The first message that converts, the four questions to send back, and why replying fast wins the job.
The four questions to send back
Four, and they are enough to price correctly.
Which product, and when can you send it: that is the start of the calendar, not the order date.
Where will the video be published: organic posts, paid advertising, product listing, and for how long.
How many videos and how many formats: one video in two formats is not one video.
And who approves, as a single person: that is the question predicting the number of rounds.
A fifth question, useful with a new client: what is the usual payment term.
The first message that converts
Five lines, no more.
A brief thank you, with no hollow formula.
One sentence showing you looked at the brand: a precise product, a range, a recent campaign.
The confirmation of your availability, with a date.
The price range for a typical scope, stating what it includes.
And the questions above, listed, easy to answer.
A five-line message is read on a phone between two meetings, which is exactly the situation of the person who wrote to you.
The price, when
Three possible moments, and only one good one.
Too early, with no scope: you give a figure that will become a ceiling, whatever is added later.
Too late, after three exchanges: the client feels they are wasting time, and compares with somebody who replied.
At the right moment, that is in the first message, as a range attached to a scope described in one line.
One clarification that protects you: always state that the final price depends on the usage rights. That prepares the most important discussion without triggering it immediately.
What not to do
Four frequent mistakes.
Sending a ten-page presentation deck: nobody will read it.
Asking ten questions: the client will answer three, and the conversation will stall.
Accepting a shoot without knowing when the product arrives: the calendar becomes impossible to hold.
And giving away advertising rights to win the order: they become a free standard for you and for everybody else.
The Spanish detail
Three points of form that matter in this market.
The formal address is not compulsory: most professional exchanges are direct, and an overly ceremonious wording can create needless distance. Adapt to the tone of the first message received.
Timing counts: a message sent in the middle of the afternoon often gets a reply the same day, one sent at eight in the evening will wait until tomorrow.
And the relationship comes before the document: a clear conversation is worth more than a long contract. The contract comes after, short, with the five essential lines.
What plays out in the first reply
| Delay | What you send | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Within the hour | An acknowledgement and a precise question | The brand moves forward |
| The same day | A price and a date | The decision gets made |
| After agreement | A written confirmation of scope | No misunderstanding |
What a useful reply contains
One sentence restating the need in your own words, the closest sample, the price, the lead time, and a question about the intended use. Five lines are enough.
What loses an order already won
A lead time announced with no margin, a question asked three days later, and a delivery in a format the brand never asked for.
After the first exchange
Three gestures turning an enquiry into a job.
Sending the quote within twenty-four hours of the answers, with the rights on a separate line.
Confirming in writing the delivery date, counted in working days after the product arrives.
And chasing once only, a week later, with no apology and no justification.
One last marker, valid in every language: the job is rarely won on the portfolio, and almost always on clarity. The creator who replies fast, prices honestly and writes down what they deliver gets ahead of more talented but vaguer people.
