New Business at Under 70 Cents a Gig!

Tap a demographic that is virtually guaranteed to come to you, absolutely values your video services and products, and consistently invests in video or related services! For less than 70-cents per prospect you can triple, even quadruple your response levels and bring in more business!

A GOLDEN OPPORTUINTY!
Whether you sell and deliver only one wedding video, give away countless highlight thank you DVDs, sell extra copies, distribute copies to the ceremony and reception venues, wedding planner, activities director, the caterer, the officiant, band, DJ, string ensemble, singers, photographers or anybody else...
...you are doing more than giving away "comp" copies in an effort to build connections with other wedding service providers. If you do not go the small additional expense to purchase double-disk capacity (thin line) cases and include one or more of your demo DVDs along with EACH AND EVERY production you deliver you are throwing away a golden opportunity!

DO NOT DIS PEOPLE WHO BUY YOUR SERVICES & PRODUCTS!
This stands even more so for independent professional video services providers (IPVSP) who have diversified beyond the wedding market into the countless other events categories introduced over the years in E.C. Come, E.C. Go. As I have noted in previous articles here, upon starting out as an IPVSP focusing on wedding video production, I almost immediately recognized that I was limiting my income potential by holding such a narrow business focus. Now, after going full time and broadening the scope of services offered by my company, much of what I produce falls in the "work once, sell many" category. Each and every product delivered is a unique opportunity for marketing.

Keep an ongoing mailing list of all customers and clients, groups and organizations that purchase your services and video products. Keep the list current and fresh, adding notes that not only provide you with the name, address and phone numbers of previous buyers, but when they last purchased a product or service, and what it was. Also, how many years they've been coming to you, if they have recommended you to others, and it doesn't hurt to catalog special dates - anniversaries, birthdays, new arrivals, perhaps even career highlights as you become aware of them.

Keeping this level of information is important to your overall marketing strategy, but for now I will stick with getting your demo DVD into the hands of all these people.

As an independent it is difficult to be all things to your business, but if you want a guaranteed resource for re-sales, renewable business and referrals you need to keep and maintain your client base list with the understanding that every customer is MORE THAN JUST A NAME!

ALWAYS INCLUDE A CURRENT DEMO DVD!
If you do nothing else, ALWAYS use double-disk capacity cases and ALWAYS include a copy of your most current general purpose, wedding or other special events demo DVD. Sure, it takes time, effort, money and might sound like a LOT of investment of each into what could prove wasted expense. No, not wasted!

If, however, you do not take advantage of this guaranteed HOT client list and market every time you deliver, you are throwing away a lot more than 70-cents per prospect. This is by far the cheapest renewable marketing approach you have at your disposal.

Provided your DVD graphics look professional, and are pleasing to the eye, you can almost be assured that sooner or later it will be pushed into the player and reviewed. Better yet, the shelf life will be virtually as long as that of the product you delivered because nine-out-of-ten recipients will put that demo BACK into the double-disk case. And, the client will remember where your demo DVD is, or be reminded every time the production keeping it company comes out to be seen again, and again.

Can you say that about the demos you hand out casually in paper sleeves, or direct mail to valid, but cold call, addresses? While I also believe in the direct mail approach for getting my demo DVDs into the hands of prospective clients, I realize it is never going to be as effective as putting my demos into the hands of people who already know me, my business, my services and my products. The reduced shelf life of direct mail demo DVDs means I have to repeat this often to achieve a similar level of success - at a greater, but still worthwhile, expense

WHERE DID I GET 70-CENTS?
I purchase and use double-disk capacity, clear thin line cases from Edgewise Media, DVD blanks from any number of direct e-mail sources including CDRDVDR Media, Ink Caddy II bulk ink refills from DenverDisc where I also originally purchased my Ink Caddy II bulk ink delivery system for about $125. I also purchased my DVD duplicator system from DenverDisc, formerly Reliant Digital.

At $60 the Ink Caddy refills provide me with approximately 11 full cartridge replacements at a significantly lower price; any duplicator will save you time - mine does; double-capacity thin line clear (or black, or white) cases run about 40-cents each; I use Taiyo Yuden blanks exclusively and occasionally get them for less than 30-cents each in bulk. DiscMakers also provides quality products though a bit more than other places, and a GREAT line of duplicators at incredibly competitive prices.

If you want to look into DVD duplicators with copy protection check out Randy McNally and American Recordable Media. Super Media Store has GREAT prices on regular DVD duplicators as well. McNally offers a 5-target dubber with copy protection and no additional fees for under $900.

This equipment and materials, along with the two-sided 98 brightness 24-lb. paper stock I purchase from Fry's Electronics or Staples, about $9 a ream (500 sheets, 8.5 x 11"), my graphics skills and continually updated demo DVDs (new demos due out soon) provide me with a fail-safe marketing approach to renewable business.

Remember: If you market, you will make it! © 2009, Earl Chessher