business

After a week of travel, which was more like 3 weeks due to the preparation and focus on nothing but the end goal, it is like returning from a long journey. Amazingly, the voicemail was empty and there were no packages piled on my chair. Why? Because nearly everyone I work with on a regular basis was in the same place as I was, many of them at the same hotel. So it was like I was at a high school reunion, assuming that I was part of a class that took 20 years to graduate.

So here I am back in the saddle (squeaky office chair) with a full plate of communication tasks, aka, new business development.

1. Followup with people I saw last week. Last week, for those keeping score at home, was a medical convention. There are occasional threads in the business and marketing forum about the benefit of attending trade shows.
http://forums.creativecow.net/thread/17/863662#863662
http://forums.creativecow.net/thread/17/862223#862223

It depends upon the trade and the show.

2. Followup with people I did not see, but hoped to.

This is an important part of acquiring new business. That is, developing relationships with people, even and especially those people with whom you have not yet done business. Remind people you are there, out here in the ether. When they need you they'll remember you if you remember yourself to them periodically.

3. Contact people I neither saw nor planned to see but with whom I'd like to meet at some future date.

4. Followup on outstanding proposals.

Writing clear proposals, SOW's or contracts is a vital part of work for hire. If you are a vendor, get good at describing what you do, what you charge, and what they get for what you charge for what you do.

5. Send out new proposals.

See above.

6. Chat with co-workers about ongoing projects, shoots that happened while I was away and future projects and goals.

MBWA - Managing by walking around.

6a. Followup regarding ongoing milestone chasing (another future blog post right there).

7. Create some plans for new products, the ideas for which we gathered from customer requests during our big event. Free market research is a beautiful thing. Well maybe not free, given travel and exhibit costs, but gravy over an already generous helping of mashed potatoes.

Always be thinking of the next sliced loaf of bread.

8. Organize notes - that is - post-its and scrap paper - in a book labeled, cleverly, "The Book." More on this in a future post on getting shtuff done.

So while I say back in the saddle" one should always be IN the saddle, riding on the range, tending the flock helping other ranchers get their cattle to market. Rather than a six-shooter on my belt, a blackberry will have to do.

Giddy-up partner.

Thanks for riding.

Mike Cohen

In other words, don't try to be something you're not.

We all want to grow, and we creative professionals should always be learning new things: skills and practices. It is the practices that I will focus on in this entry.

First skills. There is an abundance on the web and in the real world of opportunities to get new skills. Training classes for Final Cut, graphic design, using the RED camera or whatever. I get the Maine Workshops catalog every year listing everything from an intro to lighting week course to a 6 month live in sabbatical where you write produce and shoot a film for the low low price of $35,000. At the local or internet level there are hundreds of tutorials, DVD products and books. Pick your software and get moving.

In other words, there is no shortage of ways to learn new skills. And we should all be honing one skill or another at a given time.

Now, practices.

Practices can mean different things depending upon your point of view. If you are a motion graphic artist, your practice is how you interact with a client to see their vision and turn out a great end product. If you are a DP, your practice is how you approach a scene, your preferences for lighting and how you achieve the desired look. Sounds like a skill, but a practice is a personal methodology for taking the skills you have perfected and doing great things with them.

For example, a resume may be packed with software titles and equipment, but the important question to ask is not "can you make a 3D animation with XYZ software," rather it is "what can you do for me?"

In business, your practice is how you meet and interact with potential customers. Your spiel.
You need to talk to potential customers in a way that makes them want to work with you. Don't immediately get in someone's face about all the wonderful things you can do for them. Learn about their business, even if you think you already know, you may be surprised. And when you do get the opportunity to bid or make a proposal, do what you do best. Don't try to be all things to all people just because you're afraid you might lose out on a bigger contract. Focus on what you know how to do.

If you are learning how to do new things, these new skills don't become part of your practice until you know how to do them. So your practice should expand over time, but focus on what you know until what you don't know becomes what you DO know!

