How To Get Started and Stay In The Business
- Thread starter robstar1
- Start date
robstar1 said:
I think it's just a matter of semantics. I just think of cold calling as calling on someone that you don't know or haven't been introduced to. Of course you have to do the research before you pick up the phone.
But since it's worked so well for you and Peabody, I think I'm just gonna stop asking questions and start making calls. :beer:
Sumfun said:
Questions are good and I just wanted to emphasize my point about the mindset behind the call. "What you say is what you get" so if you call it cold calling which sounds and is a dreadful thing to have to do, you'll end up not getting the best response and results. So it's really not semantics, it's a state of mind about the whole approach.
Actually, you have a very nice web site with great color, energy and content. Unfortunately NO REAL CONTACT INFORMATION ??? If you're going to put yourself out there, people need something tangible other than an "info" email address, even a PO Box and phone that goes to voice mail would be a start. If you're a part of the business "neighborhood", your neighbors would likely want to know generally, what your names is, where you live/work and that you're going to be there for a while before they invite you over for dinner... right?
Start your call with a request for help. Use a somewhat confused tone of voice. People love to help people.
Here's a little dialogue:
When they answer we'll assume you don't get a first name, if you do all the better:
Very casual, very slow... remember you just interrupted them, talk at HALF SPEED to give them time to shift gears from the seven other things they are doing. Be soothing. Sales people talk too fast.
"hi there... I'm wondering if you might could help me figure out something there at Big Giant Mega Company?"
"well, I'll try..."
"I'm trying to figure out who handles the sales / marketing / training / commercials over there?" (pick one or two of those or whatever applies to you)
"That would be Nicole Spender"
They ocassionally don't know so you have to dumb it down to advertising or whatever.
"Wow, that's great... thank you very much... so i get it right, how do you spell her name"?
"Thank you so much, you're such a great help"
"What is your name?"
Very important here because this person may very well be the person who eventually get's you through to Nicole and who one day say's "I really like those people" when the bid is between you and another group.
"Hi David, nice to meet you, my name is Cameron, what do you do there at Big Giant Mega Company?"
Listen with interest and modest comments.
"I don't want to interrupt her now but when is the best time to call Nicole?"
** Try not to talk to Nicole yet.... you have more research to do **
Sometimes they just patch you right through which is a whole other dialogue we'll do later.
"Great, thanks I'll call back then"
You hope when you call back you get the same person because you now have a name and an ally.
If they offer you voicemail.... GO FOR IT !! And get the extension number for later. I love voicemail... more on that later too. Extension numbers are great to catch the people who come in early or stay late but usually won't have time to take your call during the day.
Initial voicemail dialogue:
"Hi Nicole, this is Cameron Takeurmoney and I'm trying to find out a little bit more about your marketing/training/advertising department at Big Giant Mega Company. I know you're busy so I'll just try to reach you tomorrow or the next day. Have a great day!"
There are dozens a variations of this call but as you can see you still are gathering information; they don't even know what you want or what you do. You're going to wait for them to ask you that. Right? But your name will start to sound familiar.
That didn't sound like a cold call to me; sounded pretty warm and friendly and it surely didn't sound like a sales pitch.
Write or reply to me after you've done 50 calls and we'll take a look at the variations. Don't worry if you blow some of the calls to start. Pick totally random companies to start on; you won't want to call your Target Clients until you've had some practice.
Robert Starling
Robert,
Once again thanks for the advice. I've got a commitment for the next week or so, but after that I will definitely put together a list and make those calls. You just might not hear from me for a while.
The next time you're in Orlando, please give me a call. I'd like to at least buy you a beer in return for all the help you've given us.
Once again thanks for the advice. I've got a commitment for the next week or so, but after that I will definitely put together a list and make those calls. You just might not hear from me for a while.
The next time you're in Orlando, please give me a call. I'd like to at least buy you a beer in return for all the help you've given us.
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Paul Coleman
Veteran
Great info, Robert. Thanks. :thumbup: :thumbup:
King_Dontae
Active member
Robert,
I really appreciate you taking the time to explain this. I've made pretty much all of the mistakes you've mentioned.
I really appreciate you taking the time to explain this. I've made pretty much all of the mistakes you've mentioned.
tomahawk53
New member
Thanks for the great advice Robert!!!!!
Please keep it coming!!!!
Please keep it coming!!!!
Domis Entertainment
Active member
This thread is amazing.
This thread is amazing.
This thread is amazing.
Thank God for DVXuser.com
This thread is amazing.
This thread is amazing.
