is this proper etiquette

Blade Borge

Blade Borge

Well-known member
I'm pretty new to the video production biz, but it seems like everytime this has happened.

Someone will find out about me, ask me to do a project for them, then once I tell them how much I charge, I don't get a response back.

You don't like my rates, fine, but if the shoe was on the other foot, I'd write a quick note saying, we got somebody else, we can't afford your pricing but thanks anyways.

Just something so that I won't be wondering if you're still interested and if I need to hold my plans for that day.

Can I get an 'amen' or do I need to get with the program?
 
Follow up with them instead of waiting for them to call.

Call and verify that they got the quote, ask if they have any questions about it, and tell them you're ready to move forward but they need to confirm soon because your schedule if filling up quickly. If they express concern for the price ask for their budget then discuss how you can meet that budget by simplifying the shoot or edit.
 
Yep, i hate not receiving replies to quotes etc i'd rather they told me to f**k off or something than just ignore me... i do think it is bad etiquette and bad business.

It is a good idea to follow these things up though and i do try to find out what their thoughts are on a quote etc... but just in general a hate not receiving emails and calls back!

Tom.
 
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Consider it a blessing. I often qualify potential clients with pricing. How many times have you taken a call and felt in your gut it was going to be a nightmare? Sometimes I even inflate my pricing to "gate" those clients away! If they scoff at my pricing, it was never meant to be... which allows me to concentrate on clients who will pay, then I can take care of those clients properly.

Honestly I would rather NOT get a call back from someone asking about discounts or people who cant afford the quality we provide. "Can you do this any cheaper?" I had this question from a home builder who's market cap is 4.16 BILLION just yesterday. I told the marketing person, "absolutely, but I get to pick the shot I shoot out of focus. Its the only way I can think of lessening the product Im about to provide." [I did end up getting the job- at full price!].
 
LOL that's funny Mikey.

Yeah it's really bad etiquette in my opinion, and it happens quite often. My sales lady always follows up, she doesn't just await their calls, but people don't call back for a variety of reasons. Sometimes, it is price, other times it's just they have nothing new to report yet. Like they know what it costs, now they have to fight internally to get that money in the marketing budget, and they don't have anything to tell you until they do. We've had that happen, a potential client go off the radar for a month, two months, then come back and tell us they are really interested, like nothing happened. Like they are calling us back two days later, lol. It's just how business goes.
 
Blade Borge said:
I'm pretty new to the video production biz, but it seems like everytime this has happened.

Someone will find out about me, ask me to do a project for them, then once I tell them how much I charge, I don't get a response back.

You don't like my rates, fine, but if the shoe was on the other foot, I'd write a quick note saying, we got somebody else, we can't afford your pricing but thanks anyways.

Just something so that I won't be wondering if you're still interested and if I need to hold my plans for that day.

Can I get an 'amen' or do I need to get with the program?
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Think about it a sec ... when you go and shop for a pair of shoes, look at some in one store but decide to check out the store down the street before you buy ... then if you buy a pair at the second store do you go back to the first and tell the salesman you decided you weren't interested in his offerings? I doubt it. So why do you expect potential customers who are just shopping around and decide to do something else to owe you an explanation? When they query about your services and you offer a quote, they aren't clients yet and you haven't formed a personal relationship, it's a strictly impersonal business inquiry and they owe you nothing in the way of explanations. If you need to know one way or the other for some reason, as others have said make a followup call on your own.
 