This week I talked with several vendors of HD surgical cameras. I was interested in how they are recording HD in the OR. Up until about a year ago, you needed an XDCAM deck to record the SDI signal out of the camera control unit. But now manufacturers have realized that's not gonna happen in most places. So did Sony and Olympus come up with their own digital recording systems? Nope. At least two competing manufacturers have teamed up with the same 3rd party outfit to use the same h.264 recording. This may sound like it diminishes market advantage, but actually it levels the playing field. Since Olympus is not a software company with no expertise in digital video recording, they focused on what they know - imaging - and let someone else do the recording. Sony knows digital recording, but not necessarily proprietary software. So in reality, the two similar recording systems cancel each other out, and the consumer can focus on comparing the image quality among brands - and when you are trying to tell the difference between the cystic duct and the common bile duct, two structures the size of your fingernail on your little finger, image quality is king, recording is a bonus feature.

Focus on what you know, and your business will grow.

Thanks for reading.

Mike Cohen

In other words, this is a blog where I talk about nothing to do with Media Production or Project Management. But maybe there are still some business and/or creative lessons to be inferred from what I do to unwind...

You see, a few weeks ago, my wife reminded me that I had not taken a vacation yet in 2009. So I did what all husbands should do..I listened to my wife and took the week off.

Business lesson 1: Listen to those you care about, as they likely care about you too.

I set out an ambitious agenda for myself. I need some structure and I bore easily. On most vacations I get what my Dad calls "schpulkes." My wife knows this too, so on day one of my vacation when I declared "I've sat around the house for 3 hours. Not that I don't like hanging out with you, but I'm going to the movies. Is that ok?" Of course.

Business lesson 2: Ask permission even when you know the answer. In other words, show common courtesy and don't get complacent.

I went to my local multiplex, approx. 2 miles from home, to see District 9. Holy COW, what an amazing accomplishment. So many sci-fi movies have tried to have action and a good story and failed. This one succeeded on all levels and was made on a shoestring. I wouldn't mind shooting a sci-fi movie on the same shoestring budget, by the way. Peter Jackson, I am waiting for your call.

Business lesson 3: Appreciate the work of others and find inspiration.

Speaking of shooting my own sci-fi film, I am on about page 20 of the first draft of a short film I hope to shoot next Summer. That ought to be good for a dozen or so blog posts!

Business lesson 4: Always be thinking of the next big thing.

So that was Saturday.

Sunday was garage cleanup day. Living in a 2 bedroom townhouse style condo, my basement is especially small, so the one-car garage holds the overflow. Generally I only garage my car between Nov and April. In the intervening months it goes to seed. I should have taken before and after pictures, but after about 4 hours I had dismantled a few shelving units, disposed of numerous dead rodents and organized my collection of digging, cutting and chopping implements. Still to sort our is the back half of the garage. Something tells me those cherished notebooks from 9th grade geometry are not as interesting to look at as I remember.

The result, so far, is not too bad.



Business lesson 5: Stay organized. Cut the clutter.

Monday, Labor Day.

Went for a brief bike ride, just around my condo complex. One thing I did not do well this Summer was stay in physical shape. Well, no time like the present to get back on the horse. My wife and I devised a new diet for ourselves, better managing our calorie, carb, fat and protein intake per day based upon recommendations for our target weights and activity levels. Like any project, I setup an Excel spreadsheet to automatically tally the numbers. Day 1, fish. Day 2, chicken. Day 3, beef. Rinse and repeat.

Business lesson 6: Manage your data and use this data to help you meet your goals. Also, take care of your self physically.

Tuesday, Budget Day.

Over the past 8 months, my wife and I have seriously revised how we keep our books. For a while, in order to track our expenses, we entered into Excel not just every receipt from every purchase, but each item purchased. I can tell you exactly how much we spent on fresh raspberries, red wine or DVD rentals. From this data we determined where the waste lives and managed to revise our monthly budget accordingly.

With the budget under control, we then created a spreadsheet listing all monthly expenses for a three month period, and then copied and pasted an average month out three years to project our cashflow for the near future. Such a document allows us to anticipate home improvements, vacations, debt to income ratio, major purchases and reserves.

Business lesson 7: Know where you stand and where you are going, and keep good records.

