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Author Topic: How to get more clientele ?  (Read 11795 times)

Jay Barracato

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Re: How to get more Clientele?
« Reply #10 on: May 12, 2011, 02:37:40 PM »


Most of them haven't.  I'm still waiting to see the business plan I assigned Evan Kirkendall to write back in 2008.

It's not just the plan, itself, that is important but the research and planning that goes into writing it.   That can be a real eye-opener.

I think Evan got sidetracked by success. It worked for him, but it is also not a business model I would want to rely on.

    Hmm.... Not for nothing, but..... what makes you think Evan is relying on touring as his business model?  He's a smart young guy. I'm sure he's been saving his money and polishing his business plan while having some fun and seeing the World on someone else's dime.    Sound's pretty Business-like to me.

   Cheers,
   Hammer

  ps... they can take away his gig, but, they can't take away his experiences.

Actually, I wasn't implying that he doesn't have a plan, I was implying that we haven't seen the plan because he is so busy. My comment was really that Evan is in a great position career wise, but also not one you can count on.
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Jay Barracato

Charlie Zureki

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Re: How to get more Clientele?
« Reply #11 on: May 12, 2011, 07:12:07 PM »


    Hmm.... Not for nothing, but..... what makes you think Evan is relying on touring as his business model?  He's a smart young guy. I'm sure he's been saving his money and polishing his business plan while having some fun and seeing the World on someone else's dime.    Sound's pretty Business-like to me.

   Cheers,
   Hammer

  ps... they can take away his gig, but, they can't take away his experiences.

Actually, I wasn't implying that he doesn't have a plan, I was implying that we haven't seen the plan because he is so busy. My comment was really that Evan is in a great position career wise, but also not one you can count on.

   Hey Jay...just messin' with ya.    None of us can really count on anything in regards to business security.  Good businesses fail all of the time.
   
  As a rule...I'd never make any of my business plans public. Concepts, potential locations, and potential employees may be at risk.

  Cheers,
  Hammer 
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Chase Livingston

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Re: How to get more cliental ?
« Reply #12 on: May 12, 2011, 07:15:21 PM »

Are you using any type of social media to promote your business, such as Twitter or Facebook?
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Sam Thompson

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Re: How to get more clientele ?
« Reply #13 on: May 12, 2011, 10:56:22 PM »

Hey everyone,
Thanks for the replies and constructive criticism. It has been a big help to see the other sides of marketing and so forth.

To answer some questions,
Yes. The company does have Facebook. Not twitter though. I have a personable twitter account and don't get much socializing through it. Facebook has helped a little though.

I want to thank the others for noticing some flaws in the website. I've corrected some things today but don't really see it helping much right now. And a thank you for my personable grammar corrections.

I wrote the topic just before bed last night and distinctly remember thinking that (Advise/Advice) was incorrect. However no excuse.

And to answer another question.
 I get a minor amount of phone calls for work. Audio production work is in demand in this area. I've been in several local small -medium entertainment venues and have noted that a lot of sound and production flaws and could use great improvement, It just hard to get them to realize it or to  consider dropping the people who do it wrong and hire someone who does it right. Also; I've done mail-outs and saw absolutely no progress in that. I have success in business marketing emails, in that I receive replies but hardly ever get any requests for work.

Word of mouth and through another good friend of mine, is where I pickup most of my work.

Truthfully, Audio is what I'm passionate about and get very technical and artistic about it. I want everybody to enjoy an event and I know that every style of event is different and requires different approaches. Money making is a priority but it wasn't my drive to start the company. The love for audio is what drives me. When I see touring acts that wont touch anything but a JBL line array, it really gets me miffed. I know that the FOH engineer for Eddie Money was in IL for an event and was faced with Sound Physics Labs TD1s designed by Tom Danley. Now owner of Danley Sound Labs.  They FOH Engineer freaked out at the boxes and had another company stand by with some EV boxes in a truck. But; afterwards, he told the Sound company with SPLs that they "kick butt!" I'm not a sound guy who wants the most expensive thing, I want what sounds good and covers the audience.

Again, thanks and keep the comments coming.
You all have given me some insight as to thing I need to work on and work harder to do. Even some other methods I may have been lazy to venture.

Sam T.
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Jay Barracato

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Re: How to get more Clientele?
« Reply #14 on: May 13, 2011, 07:58:39 AM »


    Hmm.... Not for nothing, but..... what makes you think Evan is relying on touring as his business model?  He's a smart young guy. I'm sure he's been saving his money and polishing his business plan while having some fun and seeing the World on someone else's dime.    Sound's pretty Business-like to me.

   Cheers,
   Hammer

  ps... they can take away his gig, but, they can't take away his experiences.

Actually, I wasn't implying that he doesn't have a plan, I was implying that we haven't seen the plan because he is so busy. My comment was really that Evan is in a great position career wise, but also not one you can count on.

   Hey Jay...just messin' with ya.    None of us can really count on anything in regards to business security.  Good businesses fail all of the time.
   
  As a rule...I'd never make any of my business plans public. Concepts, potential locations, and potential employees may be at risk.