This isnt a pair of shoes, poor comparison. Reminds me of a line Micheal Douglass said in one of his movies. " There goes $5000" reply "Your Shoes cost $5000?" He says "That one did"
 
Steve House said:
Think about it a sec ... when you go and shop for a pair of shoes, look at some in one store but decide to check out the store down the street before you buy ... then if you buy a pair at the second store do you go back to the first and tell the salesman you decided you weren't interested in his offerings? I doubt it. So why do you expect potential customers who are just shopping around and decide to do something else to owe you an explanation? When they query about your services and you offer a quote, they aren't clients yet and you haven't formed a personal relationship, it's a strictly impersonal business inquiry and they owe you nothing in the way of explanations. If you need to know one way or the other for some reason, as others have said make a followup call on your own.
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I agree, a prospect doesn't owe me anything at that point. But retail and freelance aren't really the same in this situation. In retail, you're just browsing something that's already available. With freelance, you're asking me to set aside part of my day in which I might be doing something else. But you and everyone else are right, if there's doubt, I should follow up, although if I was the prospect, I would let the vid guy know as soon as possible so he can be open to other offers.
 
N635DC said:
This isnt a pair of shoes, poor comparison. Reminds me of a line Micheal Douglass said in one of his movies. " There goes $5000" reply "Your Shoes cost $5000?" He says "That one did"
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"Our annual sales meeting is the 16th of next month, how much would it cost me for you to come in and film it?" is pretty much the same thing as "How much are those shoes on the 3rd shelf?" The only time one should take such an inquiry as firm enough to justify blocking off the time is when a contract has been signed and a deposit has been paid, IMHO, (unless you have a pretty long track record with the client).
 
Again I find we have a big problem on this forum between business owners who run full scale production companies like myself and videographers. No disrespect to videographers, but to me you are just the guys I hire as part of the entire bid, so when you speak about your "rate" Steve, you have to remember you're speaking as just a contractor, a guy I hire, not so easy from my perspective.

If a potential client asks me what something costs, I have to go through a whole process figuring out my travel expenses, hotel arrangements, people I need to hire for the project, their individual needs, what type of motion graphics they might want, whether they want to shoot it lower end or higher end, like do they want a video comparable to some of the more elaborate work we've done or just something quick and dirty, etc. It takes time to budget a project. Especially if it's like ok we have 7 properties in Virginia and we want so and so done with them, then I have to reach out to some of my contacts and see what it could cost me realistically to do this project and what their needs are, etc. It can take hours to get a proper bid together. Now I don't complain about that -- it's part of the job -- but yeah, if they're not interested I would love to know why. Is our bid too high for them? Do they just not have it in the budget? Did they find another company? These things help me figure out how to adjust my business and make sure we're competitive.

We're not all just videographers who have a daily rate. Some of us run actual production companies, no offense intended because obviously it depends on the client what they need, videographer or full-scale production company, but I'm just saying that it's a pretty involved process giving a custom rate quote.
 
JonathanLB said:
Again I find we have a big problem on this forum between business owners who run full scale production companies like myself and videographers. No disrespect to videographers, but to me you are just the guys I hire as part of the entire bid, so when you speak about your "rate" Steve, you have to remember you're speaking as just a contractor, a guy I hire, not so easy from my perspective.

If a potential client asks me what something costs, I have to go through a whole process figuring out my travel expenses, hotel arrangements, people I need to hire for the project, their individual needs, what type of motion graphics they might want, whether they want to shoot it lower end or higher end, like do they want a video comparable to some of the more elaborate work we've done or just something quick and dirty, etc. It takes time to budget a project. Especially if it's like ok we have 7 properties in Virginia and we want so and so done with them, then I have to reach out to some of my contacts and see what it could cost me realistically to do this project and what their needs are, etc. It can take hours to get a proper bid together. Now I don't complain about that -- it's part of the job -- but yeah, if they're not interested I would love to know why. Is our bid too high for them? Do they just not have it in the budget? Did they find another company? These things help me figure out how to adjust my business and make sure we're competitive.

We're not all just videographers who have a daily rate. Some of us run actual production companies, no offense intended because obviously it depends on the client what they need, videographer or full-scale production company, but I'm just saying that it's a pretty involved process giving a custom rate quote.
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I feel you there, I'm in the same boat. there is so much to consider that the general "daily rate" that a videographer would normally charge an end user is not the same as a day rate for an additional crew member that we would bring on to make it happen.
 
