You Gotta See This! (eBook)

CHAPTER THREE:
SET UP
SHOP

Now that you’ve taken your FIRST STEP up THE CREATIVE LADDER to…

• Find Your Lane.
• Figure Out How You’re Wired.
• Double Down on What You Do Best.
• And use The Four Key Building Blocks.

It’s time to take STEP TWO and SET UP SHOP, so you’re ready for new opportunities.

Let’s start with a few simple questions.

If I checked your WEBSITE. What would I find?

If I wanted to see your RÉSUMÉ. Could you get it to me, right now?

If I asked to look at your DEMO REEL. Can you play it on your phone or tablet?

If I watched your REEL. Would I be bored? Or say, “WOW! Your work is great!”

Without a résumé, website, or reel to show me, it would be difficult (impossible) to convince me to hire you.

I’d probably give you the old, “Don’t call us. We’ll call you” line. Then, walk you to the front door, shake your hand, and say, “Thanks for stopping by.”

7 BRANDING TOOLS

Here are SEVEN PERSONAL BRANDING TOOLS you need to stand out in your space!

You need all SEVEN TOOLS to climb THE CREATIVE LADDER.

Because without them, you’re at a real disadvantage.

A MISSED OPPORTUNITY

I’ll never forget the time I arrived at a high-end production company for an interview. I had just left a position producing a nightly talk show in the San Francisco Bay Area and moved to Sacramento to freelance as a producer, director, and writer.

So, I walked in the door, met the creative director, walked into his conference room, sat down, and had what I thought was the start to a great interview. This production company specialized in commercials and corporate videos for local business as well as state government. Two areas where I had experience.

Then I made a BIG mistake.

When the creative director asked to see my work, I had nothing to show him. All my reels were at home in a box, waiting to be edited. And, to top it off, I didn’t bring a fresh résumé with me either. My big mistake was thinking my television experience would be enough to get work.

But it wasn’t.

I left the meeting embarrassed and humiliated. But I had no one else to blame for showing up unprepared. That day, I missed an important opportunity to get a job and connect with a key production company in the community.

It was a hard and costly lesson to learn.

A GREAT RÉSUMÉ

With everything being done online these days, having an up-to-date résumé you can text or email a client is essential for your success in media. Why?

Because your résumé represents your brand. Its sole purpose is to get attention and tell your story. If you’ve never created a résumé before, or it’s been a while since you freshened yours up, it’s time!

Here are some things to consider as you BUILD A GREAT RÉSUMÉ …

1. Tell Your Creative Story. Your résumé should reflect your journey and passion. Not just a list of been-here-done-that jobs. Be sure the reader sees where you started, how far you’ve come, and most of all—who you are.
2. Understand the Opportunity. Make sure you’re clear about the position or job. Research the company. Look at the work they do and who they’ve worked for. Find clues to help you better understand where they’re positioned.
3. Make Sure You’re a Match. If you’re a great studio shooter and they’re looking for a field shooter, you may not be a match. If you’ve written for print but not for television, think about the match. If you know you don’t fit, move on.
4. Toss In Unexpected. I have a graphic designer friend who has a great résumé. At the end of his list of skills and experiences, he adds that he’s “An Avid Georgia Bulldog Fan!” which makes the reader stop, smile, and remember him.
5. Look at Online Jobs. Jot down the requirements media companies and agencies have listed for positions locally, and in other markets. Condense them down into a list of universal requirements. See what specific skills you need to add to be considered. Then, learn those skills as fast as you can.
6. Know What the Market Pays. Depending on where you live, there are low, medium, and high rates for every position. Your job is to move as high up the pay ladder as you can for your position, and your market.

While we’re here. Let’s talk about scaling your income.

GIVE YOURSELF A RAISE

What you charge for your services says a lot about what you believe your time and your skills are worth and where you position yourself in your marketplace. If you’re just starting out and you don’t have a lot of overhead, then charging a lower rate makes sense. But if you’re a media veteran, it’s time to look at what you charge.

• Charge a LITTLE and you’ll get a LITTLE respect.
• Charge MEDIUM and you’ll get a lot MORE respect.
• Charge PREMIUM and you’ll get the MOST respect.

As you begin elevating your work and building (or rebuilding) your brand, consider gradually raising your rates a few dollars—at least once a year. Bumping your day rate from $250 to $275 a day or $500 to $575 a day won’t be a deal-breaker for clients. But that extra money can help pay for your gas or cover other expenses.

The goal is to find a sweet spot somewhere between medium and premium for what you do, and where you live. Then work to get to the upper end of the scale.

That doesn’t mean you can’t scale above premium, if you can justify it. But be careful not to price yourself out of the market.

HIDDEN SECRET: I have a talented friend who has been in the business for a long time. But when I asked for her day rate, I noticed that it was the same rate someone just starting out in television would charge. Her rate sent a message to me about how she valued her time and her experience.

Here’s the bottom line. Scaling your income will help financially, but you have to believe you’re worthy of that new rate.

Time for a confession.

In the past, seeing other directors doing the same work as I do get paid two or three times more was really frustrating. I would stand there, scratch my head, and wonder, How in the world did they pull that off? Why were they able to charge double or triple?

The answer was because their perceived value was higher than mine. Clients looked at the work they did for high-end clients and valued their brand enough to pay more. Their expectation was, if they pay more, they’ll get better.

That’s when the light bulb came on. And I suddenly realized if I don’t elevate my work, I’ll get left behind. I won’t be considered for great jobs. I can’t charge competitive rates or stand out in my space.

So, I started watching great content on cable and streaming services and wrote down the names of top companies producing great shows. As I studied their work, I broke it down for clues and insights. I decided, if I was going to compete with the best, I needed to learn from the best.

And rethink my process.

CAN I GET A DISCOUNT?

Early in my career, I discounted my rates a lot. My thinking was, if there’s money on the table, I need to do everything I can to get some or all of that job, to pay my rent. Sounds desperate, right?

Then one day, I asked a friend why his company doesn’t discount their rates.

“Because when people hire us, they know our reputation and expect amazing work. If I discount my rates, I don’t have the budget I need to create at that high level, and my clients will be disappointed with the finished product,” he said.

“I’d rather refer a client to another company that can do the job for their budget than to give a discount and not meet our standards, or their expectations.”

What does my friend do instead?

If he really wants to work on a project, but the budget is tight, he’ll offer the client sweeteners. Like, “I won’t charge you for travel time. I’ll work a 10-hour day vs. an 8-hour day.” Or, “For that budget, we can produce two amazing videos, instead of three.”

Simplifying the scope of a project helps him match the client’s budget.

HIDDEN SECRET: Offering sweeteners means his rates aren’t diluted. He gets the budget he needs. He’s able to create at a high level, and the client won’t come back expecting a discount the next time.

Knowing what to charge is a lot like pulling real estate comparisons before you price your home to sell.

Q: What’s the #1 rule in real estate?

A: Location. Location. Location.

Q: What’s the #2 rule in real estate?

A: Never go above the highest comp in the area.

The same thinking is true in your...