Thank God for DVXuser.com
Shinobi
Active member
I think this is the most useful thread at dvxuser
I think this is the most useful thread at dvxuser
Hey Guys,
Thanks for your advice Robert, very helful. I have just started a production company and am working with 2 really low budget clients. One of my problems is that I don't have a lot to show potential clients. My reel is small because I am just getting going and the stuff I do have is very low budget and in my opinion "nothing to brag about". Any ideas on how to get a more impressive reel without spending all my own money for the production??
I think this is the most useful thread at dvxuser
Hey Guys,
Thanks for your advice Robert, very helful. I have just started a production company and am working with 2 really low budget clients. One of my problems is that I don't have a lot to show potential clients. My reel is small because I am just getting going and the stuff I do have is very low budget and in my opinion "nothing to brag about". Any ideas on how to get a more impressive reel without spending all my own money for the production??
Shinobi said:
The old saying goes, "It takes money to make money"
What I did over the last couple years was make as much stuff as I could on my own, bring friends in to work on things, and take free gigs that looked worthwhile (this is important to judge because most are not and even for me, most were not. but there were a few where i managed to bring home something worthwhile for my reel).
Unless you know the right people, it's gonna take money investing in yourself and your future to get your reel and chops up to snuff. But the good thing is, once you've got a good demo reel, you can just keep updating it.
dougspice
Veteran
This is a really great thread. It's helpful now and would have saved me a lot of angst and effort three years ago!
You need to do good work with a lot of production value. That's really all there is to it. But it doesn't have to take all of your money or the rest of your life. Start small: think up one or two simple concepts that you could execute really well for some, but not a whole lot, of money. Then go do it. And then keep doing it. Once or twice a year, take some of the profits you've made from real business and invest it in pieces for your reel.
Or, if you're working on something for a client that could be made great with just a little more money, a little more effort, it's not always a bad decision to just pony up that money yourself. You don't have to tell them you did it, but now you have something YOU can be proud of for your reel. If that lands you a client or two, now you can afford to do it again... and so on, until you're no longer scrambling for decent work to show and instead making hard choices about what to cut!
Shinobi said:
You need to do good work with a lot of production value. That's really all there is to it. But it doesn't have to take all of your money or the rest of your life. Start small: think up one or two simple concepts that you could execute really well for some, but not a whole lot, of money. Then go do it. And then keep doing it. Once or twice a year, take some of the profits you've made from real business and invest it in pieces for your reel.
Or, if you're working on something for a client that could be made great with just a little more money, a little more effort, it's not always a bad decision to just pony up that money yourself. You don't have to tell them you did it, but now you have something YOU can be proud of for your reel. If that lands you a client or two, now you can afford to do it again... and so on, until you're no longer scrambling for decent work to show and instead making hard choices about what to cut!
panchromatic
Member
Buying gear seems to be working for me...Hard to beat being " that guy that has a camera/lights/etc".
It shows commitment to the job and industry, enables you to practise often, and become fluent with your particular gear.
All my stuff has paid for itself over the last few years, not right away, but gradually it has. Now my business and skills seem to have reached critical mass, and that book is filling up fast. There is no way I could have got this far by hiring gear, no matter how shiny my shoes were. I personally believe that those who control the means of production, control the world!!
Its all about making the right choices about what to buy and when, and making good use of what you have at any given time. Surely the whole point of this brave new digital world is to enable us to own the means to make our work and develop our skills on our own time.
Buying gear won't make you an artist or a professional craftsmen, but on the other hand, I am sure most great painters own at least a few brushes and some canvas.
It shows commitment to the job and industry, enables you to practise often, and become fluent with your particular gear.
All my stuff has paid for itself over the last few years, not right away, but gradually it has. Now my business and skills seem to have reached critical mass, and that book is filling up fast. There is no way I could have got this far by hiring gear, no matter how shiny my shoes were. I personally believe that those who control the means of production, control the world!!
Its all about making the right choices about what to buy and when, and making good use of what you have at any given time. Surely the whole point of this brave new digital world is to enable us to own the means to make our work and develop our skills on our own time.
Buying gear won't make you an artist or a professional craftsmen, but on the other hand, I am sure most great painters own at least a few brushes and some canvas.
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That's great free advice. Isn't a certain amount of technical knowledge required to create a commercial? I could sell my services as a videographer and photographer, but when I actually had to perform, I wouldn't be able to do it, and hiring somebody to teach me how to do it wouldn't be an option on a shoestring budget either.
I've worked for a company as a technical resource for a few years, and recently one of two marketing personnel left. That created a gap that I could fill, because the person I work with specializes in print and typography while I design websites, shoot photos, and create video projects.
