Video Success Secrets

V I D E O S U C C E S S S E C R E T S

"Tools for success" for independent
videomakers & small video businesses

Secrets of getting high returns on your Yellow Pages ad.

The Yellow Pages are a terrific medium for video producers and shops because of one simple reason: they are a directive medium, as opposed to a creative medium, such as a newspaper ad or tv spot.

In other words, people use them when they’re ready to buy.

Which means you can (and should) load up your ad with everything you want to say about your capabilities and services --and people will read literally EVERY word. Because for the most part, they've already decided to buy, and your Yellow Pages ad is your best possible opportunity to get them to call you so you can CLOSE the sale!

ILLUSTRATION
* Use your logo; a silhouette of something relevant to your business; a photo or drawing of a camera, a DVD disc. The logo of a professional association to which you belong; even the Visa/Master Card logos, if you take bankcards. Something to catch the reader's eye quickly.

LOCATION
* Your address! (Tricky if you work out of your home, but if you don't include an address you tend to look pretty "fly-by-night..." so at the very least, use a P.O. Box number.) If your address is hard to find and you depend on walk-in business, give them a reference. "One block south of City Hall," or "Just north of Quincy Street off US-131."

The extras that will help your ad pull even better...

There are two things that will help your hard-working ad work even harder. The first is using a second color in your ad. I know it costs you more, but adding a color improves readership by a factor of THREE TIMES.

The second thing is something that won’t cost you extra. Do something with your ad border. Don't just have the Yellow Pages ad production people run a thin line around the ad. Make it look like film perforations, a length of videotape, a row of chaser lights. You can even incorporate your artwork into it the design. The trick is to make the ad as eye-catching as possible. Ask your yellow pages sales rep for help in design, and even in writing --as long as you remember the sure-selling phrases that we've already discussed.

Business listings & other fine print.

Your Yellow Pages rep(s) will no doubt ask you about your listing in the "business white pages." This is the section of the regular phone book that carries business names and numbers, of course. If you can afford it, I strongly recommend you "buy up" to a bold faced listing at the minimum; and buy a bold-faced color listing if you can. In most cases, people use these listings because they already know your name and just can't remember your number. Secondly, bold and colored print significantly improves the visibility of your name and number. Keep in mind that 70 percent of the population is visually impaired to some degree. For them, small print is hard to read. Make it easy for everyone to find you!

Excerpted from “Yellow Pages Power” by writer/producer Steve Yankee, the creator of over 50 books, videos and reports for independent videomakers and small video businesses. To order the book, visit http://www.yellowpagespower.com. For more free profit-building business tips and tricks, visit http://www.videosuccess.com

Secrets Revealed!
How to REALLY organize your work!

Back when I was young, I had a boss who had lists of lists. While I thought nothing about hiring a crew of studio musicians and walking into a sound studio with only a vague idea of what music theme we'd produce for an industrial video soundtrack, Al (not his real name) would have a list for each day of the week, including Saturdays. Which invariably started with "shower and shave."

While I'm not suggesting that you develop all the qualities of my former boss, being organized definitely helps life run smoother; particularly if you're a typical entrepreneur with a hundred projects running all at once.

Enter The Work Wall: Life At A Glance.

Most of my script and article is done at a large table, facing a wall in my office. (Windows distract me). Mounted on the wall is a large (4' x 5') bulletin board. I refer to this space as "my life at a glance."

Stretched across the top of the thing are a row of file cards titled as follows:

Underneath are separate 4" x 6" file cards on each project that I'm currently dealing with; the latest issue of Video Success News, my weekly ezine; a mailer for an upcoming Marketing Secrets Seminar, another card on an article I'm drafting for a national magazine; cards on two ideas for new books; a half-dozen cards on current writing assignments for various clients, and a couple more cards for various marketing tools -new product packaging, and a new audio CD.

Each of these cards --containing the name of the project, its job number, and the target date for completion --is pinned under the appropriate category card. The new Corporate Identity video I'm writing for a client is, for example, pinned under Projects in Scripting. When it's finished and is ready for release, I'll move the card to the Projects in Production category.

