have that amateur,unprofessional look. Experience: In my opinion this is probably most important issue. It will dramatically impact way video is planned, shot and edited. Think about when you flip through TV channels looking for something to watch. Do you stop and view local cable access station? Most people flip right by that, deciding in a split second that this not worth their interest. They may not be able to tell you all of reasons why, but these days if a show is not done with quality, most folks perceive it and will tune it out instantly. Almost everyone can make a video with today’s available technology. My nieces used to produce their own music videos in elementary school. However there is a huge gulf between amateur video and a professionally produced show that holds viewers attention and accomplishes your goals. There is a huge difference between quality you get with various professional video production companies. Experience and talent have everything to do with that.