  Cheers,
  Hammer

I figured that Hammer. It would be too easy and a bit disrespectful to attribute too much of Evan's success to "right place at the right time" and disregard the skull sweat he has put into the position. It is easy to see him continue to grow in professional knowledge with each of his blogs. I often wonder how many people were at the perfect "right place at the right time" for themselves and didn't realize it, and didn't exert the effort to make their own future possible. I have only met Evan once face to face, I am involved in a totally different musical genre, and I have a good 25 more years of life experience, but I really respect what he has accomplished.

I also wonder how many people reading the boards now have any clue who we are talking about.
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Jay Barracato

Daniel Postilnik

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Re: How to get more clientele ?
« Reply #15 on: May 13, 2011, 11:01:08 AM »

Sam,

First of all, your website needs to join us in the 21st century. Check out Wordpress for an easy to manage web-hosting solution, they offer a lot of free, professional-looking themes.

Second of all, in the interest of maintaining a professional front, you might want to consider omitting the Bio section, or at least the photographs in that section, as it looks like your company is a Pop-and-Son-and-Childhood-best-friend operation. Not likely to instill confidence in a corporate client.

You may also want to consider listing some of the types or brands of equipment that your company uses. Think about how most people are searching for your services...Google. They're searching by keywords. Identify the keywords that are relevant to your business and focus on incorporating those into the content of your site.

Some people will argue that the website is just a marketing tool, but I've found that it's a huge factor that determines whether or not you'll be able to keep clients once they have found your company. I'm always looking for ways to improve it.

Cheers!
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Jeff Babcock

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Re: How to get more clientele ?
« Reply #16 on: May 13, 2011, 05:28:31 PM »

Sam,

Regarding your quote form on your website, I fail to see how it is of much use.
For example, you have a radio-button list of items, with no multi-select, and nowhere to give a general description of the gig requirements.  So I'd be unable to tell you I needed multiple things such as sound and lighting and video etc.  And though my event might only be for 300 people, maybe it's a high budget corporate event where we want 50 movers and a video wall. 

If I was looking at your site based on this I wouldn't bother filling out the quote form at all.  You'd be better off dropping that form and just having contact information with a listing of the type of information you need prospective clients to provide so that you can quote them accurately.

I agree with the other comments about the website.  You seem to have done some decent productions for some notable artists, but the website makes your company appear amateurish.

Thank you for your understanding that this criticism is meant to be constructive.

Best regards
Jeff
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Sam Thompson

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Re: How to get more clientele ?
« Reply #17 on: May 13, 2011, 06:19:24 PM »

I have gotten some great advice from all of you and I deeply appreciate it.

I am taking everyones' thoughts into consideration. I know that 90% of you are in the production market if not 100% of you and am trusting in the words of 2 or 3 people.

However I must recognize my original post. A band I was recording with used Gigmasters to promote and bid on gigs to perform at events. Does anyone know of something like that for Production companies? Bidding on shows. Or does that usually just happen from a promoter who's going around getting $ from multiple companies?
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Charlie Zureki

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Re: How to get more clientele ?
« Reply #18 on: May 13, 2011, 10:41:52 PM »

I have gotten some great advice from all of you and I deeply appreciate it.

I am taking everyones' thoughts into consideration. I know that 90% of you are in the production market if not 100% of you and am trusting in the words of 2 or 3 people.

However I must recognize my original post. A band I was recording with used Gigmasters to promote and bid on gigs to perform at events. Does anyone know of something like that for Production companies? Bidding on shows. Or does that usually just happen from a promoter who's going around getting $ from multiple companies?

    Hello
   Just as in the fact that there's a bit of confusion in regards to your website versus the quality, customers, or type of projects you SHOULD be targeting....I think that any of these broker schemes would be to you and your Company's detriment.

   You know the quality and performance value of your Company..why, even if there is such a broker/clearing house/gig finder for a Sound/Lighting provider...would you want to cheapen your work, or, confuse your customer?

 Your Reputation should be the most carefully guarded asset of your Company.

 Hammer
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Brad Weber

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Re: How to get more clientele ?
« Reply #19 on: May 15, 2011, 10:37:33 AM »

Truthfully, Audio is what I'm passionate about and get very technical and artistic about it. I want everybody to enjoy an event and I know that every style of event is different and requires different approaches. Money making is a priority but it wasn't my drive to start the company. The love for audio is what drives me.
This is very common.  It is also common for a business based on passion with the technical and/or artistic aspects to reach a point where keeping it a viable business requires either one of the principals shifting their focus away from the technical and artistic aspects and toward the administrative, managerial and marketing side of the business or bringing in someone to handle at least some of those aspects.  That may be what you were looking to accomplish through a broker service, however while a broker may get you some work, it may not get you clientele looking to develop long term relationships and that can be a key to long term success.
 
In addition, since your web site identifies that you also provide installs, equipment rentals and equipment sales, it seems that a broker for production services wouldn't help your business in those areas.  I know people where those are the what pay the bills and allow them to pursue the part they really care about, so you might want to think about whether that is a factor.
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Re: How to get more clientele ?
« Reply #19 on: May 15, 2011, 10:37:33 AM »


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