Wednesday, with many of the goals for the week wrapped up, I truly took the day off. I watched another 5 episodes of Lost Season 2. Just when I had given up on the crazy storyline it got interesting again. I will admit to fast forwarding through some of the flashbacks. We also watched a couple of movie DVDs. Crank 2...forgettable unfortunately. A few gratuitous fight scenes but not one of Statham's better action movies. Most interesting is the fact that this film was shot on HDV. And the film made clever use of text supers and music, almost like a comic book.

We also finished season 2 of the BBC series Skins - a show about the outrageous social lives of a group of college kids in Bristol, UK. Lots of partial nudity and drug use, perfect for teen audiences! Seriously, all of the characters have some family or personal breakdown and the young actors all do a great job. Season 3 has a new cast and is, alas, not as interesting, and highly edited for American tv - not good BBC.

Business lesson 8: Have fun. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.

Thursday - A Fine Day Out!

Today we took a ride along Connecticut's shoreline, from New Haven to Old Saybrook. We stopped at a bead shop so my wife could stock up on some supplies for a few projects. Next we found a gourmet grocery store/farm stand and had a browse around. Many tempting treats but, oh, our diet...bah. Finally, after a quick picnic in the car we hit Hammonasett State Beach, walked along the boardwalk briefly and took in some salty air. When we first started dating we did some camping next to this beach, ate lobsters and generally fell in love. Nice.

Business lesson 9: Get outside and enjoy the nice weather. The same goes for the work day. If you are sitting at your computer for hours at a time, take five minutes and walk outside. It does you good.

Friday - more relaxing.

Saturday

Shopping for the week, Costco, BJ's Target - all my favorite stores.

Business lesson 10: Know how much things cost and go for the best value. After all your most important customer is yourself. Remember your bottom line. And if you are on a diet, remember your waist line.

Sunday

Planted some Spring bulbs in the garden and trimmed some overgrown trees and shrubs. Did some laundry and made a to do list for the very busy week ahead.

Business lesson 11: Put your best foot forward. Appearance is important. Plan ahead and anticipate what is to come.

Summary

I know what you're thinking...geez man, take a vacation. This was a nice vacation and I only now post-operatively have come up with these business lessons.

Thanks for reading.

Mike Cohen

As soon as I get a GANTT chart as an e-mail attachment, that is a sure sign there is an MBA degree holder on the other end. Now don't get me wrong, an MBA is a great accomplishment, and those who use their knowledge to start successful businesses are to be commended.

But for those of us in business, who got here in a roundabout way, such as by starting in a creative job...well we learn as we go. What are some examples of learning business knowledge from creative efforts?

Example 1 - Too Many Cooks Spoil the Broth (ok, that's a cooking example too)

You are working on a script for a video. The writer met her deadline and you like what she's done. So you send it off to your client for review. The next day you get it back with some Track Changes revisions. Nothing too bad. So before getting the green light for the shoot, it has to be run up the chain of command - your client's bosses. Suddenly, you find yourself sitting at a long conference table, accompanied by 6 people you have never met, your client and the worst pot of coffee you've ever tasted. You spend the next 4 hours copiously taking notes as the committee analyzes every word, apostrophe and colon. And speaking of colons, this coffee is racing through your system a bit too quickly. When the script review is finished, instead of being told to make the changes, you have to sit through 30 more minutes being scolded for not following your original orders. In other words, the client decided, via a laborious process, that what they asked for is not what they wanted. But it's your fault of course.

What's this got to do with business? Everything. Managing expectations is one of your key roles in business. You are happy to take the client's money, but are you prepared to help the client know what they want and expect what they are getting? Sometimes the only way to learn this is to drink that bad coffee.

Example 2 - Follow the Yellow Brick Road

In other words, follow the prescribed path to success with a client. In design, you often need to follow the client's corporate branding guidelines...to the letter. The client uses a font you don't have? Buy it. The client does their brochures in InDesign and you are a Quark house? Either learn it or hire someone who knows it. Think the corporate brochure templates are bland and all look the same? Don't forget that the work you are doing is a small piece of their million dollar campaign. Consistency is everything when marketing anything.