JonathanLB said:
Again I find we have a big problem on this forum between business owners who run full scale production companies like myself and videographers. No disrespect to videographers, but to me you are just the guys I hire as part of the entire bid, so when you speak about your "rate" Steve, you have to remember you're speaking as just a contractor, a guy I hire, not so easy from my perspective.

If a potential client asks me what something costs, I have to go through a whole process figuring out my travel expenses, hotel arrangements, people I need to hire for the project, their individual needs, what type of motion graphics they might want, whether they want to shoot it lower end or higher end, like do they want a video comparable to some of the more elaborate work we've done or just something quick and dirty, etc. It takes time to budget a project. Especially if it's like ok we have 7 properties in Virginia and we want so and so done with them, then I have to reach out to some of my contacts and see what it could cost me realistically to do this project and what their needs are, etc. It can take hours to get a proper bid together. Now I don't complain about that -- it's part of the job -- but yeah, if they're not interested I would love to know why. Is our bid too high for them? Do they just not have it in the budget? Did they find another company? These things help me figure out how to adjust my business and make sure we're competitive.

We're not all just videographers who have a daily rate. Some of us run actual production companies, no offense intended because obviously it depends on the client what they need, videographer or full-scale production company, but I'm just saying that it's a pretty involved process giving a custom rate quote.
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Totally agree also! If they are not interested then thats up to them but it would be nice to know why... if not then even just a message to tell you that they are looking elsewhere would be nice so that you know where you stand with them!

Tom
 
I find the same frustration in my work - which very often incorporates quoting for equipment, facilities and then training. When you put in long hours drawing up the plans, sourcing equipment, travelling to the client to sort out details, and then pay the people who have played a part, it's a loss maker when you don't get the contract - and finding out if you were £100,£1000 or even £5000 too expensive is impossible.
 
JonathanLB said:
Again I find we have a big problem on this forum between business owners who run full scale production companies like myself and videographers. No disrespect to videographers, but to me you are just the guys I hire as part of the entire bid, so when you speak about your "rate" Steve, you have to remember you're speaking as just a contractor, a guy I hire, not so easy from my perspective.

If a potential client asks me what something costs, I have to go through a whole process figuring out my travel expenses, hotel arrangements, people I need to hire for the project, their individual needs, what type of motion graphics they might want, whether they want to shoot it lower end or higher end, like do they want a video comparable to some of the more elaborate work we've done or just something quick and dirty, etc. It takes time to budget a project. Especially if it's like ok we have 7 properties in Virginia and we want so and so done with them, then I have to reach out to some of my contacts and see what it could cost me realistically to do this project and what their needs are, etc. It can take hours to get a proper bid together. Now I don't complain about that -- it's part of the job -- but yeah, if they're not interested I would love to know why. Is our bid too high for them? Do they just not have it in the budget? Did they find another company? These things help me figure out how to adjust my business and make sure we're competitive.

We're not all just videographers who have a daily rate. Some of us run actual production companies, no offense intended because obviously it depends on the client what they need, videographer or full-scale production company, but I'm just saying that it's a pretty involved process giving a custom rate quote.
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Yes, of course. No argument if you've gotten to the point of preparing a formal quote or a full bid. In fact, if it's sufficiently complex and results in the preparation of formal specifications documents for the client's project, the work involved in preparing the documents necessary for an accurate quote can even end up as billable time in its own right. But our original poster sounded like he was receiving a fairly casual and much more generic rate query. (And I don't recall referring to "my rate" in any context at all.)
 
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Yeah you also get faster at this kind of thing the more you do it, so you can give a ballpark estimate I suppose before you move forward but some clients don't even want that. They want to know exactly what it will cost them. If you were to say, "In the neighborhood of $4,500 to $5,500," they might be like, "Ok well that's in the range of what we can pay, but what exactly will it cost?" So then you have to do the full quote, haha.

I've done this a lot of times now and we've not heard back from several of the potential clients, but we'll see, it always moves slowly.
 
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