Obtaining Corporate Clients

[Travis Brocato]

What would be some suggestions on getting corporate clients and shooting live event videography for them?

What are your tricks of the trade?

[Don Bloom]

first I did a lot of cold calling to companies around my area. In Chicagoland there's a lot big and small.
Second I joined a business organization not the chamber but similar and networked with everyone I could get in front of.
Then I joined another organization in Chicago itself and did the same.
I simply talked to everyone I could to let them know what I did (do) and how it could benefit them.
One of my longest lasting clients (about 16 years) came from a wedding I did. The brides father was the CEO of a business and asked me about doing a couple of seminars. that turned into a 16 year working relationship and a great friendship which still lasts today. We are golfing buddies every week during the golf season. I've been to his house and he's been to mine. Great friendship.
Unfortunately the business closed out but I've done weddings and other event for people that were associated with the business. That 1 contact put a lot of money in my pocket. The others well not as much but work is work.
You need to get in front of people and tell them what you do and how it will benefit THEM and their company. Even though the economy is down right now companies still spend money on training videos etc.
get out and meet people, join some business organizations and participate in the functions. Carry lots of business cards and let 'em know you do what you do. They won't hire you if they don't know what you do and how you can help them.

Don

[Stephen Jackson]

I joined two business associations here in NY. My first task was to offer the associations my services in exchange for their assistance in promoting our services to their corporate members. We videotaped their events and they provided us with free booth space and advertising for their Business Expo and Gala Dinners.

Since we also produce live events, we became the audio/video producers for their business expo and we sponsored the Welcome Reception of the expo for additional exsposure and to showcase our full production capabilties.

Both associations has done a fantatstic job of marketing our services to their corporate members. We recently produced a video for another local chapter of a sales association and when they showed the video off at their national conference all of the other local chapters want a similar presentation. Now were working on a national price for all of the chapters.

With all of that said, be prepared to join and meet where corporate buyers are. if you join business associations see if they're using video in their marketing and look for ways to offer something for free or in exchange for more visibilty for your business.

Be a problem solver, participate in the organization join committees where your expertise on the power of video can assist the organization grow.

We sometime joke that we work for the organizations that we belong to, but we the upside is that we always have work and we don't spend money on buying ads and a lot of marketing material. In these organizations we are the 1st name in video they call on even through there are probably more than 25 other video companies that are members.