From a business point of view, little interpretation is needed. You may be a creative type who is now running or helping to run a business, but once you have provided the creative jolt your client needs, follow their rules for compliance with the corporate strategy.

Example 3 - Dance like a Butterfly, Sting Like a Bee

In other words, think on your feet and nail your client's need accurately and decisively when they need you to. A client calls and says "I like the DVD. Can I use this at my exhibit next week?"
Well you know, from a creative point of view, that you hit the PLAY button and the video plays once then goes back to the main menu. Not good for a trade show display. Your answer has to be "You could, but it would be better if it loops."
The client asks how soon they can get that version.

A good client asks how much it will cost. A good creative/business person will get them the goods and if they are a good client or a new client you do it gratis, because you are providing excellent customer service and that keeps 'em coming back for more. New clients and good clients (repeat clients) are the only clients you should have. New clients are not always good, but sometimes you don't know that until the job is finished. Until that time, treat every client the same - they are a good client, because they are a client, and you want to make them a good repeat client. So you do your job the only way you know how - well. Think on your feet to come up with solutions when they need you to.

More examples than I can think of

Don't just take my advice, check out the latest threads from the Creative COW Business and Marketing Forum:

http://forums.creativecow.net/businessmarketing

Read the forum. Better yet subscribe to the new posts. I guarantee you'll be smarter for reading. You'll get the benefit of many viewpoints from experts and novices alike from around the world. Who needs an MBA when you have a COW.

Thanks for reading.

Mike Cohen

Do you like to Rock and Roll? In other words, do you thrive on one big event after another, or more likely, one success after another.

Anyone who creates media for a living has to make every effort to do the very best job they can every time. We take pride in our work. We enjoy doing even the most mundane tasks. Duping a tape is like selling a song. Authoring a DVD is like selling an album. Producing a live event is like doing a concert. See the parallels?

Social media is all the rage these days. Whether you are getting work this way or not, you are probably putting yourself out there. But what about social media networking within the organizations you serve?

Let's say you have done a DVD for Department A. It's a work in progress, but the video is pristine, the narration, no thanks to you, is dead on and not bad for ad libbed. The DVD interface is a demo - the final product will be done in Flash and they haven't even seen it yet. But lucky for you, the head widget salesman in Dept A has been promoting your work in other departments of his org. Thus, your DVD prototype is your calling card, being flashed around the client's building without your knowledge.

Then you get a call from a new contact in Dept J.

"Hey, this is James Jameson in Dept J of Amalgamated Widgets, Inc. We haven't met, but you're working with Dave Davidson in Dept A. He showed me that widget-o-matic DVD you're developing. I gotta get me one of those, only make mine better. Dave said this costs around a million and a half alligator toes? Sign me up."

It doesn't get much better than that.

Make your clients into true believers of your talents then let them go to work on your behalf, pimpin' your services free of charge. This is how social networking and viral marketing is supposed to work, only it need not happen via the web. Word of mouth was the original social network. Keep it alive.

So you schedule time to go on down to Amalgamated Widgets for a meet and greet, grab a coffee, then walk around the office seeing others that you know. You've got a rapport with these people. Even if you're not doing a project with Jane Janey in Dept W stop by her desk and say hi. Maybe you have a recent DVD on widget repair that she might like to see. Maybe she'll like it and want to buy 50 copies for her salesforce. Always be prepared. Saying you have a product she might like is one thing, but reaching into your computer bag and handing over a sample is better.

Word gets around. The switchboard back at home base gets a call from the VP asking when you will be back in the office. You see, word got around that you were in his building, and he wants to check in to let you know he appreciates your efforts. Maybe this happens, maybe it doesn't, but if the VP knows who you are you're on the right track AND the right train.

Keep the momentum going. Communicate often so your customers have the latest information. Post their edits online in a timely manner. Give them ideas for new uses of the videos you have already created. Word gets around. Soon other departments call wanting to use these works of art for their own purposes.

Yes, everyone wants what you've got. You're a rock star. Enjoy it, but you gotta keep working if you want your success to continue.

Once in a while you may have a song that doesn't make the charts. It happens. Move on, but try to figure out what went wrong. Did you follow the template for a hit? Was your creative idea not what the fans wanted? It's best to face the music, admit your error, and make up for it the next time around.

