upselling vs downgrading

[Noa Put]

Originally Posted by Roger Gunkel

you bought his workshop dvd because he is successful, but he is also successful because you and others continue to buy his products and attend his workshops and seminars, expanding his fame.

Several high end videographers seem to do these workshops and sell digital downloads of those workshop as they secure a steady income, I think most attending such a workshop want to know the secret why he is so successful but most will never succeed in getting at the same level as Ray. I bought his workshop because attending one would be much more expensive and because I want to know what is behind such a name and to hopefully pick up some interesting tips I can use in my work. My very first impression is that the way he works is not that much different from mine, except that he doesn't work alone, he just knows how to market and sell a name like you said.

[Danny O'Neill]

Roger is bang on with the brand thing. I love the Beyonce analogy.

This is what I discovered when i attended the Stillmotion Evo. Their success wasn't just down to their work, the secret they didn't talk about was their branding and their brand team. The ones driving forward the image of them being the best.

So many in our world believe that to get the work its about the camera/gear you use and the work. But its not just that, I would say that part of being successful is actually a small part. Its down to your brand, your workflow and the stuff no one ever talks about. And when I say brand Im not just talking about a logo and colour pallet. A brand is a story, its you, its your team, its how you engage with clients, its the words on your website, its the vendors you affiliate yourself with.

[Noa Put]

I just see that attending his workshop is 800 dollar while the digital download is 100 dollar, so good deal if you want to watch from your lazy chair.

[Roger Gunkel]

I certainly don't criticise anyone buying tutorials and attending seminars, as we learn from other's methodology. I do think though, that as Danny reinforces, many look at the technology and techniques involved, but miss the whole point that the real sale is in the image.

The end product still has to be good enough to delight the client, so you can't blag that, but being the most recognised name doesn't make you the best, it just brings you the most money:-)

Roger

[Chris Harding]

I too agree with Roger

Ray is not a "god" as it comes to a videographer ..he is a normal competent shooter and not any differentr from us in that aspect. However when it comes to marketing the man is a genius!! To be able to market yourself that well and gain almost celebrity status deserves thunderous applause! When it comes down to the basics he still is only an ordinary person and he pushes the record button like everyone else.

Gosh I wish I had marketing skills like that .... it shows that if you can sell yourself effectively you can charge whatever you want and people with come to you too. It doesn't matter if you are in Ireland and the economy is down ...just fly out to your next Hollywood gig someone has paid megabucks for.

I watched the TV series a while back on Gene Simmons ( lead singer of KISS) The guy is quite ordinary in real life but a multi-millionaire simply thru really clever marketing again.

[D.R. Gates]

I don't play around with multiple packages much. I have a base package that includes 6 hours. It's one camera person (me), 4 DVD's and 2 Blu-rays. So the only options are simply adding hours or adding a second camera person. Simple.

But most usually just go with the base package as-is.

[Noa Put]

6 hours...around these parts weddingdays for videographers are between 14 to 17 hours. :)

[Andrew Maclaurin]

6 hours!
Here it's like in Belgium, at least 12 hours work on the wedding day.
I think upgrading or downgrading would depend on your type of clients and the culture in general. Last year I offered a more basic price with add ons and people got confused or unsure of what they wanted. Now I just offer 2 packs, Basic and Plus. The Plus is much better than the basic and I have found that around 70% go for the plus even though the economy here is not in good shape. So the 2-3 or price points with the better ones being much better value usually helps convince the client that it is the best option.

[D.R. Gates]

Originally Posted by Noa Put

6 hours...around these parts wedding days for videographers are between 14 to 17 hours. :)

Yeah, I suppose I have it easy. = ]