I can also write down specific information on job cards. If it's a script for a client, I can jot down the date it's due at the client, the date revisions must be finished...that sort of thing. In the case of a brochure I'm preparing for another client, I can write down the printer's name, the date it's due to the printer and the date it's due to be delivered to the client. With this system, at a glance, I can look up at the board and see where I'm at with the couple of dozen projects that are "in the shop" at any given moment. And so can anyone else who needs to know.

That's a big chunk of the Work Wall, but there's more.

Like you, I need a daily dose of motivation. I need to know why I'm working, and what I'm working towards. My main goal is on a separate card at eye level. It reads: To become the best source of video business training materials in North America. I see this every morning. Two years ago, my goal was to have two houses -a quiet one near the Lake Michigan coast, and another in an exciting city. My places in Grand Haven, Michigan and Montreal both more than qualify, and once the goal was met, it was time for the new one. (Remember: you can always make a new goal when you've attained your present one.)

Anyway, the goal is there because just like you, I need to be reminded --on a daily basis --why I'm doing what I'm doing. Besides the more mundane reasons of paying the rent and buying gas for the car, that is.

Also on the Work Wall, I've pinned up pictures of my children, my grandchild, and my girlfriend. I want to be able to help these loved ones both financially and emotionally; because I see their pictures several times a day, they are a constant and silent source of motivation and inspiration. You might be surprised to learn that your picture might well be on my work wall, too; several photos of my friends, a few fans, role models and even pictures of my best clients adorn one corner of the wall; as does a list of all my clients names. Each time I glance at the wall, these names and pictures serve to remind me that I'm working for them, and must keep their best interests at heart.

There's more, too. One eye-level card reads "The Task At Hand." This is where the list of this week's activities goes. And a card next to it lists the month's goals (sales volumes, that sort of thing) and weekly activities --like when edits are due to be completed, when meetings are scheduled with clients, interview dates/times and the like.

How many calendars DO you really need?

A surprising suggestion. One thing the Work Wall lacks is a calendar, and let me discuss this briefly. You should only have one -repeat, ONE -calendar. And you should carry it with you at all times. I use a Day Runner "Time Management System" planning book with separate time sheets for every day of the week, and a separate section with two pages for every month of the year. EVERY meeting, every edit session, every meeting, every follow-up phone call, every birthday or anniversary that I have to know about is in that calendar.

You don't need a calendar at your desk, another one in your briefcase, another one on the kitchen wall, another in your study. You need ONE calendar that has everything combined, and you need it with you most every place you go!

As I sit here typing away, my own personal, portable "life-at-a-glance" sits just to the left of my keyboard, open to today's date. Glancing down and to the left, I know exactly who I have to call today and what I have to do today. Glancing up, I know why I'm sitting here working, I know whom I'm working for today, and I know exactly what has to be done next after this article is finished.

If you're a entrepreneur, there's no doubt that you have a dozen projects --all in various stages of completion or disarray --going on at any given time. You are working on a client project or ten; you're attempting to prepare a news release; you're writing up a proposal for a big prospect; you've got a big job booked for the end of the month and you've got a dinner meeting to attend this weekend. A Work Wall is an eminently simple, cheap and effective way to organize your work AND your life in one fell swoop. Get yourself down to the local office discount store tomorrow morning and pick up a large bulletin board, a box of art tacks and a pack of 4" x 6" index cards. It doesn't have to be fancy, although you can cover a piece of thick foam core in an inexpensive fabric to match your office decor, of course. All it has to do is facilitate your own individual work flow.

You may feel that you don't need a Work Wall or a carry-around calendar system right now but face it! --as a motivated video businessperson looking to succeed, you're well on your way to prosperity and success, and your business is going to grow and grow and grow...and one of the best tips I can I can tell you is that you should get prepared NOW to manage that growth and success!

©2002 Steve Yankee. You're welcome to print out a copy of this article for your own personal use, or to send to a friend. For a free subscription to Video Success News, Steve’s weekly publication of tips and techniques to help boost your video business, visit http://www.videosuccess.com.

