Parc Entertainment is now in a new location in the heart of Five Points South. Our new address is 1312 20th Street South, Birmingham, AL 35205. We occupy the second floor of an old white Victorian house that backs up to Cobb Lane. Email addresses, phone and fax numbers remain the same. More exciting developments are in store for our company as we work on expanding our resources to help our clients execute their marketing strategies. Send us an email or give us a call if you are interested in video production, web design/development, or graphic design & identity.
Money, money, money. This is the one thing that most potential clients are concerned about when deciding whether or not to push forward with a marketing campaign. If you work in video production, web design, graphic design… well, just about any creative field, it can be frustrating when clients want more for less money. Somewhere along the way the true value of what we provide hasn’t been communicated. Maybe the fault lies not with the client, but with ourselves.
Let me explain. In a post last year I discussed the importance of knowing what you’re worth. As a freelancer and small business owner you need to be confident in the quality of your work and the value of your time. Your rates should reflect this view. However, during leaner times we sometimes find ourselves desperate to land the next job. And what do we do? We “low-ball” our bids in an effort to beat out our competitors. Over time, this approach has two effects.
- The marketplace is cheapened.
- The bar is lowered for everyone, creating a new price standard by which all other creative services are gauged.
Before you bid on a job, you have to decide what your ultimate goal is. If you simply want the job, so you can get something on your reel or in your portfolio, then you will probably try to undercut the competition. Keep in mind that if you cut your rates just to land the job, the client will expect more of the same from you down the road. They will continue to up the work load while trying to talk you down on price.
The alternative strategy is to let the quality of your work speak for itself. Communicate the value of what you will deliver. Tell your client that you want to provide them with the most competitive product, not a quick fix. Reinforce the idea that compromises both financial and creatively will ultimately compromise the end product. And if the client continues to balk at your bid, don’t be afraid to walk away. If the client’s entire focus is on money, then the relationship might not be a good fit for you.
Getting started as a freelancer or small business owner in the creative field is definitely exciting. Whether you are in video production, graphic design, photography, web design, etc. emotions become a mixture of anticipation and anxiety. As you grow your business, you will always be on the lookout for new relationships and new opportunities. But as you promote your busines, it’s important to keep some ethical guidelines in mind.
At some point in your career, you will be hired out as a sub-contractor for another company. You may be hired to go out and shoot some b-roll footage or you might be asked to shoot some stills of a particular event. During these jobs, you are representing some one else - not your own business. You should never use it as an opportunity to hand out your own business cards and gain clients for yourself. This can be difficult to do, especially if you are first starting out and the client is pleased with your work. Remember, how would you feel if you had an established relationship with a client and a freelancer you hired was on location promoting himself and not your business?
In other situations you might be brought in on a project because you have a specific skill set. For example, let’s say a marketing project manager has a client who requests video production work in addition to the website that’s already being designed. The project manager might pull you in to handle that aspect of the job. In this particular scenario you should try and meet with the client only when the project manager is present. Remember, it’s the project manager’s client, not yours, and he/she should definitely stay in the loop. If you have to email the client directly for any reason, always Cc: the project manager. There are two more things to keep in mind with this particular arrangement:
- Never discuss payment terms with the client. That’s between you and the project manager. Remember, you are a vendor.
- Never accept payment directly from the client, unless you have permission from the project manager. Usually a project manager will include a markup into the budget to cover his/her time and overhead. Never give the impression that you are trying to conduct business behind the project manager’s back.
I know that as a freelancer or small business owner, it’s important to be zealous in your marketing efforts. But what’s more important is that you remain ethical.
When I first started in my business, one of the biggest things I worried about was the caliber of my work. After landing work with those early clients, I was afraid that they would hate the final product once it was delivered. I was unsure of my abilities. I was faced with a lot of doubt early on. Although I had plenty of production experience as a college student and as a freelancer, I knew that there was a lot yet to be learned. And I knew that working for someone else on a particular shoot is a lot different than running your own business.
Perhaps you are currently facing a similar situation. You’re passionate about your creative work - whether it be video production, writing, graphic design, web design, etc. - but you’re just getting started and don’t yet have a strong reel or portfolio. You want to make it on your own, but struggle with self confidence. If you’re in this situation, remember the adage, “Never let them see you sweat.”
It may be simplistic to say this, but despite your own fears, you have to maintain a self-assured appearance. Always portray confidence, no matter what. A potential client can pick up on self-doubt from the moment of the first hand shake. Here are a few reminders:
- KNOW YOUR STUFF - When a potential client starts asking you questions about your particular field and what you have to offer, you have to respond in a clear, confident, knowledgeable manner. Read books if you feel as though you need a little more education. Get out there and practice your craft, even if it’s on your own time. Talk to more experienced people in your field and ask them questions about their particular style.
- GET SOME BUSINESS CARDS - It’s professional and it provides your potential client with all pertinent contact information. And if you can, get rid of that email address from your high school years - the one that says “misshottie123@yahoo.com.” You don’t have to have a business domain, but everything about you should be professional.
- GET A REEL - If you haven’t edited a demo reel, do it. Even if all you have are some short films from college, it will give a potential client an idea of your particular style of writing, cinematography, editing, etc. Believe me, in three years you will look back on that first reel and gag with horror as you see the quality of your work, so that’s why it’s crucial that you keep the reel up to date. And always put your contact info on the reel and on the disc label.
- NEVER SAY NO - Some people debate this point, but I think it’s important when you’re first starting out to accept any job, even if you feel as though you don’t have the resources. Go ahead and take the job, then hire others to come on board to help in areas that might be beyond your level of expertise. You can build their cost into the budget, then mark that up 15% as a commission for yourself (after all, it’s your client). There are always a number of available freelancers out there. You just have to know where to look. And working with people more experienced than you will only help you to learn more about your field.
- FREELANCE FOR OTHERS - I did this a lot when I was first starting out. Landing my own clients was a rare occurrence in the early days, so I would jump on board with any other production company hiring freelancers. I worked as a PA, cable wrangler, camera assistant, camera operator, etc. just to fill in the gaps. Once you have built up your own client base, you can slowly cut back on how much you have to work for others.
Remember, the more confidence you demonstrate to your leads, the more inclined they will be to hire you. It won’t be easy. It will be slow and sometimes it will be very discouraging. But don’t let those slow periods drain you of your own self-worth. If you’re passionate enough about what you do, it will pay off.
When you finally meet with potential clients interested in your creative services, it’s easy to sit back and allow them to describe the project for you. It’s easy to listen as they tell you what they would like. But what do you do when your contact turns and says, “I’d like to hear some of your ideas.”
One of the best ways to attract new work is to spend some quality time preparing for that first meeting. Research your contact’s company. Learn what you can about the way they do business. Examine their current brand and their current marketing efforts. Read what other people are saying about them. And see what their competition is doing. If you take the time to do your homework then you can be better prepared to ask relevant questions offer creative solutions to their marketing problems. It’s a great way to establish a strong business relationship.
