June 2008

*This is my “I’m a writer” picture. ;)

I’m in the process of writing a fictional novel, which is something that I’ve always wanted to do. The only problem and the reason I’ve been putting it off for so long is that I never knew where to start. I wanted my characters to be perfect, my story to be riveting. As is the case with so many things in my life, perfection became the only thing I could focus on and my ideas never materialized, because I couldn’t perfect them in my head.

Perfection is a great excuse to never get things done. Whether it’s a new business idea, a movie script, a novel, your next blog post or the answer to clean energy, if you set out to be perfect from Day 1, then you are setting yourself up for failure. Perfection is a process and you never start out at perfect. Every great athlete trained for years before ever getting close to perfection. Every great writer knows that good writing is re-writing.

This will be a quick post, as the point I’m getting at is simple. There is no excuse not to do something. You don’t have to be perfect the first time around. Just know that every time you try to do something and fail, you’re one step closer to getting it right. I finally took the plunge and just started writing my novel. I don’t know what it is about, yet, but after a few hours of dribble, I can tell you that certain elements are coming to light and I’m confident that a few more hours of dribble and I might even have a clue as to what direction my story is heading.

Whatever it is you’ve been putting off, today should be the day you decide to go for it. Just remember to learn and build off of your mistakes. If you can do that, then perfection is something that will come in time. For now, just throw out some dribble, see what sticks and go from there. If you’re having fun, then you’re on the right path.

Writing is re-writing. And “writing” is a metaphor for whatever it is you want to do. Just do it!

As you may or may not be aware, my mom is a Barbie enthusiast. For years, she has asked us to make her Barbie dolls famous. When this competition for Klondike came along, we couldn’t resist. I’m not sure this is the kind of film she had in mind. Give us a good rating so we can become famous for being lazy, drunks that play with dolls! Everyone that rates the video has a chance at winning $25,000 just for playing along. Everybody wins! ;)

Go to http://www.klondikecontest.com to vote. We’re under the laughs section. Thanks!

Go to http://www.klondikecontest.com to vote. We’re under the laughs section. Thanks!

-jonray

I have been, almost exclusively, a music video and commercial producer for the past 3-5 years and I have had a blast working on every project (well, almost every project) that has come my way. And while I’ll still be producing music videos and commercials, I have decided that now is the right time to branch out and move into documentaries and feature films.

Over the past few months, I have met with many other producers and investors and now that we have a good deal of the gory details out of the way, I am actively developing and looking for interesting and exciting projects. What does that mean for you? Well, nothing, if you’re not a writer, I suppose. But, if you, or someone you know has written or is in the process of writing a high concept short film or a feature film that you think is interesting, then I would love to talk with you in more detail about your project.

Not a writer, but think you have a great idea or know a great character that could be the perfect premise for a documentary? Shoot me an email and let’s flush out some ideas and see if we can make it work. Filmmaking is one of the greatest creative collaborations available to artists of all kinds. If you have an idea that you want to see turned into something that thousands can enjoy with you, then let’s talk.

I’m accepting unsolicited screenplays and treatments, starting now. Just give me a shout, send me a .pdf file or mail me a hard copy and I’ll take a look. I’m already working with some great writers and would love to talk with you about your next big idea.

Jon Ray - Producer
PAPERTANK
1000 San Marcos St., Suite 214
Austin, TX 78702
whoisjonray@gmail.com
Office: 512.828.7313
Cell: 512.785.9160

If you’re like me, you’re always looking for new business everywhere you go. I do my darndest (is that a word?) to strike up a conversation with anyone and everyone I meet because you never know. I was out at Trece Tequilla Bar the other night (yeah, i know…lush) and randomly ran into a retired couple at the bar. This was my first time at this particular tequilla bar (I’m working on a project in Dallas, right now and unfamiliar with many of the new establishments). The retired couple at the bar, though, were regulars and knew the lay of the land all too well. After a few minutes of “Hi, How are Ya’s” they introduced me to the three bartenders (getting to know your bartenders is the best thing you can ever do) and then I started asking them about some of the things they did when they weren’t guzzling tequilla and chipotle salsa. One thing led to another and I got to talking about my work as a film/video producer and social media and marketing consultant. Wouldn’t you know it, they have a son who is the marketing director at a very prominent company here in Dallas. I gave them my card and took down their son’s information. They promised they would call him, so that he would be expecting my call. Guess who I had a 20-minute conversation with on the phone today and guess who is now a part-time freelance consultant for a very prominent company here in Dallas? You guessed it, I am.