I'm not expected to know everything... yet. But if I were selling my services, like I plan to do in the future, I need more experience and fieldwork.
I agree on the subject of continuing education. A lot of people expect to stop learning after high school or college and I don't get that.
I've worked for a company as a technical resource for a few years, and recently one of two marketing personnel left. That created a gap that I could fill, because the person I work with specializes in print and typography while I design websites, shoot photos, and create video projects.
I'm not expected to know everything... yet. But if I were selling my services, like I plan to do in the future, I need more experience and fieldwork.
I agree on the subject of continuing education. A lot of people expect to stop learning after high school or college and I don't get that.
A lot of the market is moving towards the owner/operator freelance model. They want people that own that particular camera over someone who rents it. Personally, it doesn't really make a difference to them whether or not you own the equipment or have rented it, they just want to be absolutely, 100% sure you have that camera. The entry level freelance market will be this way for a while, I assume, and even grow bigger.
There are perks to owning your gear: It's available anytime that you are, it's available without you (not always the best idea, but you can rent your gear out and make a $ here and there, or if you work with a group of people who want your equipment but you're not available, you can send someone you trust w/ the camera to make sure you're still securing that gig), and you have a consistency in your own work because it's always with the same equipment.
When you're working open-invitation gigs at entry level, they request a specific camera and they want that owner to know that that operator/owner relationship is there. But for these gigs, they are paying for the equipment, NOT the operator. They don't pay very well, people generally don't know what they want, they've just heard this camera makes a great image and they want it, too.
The next level of gigs are experience and operator-based gigs. You've got the demo reel. You've got the chops. They've already heard of you. And they're willing to pay for YOU. And in that case, you're making enough that you can rent (or have them cover the cost is even better) and go with what you want because you're making the stylistic choice of camera.
I've typically worked the entry-level stuff with my camera, advertising it with me as an operator. It's been a plus because lots of people know the DVX and want that brand name, and it gets me through the door to collect a lot of these gigs. 2 years ago I had no experience, no resume and no camera. Now I'm working consistently, getting closer to what I want to be doing, and building my network and income. In enough time, I'll be at the point where my camera isn't attached to me, it's just one particular choice I can make w/ regards to a gig.
But a lot of the people who make big money doing this stuff have been at it a decade or more. The first couple of years are what make or break you. If you make it over that hump, then hang in a little longer and it'll grow. I think owning gear is very helpful here, but if you work in a city with an established system (especially LA) then this isn't gonna make a difference because everyone rents anyways. If you're in podunk, MI, then it'll help because owning will tell someone that if their shoot suffers a reschedule, that you'll still have that exact gear package the next day you're available. That means something to them. But in those cases, still, they're paying for the gear, not you.
There are perks to owning your gear: It's available anytime that you are, it's available without you (not always the best idea, but you can rent your gear out and make a $ here and there, or if you work with a group of people who want your equipment but you're not available, you can send someone you trust w/ the camera to make sure you're still securing that gig), and you have a consistency in your own work because it's always with the same equipment.
When you're working open-invitation gigs at entry level, they request a specific camera and they want that owner to know that that operator/owner relationship is there. But for these gigs, they are paying for the equipment, NOT the operator. They don't pay very well, people generally don't know what they want, they've just heard this camera makes a great image and they want it, too.
The next level of gigs are experience and operator-based gigs. You've got the demo reel. You've got the chops. They've already heard of you. And they're willing to pay for YOU. And in that case, you're making enough that you can rent (or have them cover the cost is even better) and go with what you want because you're making the stylistic choice of camera.
I've typically worked the entry-level stuff with my camera, advertising it with me as an operator. It's been a plus because lots of people know the DVX and want that brand name, and it gets me through the door to collect a lot of these gigs. 2 years ago I had no experience, no resume and no camera. Now I'm working consistently, getting closer to what I want to be doing, and building my network and income. In enough time, I'll be at the point where my camera isn't attached to me, it's just one particular choice I can make w/ regards to a gig.
But a lot of the people who make big money doing this stuff have been at it a decade or more. The first couple of years are what make or break you. If you make it over that hump, then hang in a little longer and it'll grow. I think owning gear is very helpful here, but if you work in a city with an established system (especially LA) then this isn't gonna make a difference because everyone rents anyways. If you're in podunk, MI, then it'll help because owning will tell someone that if their shoot suffers a reschedule, that you'll still have that exact gear package the next day you're available. That means something to them. But in those cases, still, they're paying for the gear, not you.