Four Magic Phrases That Will Help Your Business Prosper!

It shouldn't be a surprise to you that our language plays a key role in how we provide service. Language can reflect our view of a client when we properly identify clients as the sole reason for our existence.

Which is true, isn't it? If you don't have clients, it stands to reason you won't be providing anyone your services!

Words are powerful; saying the right things can certainly build up your customers' confidence in you and your abilities. But when the wrong expressions are used, the total opposite becomes true. So how do you build this confidence?

First, as the old joke goes, "eschew deliberate obfuscation." In other words, keep it simple as possible. Teach yourself to use simple, direct words. Your verbal expressions really do have the ability to make a significant difference.

For instance, here's a great phrase: "I'll take care of that for you."

Now --what does this statement say?

"I'll take care of that for you" not only inspires customer confidence, but also improves your sense of self-worth, as well. By forcing you to act on the customers behalf, these words enable you to perceive yourself as an important part of your business! Do you have employees? Teach them these seven magical words, "I'll take care of that for you," too. You'll get the same results -employees that perceive their actions as critical to the business and that are focused on providing a good job for your clients. You'll find you're your customers' confidence level will skyrocket, and your employees will feel like an important part of the business, too.

Can your remember the last time you heard the words, "I'll take full responsibility"?

If you continually protect yourself from criticism from avoiding words such as these, you can be certain no one else in your company will ever utter them either! However, when you have established yourself as the person ultimately responsible for the exchange between your company and your client, you will find yourself going to great lengths to be sure no mistakes are made.

These are good words for you and your staff, too. "I'll take full responsibility." Learn them for yourself; teach them to your employees; and live by them.

I can't tell you how many meetings and proposals I attended where the lead presenter finished making his or her sales pitch, delivered the unsigned contract, murmured a few final thoughts on budgets and schedules and details and then sat down without saying this next magic phrase. And I resolved that whenever I made a presentation to someone --whether it was selling them a $500,000 corporate advertising program or a half dozen copies of a videotape --I would always end my spiel with the words, "Mr. (or Ms.) Client --we WANT your business!"

Saying "We want your business" makes the message clear that the customer counts. Far too many businesses tend to think of their clients as an annoying interference. And why should the client assume that you want their business unless you tell them!?

Think about this one for a moment; Think about how you'd feel if you called some supplier and got a quote and they said, "John, we'd really like your business." Would you feel wanted? Would you feel special? Would you feel that however loyal you were to your usual suppliers that you just might give these guys a shot at handling your business?

Thank about it.

Let's move on. "Thank you for thinking about us" is a short, direct sentence that encapsulates what business is really all about. When a client enters your facility or calls you with a purchase in mind they are, in effect, paying your business a compliment. And when you or your employees use these words, you (or they) will have a better understanding of the customer service relationship -and everyone will feel good about the sale. Practice this one. "Thank you for thinking of us."

I firmly believe that every business --whether it's a one-person tape duplication company or a two-person wedding video service or a multi-billion dollar manufacturing corporation --has only ONE reason for existing --and that is to make something happen for the customer --giving good value, and doing it on time. Remember that your clients NEED to be reassured that you'll do WHATEVER needs to be done. And to that end... your words can work wonders. They can create confidence, and establish better customer relationships. And those two hallmarks of good business will ensure that your customers will keep coming back for more of your good work and your good service attitude.

(c)2002 Stephen Yankee. You're welcome to print out a copy of this article for your own personal use, or to send to a friend. Visit http://www.videosuccess.com to get Steve’s free weekly newsletter, “Video Success News.”

Put Your Best Face Forward: How To Make
Your Company Look A Little Larger Than Life.

by Steve Yankee

How you present your company (particularly in a first-time situation) has a lot to do with how you're perceived in the marketplace. Sad but true, you may be an absolute whiz with your equipment and you may be a virtual monster when it comes to creating great programs, but if you or your company looks like a bunch of amateurs, you personally may be treated like one, and not get the respect(or the big budget projects) that you so rightfully deserve.