But when you're on a roll, you can do no wrong. You just gotta pay attention to what you are doing, and make every move deliberate. Make every communication crystal clear. Keep it real and stay out there. You're a rock star, and that's what you have to do to stay on top.

This is me trying to sound cool. You're as cool as you think you are. If your customers think so too, run with it.

Thanks for rockin'.

Mike Cohen

This is a well-used phrase, but in my experience, an underused skill. Any business or website should have a level of customer service - that is, showing signs that the customer's needs are most important. A happy customer is a repeat customer.

In my daily life, I am a stickler for expecting good, or at least adequate customer service. I have learned not to expect much from the youth dominated retail industry. Aside from the odd store manager who is of legal drinking age, most of the retail clerks and sales people you encounter are very young and clearly not trained in customer service. Indeed, minimum wage barely puts food on the table, let alone encourages a smiling face.

Recently our 10 year old Proscan 37" TV exploded. Well, my wife claims there were sparks and smoke, but the unit was intact, aside from its inability to function. I was waiting for the day when I would have an excuse to get a new HDTV. I first looked online for reviews, then visited my top choices for a local purchase - the two warehouse clubs and both a local and a national electronics retailer. The warehouse clubs offer low prices and not a single human being within earshot. Thus one makes a first recce to write down model numbers and prices, then you do research online, then return for another look.

The local retailer perhaps had the best service - knowledgeable staff, albeit with a used car salesman attitude, and the highest prices. Finally the national electronics chain gave both sides of the coin. The first kid more or less told me that unless I wanted the latest features at the higher price, I was not welcome there. A few minutes later a young lady gave me a completely different story. She told me the benefits of both the latest and the less-new models, and let me decide. Clearly there is no uniform strategy for the sales force at this branch - it is a free for all full of good cops, bad cops and detectives. I happened to have some gift cards for this store, so I ultimately made my purchase there, thanks mainly to the young lady with a sense of customer service.

In my own business dealings, the moment I hit "reply" to an e-mail or pick up a call from anyone from my banker to my best client, my own adherence to principles of customer service apply.

Speak with a smile. This sounds like a cliche, but people can tell if you are having a bad day. Never be rude to anyone. I read somewhere "be as nice to your janitor as you are to your stockbroker." In other words, treat others as you wish to be treated. Although I guess it depends upon who your stockbroker is!

The customer is always right. Even when they are wrong, treat them like they are right. Let's say a client calls to say the DVD you sent does not play. You could find out or you may already know that their DVD player or computer is old. But you need to tell them the remedy with respect. "Hmm, it sounds like your computer is a piece of crap," is insulting, true or not. In other words, give people the benefit of the doubt.

Educate your customer. If you are asked for specific information, be forthcoming. Don't worry about giving away your trade secrets, unless you are being asked for the specific herbs and spices you use, or so to speak. Your customer is giving you their business and their trust, respect that fact and realize this trust is earned.

Manage expectations. A customer may ask for something ASAP. It is an emergency. It may well be, but be sure they know what to expect given a short time line, incomplete resources or inadequate attention to detail. I once had a client who was so meticulous in reviewing our project, it made me realize there was room for improvement in my own methods.

"Just be the ball, be the ball, be the ball. You're not being the ball Danny." This classic line from Caddyshack may be paraphrased as "Be the customer." Put yourself in your customer's shoes / walk in their moccasins. However you want to say it. Look at the end goal from your customer's perspective.

"Quality is Job One." This cheesy Ford tagline from the 80's rings true in any business. Only sell a product you yourself would buy. Would you send your grandmother a birthday card with typos? Would you send your kids to school wearing ripped jeans? Ok, maybe you would if they were supposed to be ripped. But you can be sure those rips are in the right place on every pair of jeans. Do the best job for your customer to meet the customer's needs.

In summary, do a good job. However a "good job" seems to vary among different business sectors. You need to define for yourself what constitutes a "good job", deliver this to your customers, and demand the same level of "goodness" from others.

Thanks for reading. How may I be of assistance?

Mike Cohen