Now, I’m not trying to brag (alright, I am a little), but I am trying to illustrate the point that new business can come from anywhere or anyone. I’ve never understood business people who act so standoffish towards meeting new people or discussing what makes their company so great. This makes no sense to me. The more people you meet the greater chances of coming across someone that your company can genuinely help, or even better, someone that can genuinely help your company. It’s been said millions upon millions of times, landing new business is strictly a numbers game. If you put yourself in front of enough people, you will find you have more business than you can handle. So, what do you do once you have a steady portfolio of clients?

5 Ways to Maximize Your Relationships and Get Business Referrals:

1. Give your clients quality work. If you consistently go above and beyond what your clients ask for, you won’t even need to ask for referrals, your clients will just give them to you voluntarily.
2. Follow up once projects are completed. You did everything and more that your client asked you to do and you hit it out of the park. But, often times, there will be tiny little changes or additions to a project that a client may realize they need once a project has been officially invoiced and closed. Your client may not feel the changes are that important and might not want to bother you, but if you follow up any project with a quick phone call asking if the client needs anything else and then make a few tweaks or changes free of charge, then you can bet the client is going to come to you first with the next project and sing your praises all over town.
3. Keep clients abreast of other project success you are having. I like to call this soft bragging. Whenever my team and I complete a new project, I will send out an e.mail to my entire client list and brag about what a great job my team did and list any awards that might be attached to the project. The key is to brag about your team, not about your company or yourself. Your team deserves to be recognized for their efforts and the more you brag about them, the more confidence your clients will have in you the next time they have a project that requires your company’s expertise.
4. Take your clients out on the town. This can get tricky, especially if you’re not that familiar with what your client does for entertainment. But, if you’re perceptive, then you probably know one or two things that they might enjoy. Invite them out to a round of golf, for a drink (make sure they drink), to a networking event, etc. An even better approach is to throw a company party every quarter and invite ALL your clients. This allows you to treat everyone at the same time and is a great way to get one set of clients to brag about you to another set of clients. Even better, have your clients invite other companies that might be interested in utilizing the services you offer. In addition to free food and booze, provide a brief presentation of your product or service and then hand out some literature that can easily fold up into someone’s coat pocket. Be sure to give your presentation early in the night, though. The last thing you want is a bunch of businessmen that have had too much “sauce” watching your presentation at the end of the night and remembering none of it in the morning. Make sure you collect business cards and follow up in a day or two, thanking everyone for coming to the party and offering to go into more detail about the services you offer.
5. Just ask them. If you’re doing your job right, then your clients probably like you. If you’ve had a client for some period of time, then you probably have somewhat of a more relaxed or even personal relationship. I wouldn’t suggest asking every single week, but in passing, while you’re having a more relaxed conversation with a client, simply drop into conversation that you’re expanding and looking to take on a few more clients. Then ask them if they have any suggestions of companies that might be a good fit with your product or service? If they do, great! If they don’t, no harm done. Just make sure it is clear that you will always give the same amount of attention to their company.

If you follow the above five suggestions, then you’ll find you can increase your client base significantly. Another great way to keep current clients informed and attract new clients is to start a company blog or newsletter. Anytime you can separate yourself as an expert in your particular field, you will see an increase in new and referral business.

Bonus Tip: Finally, make sure your clients understand all of the services you offer. Sure, you may have done a great job putting together a marketing campaign for Client X, but do they know that you also offer video production services? You’d be surprised how many of your clients don’t fully understand all of the products or services you offer. Make sure they know that you offer multiple solutions to multiple problems. There’s a strong possibility that you could double the revenue you make off one client, simply by up-selling them to more than one of your products/services.

How do you get referral business, or new business for that matter? Do you find more of your clients come through online relationships, or is a face-to-face meeting still more valuable in acquiring new clientele? What am I missing here? What is working for you? I’d love to hear your thoughts on the best ways to expand your business.