If you've ever worked for (or worked at, for that matter), a big corporation, no doubt you've been specifically told how to use their logo, what typeface to use for their name, and what corporate colors you must use for reproduction of same. You may even have been handed a bulky “”Corporate Graphics Standards" binder, replete with color swatches and exacting dimensions of everything from door signs to envelopes.

The name of the game is "corporate identity."

And it's just as important for you as it is any Fortune 500 company.

When you strip away all the clutter and marketing gobbledygook, the real purpose of a corporate identification program is to produce a system of graphics that is professional, attractive and that will enhance the image of your firm. Such a program should encompass all aspects of ‘visual communications’ --including your stationery, advertising, packaging, brochures, signage, trade show booth design, and other printed material that will be viewed by both current and potential clients.

Okay. So you're not quite at the level of General Motors or Microsoft. It doesn't matter what size you are. Establishing and maintaining your corporate identification is very important in your marketplace –whether you're doing business on a local, regional or national scale.

Why? Simple. Because whether you're a company of one, or a company of 100 people, you want people to remember you; you want to look like you know what you're doing; you want to look stable, creative and –most of all --professional.

Let me tell you how we made my last company look much larger than life.

Great Lakes Video Services was incorporated about 16 years ago or so. At the time of our inception, the staff consisted of yours truly, my partner Randy and two part-time technicians, and we had two dinky offices on a side street office building.

We were little. But we wanted to look larger than life. We wanted to look like we were well-established (which we weren't), savvy (which we were), professional (yep), businesslike (ditto), and creative (fer sure).

So one of the first things we did after setting up the videotape dupe rack and plugging the editing suite together was to hire a professional designer and had him develop a logo. Simple, strong, colorful and eye-catching, it features our name and a graphic device which resembles both a wave (Great LAKES, of course), and an artfully draped piece of videotape. We decided on our corporate colors --strong shades of blue (for water) and green (for money, natch), and locked in a "corporate" typeface --one that would not vary, regardless of where it was to be used.

And then we proceeded to plaster our new corporate identity/logo on EVERYTHING we could think of. Our shipping boxes. Our letterhead (even our second sheets carried the simple wave device on the left-hand side.) Our business cards, envelopes, order forms, mailing labels, VHS tape box labels, cassette top and spine labels, rate cards, service brochures, invoices --even our equipment identification stickers carried the message in a consistent fashion. And even though Randy (the business and money guy) winced at the cost of three-color printing for "throwaway" shipping labels, I persisted. If we wanted to convey the image that we were big and slick and could deliver the goods for our clients, we had to consistently look that way.

And it worked. The corporate identity we established accomplished its purpose. We were perceived as having our act together. We grew, we prospered.

The frightening thing about public perception is that we in reality could have been totally unhinged and thoroughly unprofessional, working in our garages or basements with antiquated equipment, but our graphic identity made us look like we knew what we were doing. Hence, people trusted us with their work. And when we did a good job, they kept coming back.

The lesson here is that by presenting customers and prospects a strong, consistent image, you’ll reap the benefits of doing things right; you’ll appear to be large, competent, professional. One side benefit is that when you’re perceived by others to be these things, you’ll ACT the part as well, rising to the occasion when you need to.

Get started looking good!

First off, decide what you want to ‘be’ in the mind of your public. Are you a funky little shop specializing in animations? Are you servicing the needs of business and industry in your area? Are you best-known for your location services? Is your strength in duplicating or replicating? Are commercials your forte’? Take the time to develop a corporate identity program that says who you are and what you do, and exudes professionalism.

And when you've got it, use it! Emblazon your name on everything from labels to baseball caps, ads to vehicles, business cards to building signs. Remember that synergy is strength, and consistency is the name of the game.

You’ll find many more marketing and promotional ideas on Steve website, http:www.videosuccess.com. While you’re there, sign up for his free weekly ezine, Video Success News. You're welcome to print out a copy of this article for your own personal use, or to send to a friend.