I'm Tom and welcome to my site.

Where Do I Start?
GET YOUR FREE 28-PAGE EBOOK NOW
Want to learn how I went from writing nearly nothing to writing thousands of words a month?

($37 value). Read more here.

Enter your email address here for free updates and your free eBook. (Guaranteed 100% privacy.)


Preview | Powered by FeedBlitz
E-Book Testimonials

"Thomas Clifford has made something useful here. This report will give you some really catchy, useful ideas.

It made me reconsider how I do what I do, so you might give it a look-see, too!" 

Chris Brogan, President, Human Business Works 

"Tom Clifford is by trade a filmmaker. For most of his life, he rarely wrote anything longer than a brief comment in the margin of a script. 

Now, though, he's producing tens of thousands of words a year, first as a Fast Company "Expert Blogger," and then as a writer for the Content Marketing Institute. 

How did Tom go from a non-writer to a prolific and much-read one? His eBook, '5 (Ridiculously Simple) Ways . . . , ' holds some of his secrets."

Mark Levy, Author of "Accidental Genius: Using Writing to Generate your Best Ideas, Insight, and Content"

“Tom is one of the nicest people you’ll ever meet—if you have the privilege to meet him. And he does sterling work as well. But don’t just take my word for it.

Read this free report and you’ll not just love its tone and content, but learn a lot as well.”

Sean D’Souza, Psychotactics.com

“Anyone who wants to improve their writing needs this e-book. A lot of ebooks are short because they just don’t have much substance to offer. They’re not worth your time (and so are many of the long ones, too, for that matter). Tom’s is short because he’s so good at giving you only what you need to know. 

‘5 (Ridiculously Simple) Ways to Write Faster, Better, Easier’ lives up to its promise by example as well as in the words themselves. Tom used the very same techniques he teaches you to write this book. 

And what’s in here is not just a rehash of the same tired ideas you find coming from people who have suddenly fancied themselves as writing gurus. There are tricks in here I never heard of (like the Writing Funnel) and some I had forgotten about and was glad to be reminded of (like Sporadic Writing).” 

Michael Martine, Blog Alchemist, Remarkablogger.com 


« What Makes a Corporate Video "Remarkable?" | Main | Can an "Elevator Pitch" Change the World? »
Wednesday
Feb282007

What Difference Can Four Minutes Make in a Corporate Video?

DateWednesday, February 28, 2007 at 07:31PM

129257599_78f481c573_m.jpg

If it were your career, it would make the difference between one job or another.

And if it were your company, four minutes could potentially save you tens of thousands of dollars.

Problem: How does a Fortune 500 company reduce hiring, recruiting and training costs for new hires? How can a company quickly, effectively and realistically show their culture, values and communicate their "vibe" to potential candidates ahead of time?

Answer: Produce an honest and compelling documentary featuring four diverse employees. Have the "heroes" share their personal stories about the corporate culture, the pace and rhythm of work, a typical day, the training required, the role of teams, etc. Show the real deal. Tell the real deal. A pre-written script? No, thank you.

This approach actually captures the integrity and honesty of an organization: outer actions reflects inner actions. The trust factor increases between all stakeholders.

I was actually commissioned to produce this 10 minute film. After five days of intense editing, the film runs 14 minutes. Now, I'll tell you up front; if I were asked to produce a 14 minute film, without hesitation I would say, "That's too long. Tighten it up."

This film proved me wrong.

Throughout the editing process, I realized something I haven't realized in a long time; more time can tell a story better than less time.

Those extra four minutes can, and will, change someone's world for the better. And the change could go either way. "Thanks for telling me more of your story. Hire me. I'm a great candidate." Or, "No thanks. I'll pass."

Both parties win either way.

This 14 minute story is actually better than a 10 minute story. In video, that's rare.

Just like honesty.

---Tom

AuthorThomas Clifford | Comment1 Comment |
Print ArticlePrint Article

PrintView Printer Friendly Version

EmailEmail Article to Friend

Reader Comments (1)

So...less isn't ALWAYS more, eh? Why limit yourself to 6 words when you really need 8?

Very good lesson, Tom. As my good buddy Horace used to say, "I struggle to be brief, and become obscure."
February 28, 2007 | Unregistered CommenterRobert Hruzek

PostPost a New Comment

Enter your information below to add a new comment.
Author Email (optional):
Author URL (optional):
Post:
 
All HTML will be escaped. Hyperlinks will be created for URLs automatically.
Alert
Comment Moderation Enabled
Hi, it's Tom here. Your comment will not appear until it has been cleared by me. So... 1. Keep it nice. 2. Keep it clean. 3. Keep it on topic. And thanks a lot for stopping by!

Notify me of follow-up comments via email.