What Sales Really Look Like in the Film Service Industry

Photos: Plamen Gavrilov

Ah, good old sales – whether it’s Wall Street, with Michael Douglas and Charlie Sheen, or The Wolf of Wallstreet and DiCaprio’s emblematic scenes – sales and attracting new clients always look so exciting, easy and glamorous on the big screen!

In reality, I can’t sell you this pen. I mean, I understand the basics of it and what the scene represents, but it is so out of touch with the commercial production industry.

As a service company you are not selling a finished product - you’re selling a service. Even more - a relationship. Expertise, support, and the ability to make someone else’s creative vision achievable. Pretty often a sales process with a single lead can take years until it results in a closed deal. Your value lies in how well you can understand a producer’s needs and help them transform an idea into something concrete, whether that means production services, post-production, equipment, logistics, or creative support. In this environment, the dance between your company and producers is built on clarity, trust, creativity and the assurance that you will make their process smoother, cheaper, or more effective.

Producers often juggle budgets, schedules, creative demands, and market pressure. Winning a client as a service company is not about pushing your services - it’s about showing that you understand the challenges of production and can provide dependable, high-quality solutions. You win clients by being reliable, transparent, and genuinely invested in their project. What our clients expect from us are partners who anticipate problems, communicate well, and adapt when the unexpected happens, which in this industry is par for the course.

In terms of pressure, film service sales require a careful touch. Too much pressure can signal desperation or lack of understanding of the producer’s process. Too little, and they may forget you exist in a crowded marketplace. The right amount of pressure is steady, respectful follow-up that shows your interest without becoming intrusive. It’s more about being present than pushing - making sure they know you’re there, ready to help, whenever they need you. Pretty often a sales process with a single lead can take years until it results in a closed deal.

While having a structured approach to sales is helpful, every client requires an individual strategy. Every production and every culture are different: budgets, timelines, creative expectations, and team dynamics vary widely. A strict sales scheme can make you seem inflexible or disconnected. Instead, a flexible framework works best-one that keeps your communication consistent but allows you to tailor your pitch, tone, and service package to the specific needs of each producer.

In the end, selling as a service company in the film industry is not about convincing someone to buy something they don’t need. It’s about putting yourself in the client’s shoes, letting them know you’re there and offering something new. When done right, it results in long-standing, mutually beneficial partnerships – and sometimes into a loyal client.