Today, Den raps about his 50 years on this spinning ball… and… reveals his biggest lessons, insights, and trade secrets from 26 years in the video industry trenches. This is what’s called in the podcasting industry, “A not to be missed episode”.
But first…
Here’s a sneak peek at what you’ll hear:
- An almost deplorable thing many one-man-band video businesses do, that’s quickly becoming Den’s bete noire. (Not only is this thing lame… it’s also disingenuous. – 1:50)
- Why many video business owners are like the pufferfish. – 2:30
- 3 hardly-ever-talked about reasons why running a lean-and-mean business is severely underrated.
- Ever feel intimidated dealing with a large corporation because you’re just a one-man band? (Then listen in 4:00 and you’ll start relishing the fact you’re a lean operation.)
- Why having a big office and a large team of employees is like being the world’s tallest midget. – 4:10
- A special kind of sales pitch that solo video business owners can use when dealing with big companies and corporations that can turn your lack of size into a red hot reason to hire you. (This sales pitch is based on something George Bernard once said: “If you can’t hide the skeleton, you might as well make it dance!” Hear Den reveal this ingenious sales pitch at 4:15)
- One of the most crucial things potential clients want to know before they hire a video production company is this… – 7:15
- Why obsessing over how big your prospective clients perceive your business to be is downright foolish… and… what you should be obsessing over instead. – 9:35
- The “skid mark on the underwear” of the film industry. – 10:00
- Den talks about the torrent of BS that cascades down the hallways of the video production community. – 10:20
- A “caveman simple” sales-pitch that’s almost guaranteed to be music to the ears of prospective clients. (This type of sales pitch will work just as well for any business in any industry, too. – 11:00)
- Why offering MORE services can sometimes make your video business LESS profitable. – 12:00
- Is the number of services your video business offers multiplying faster than a catholic rabbit? Then you might want to tune in at 12:30
- Should you go “broad and shallow” or “narrow and deep” with your marketing? Hear Den’s answer at 14:40
- The #1 mistake most video production guys make when dealing with clients. This is a very subtle thing, but its negative impact is not so subtle. – 16:10
- 6 things all the most successful video business owners do that their lesser brethren don’t do or at least don’t do as well. – 16:40
- How to get your clients to see you as a business partner instead of a lowly gun for hire. – 17:50
- Den’s surprising revelation about “time” (Admittedly, this one sounds strange coming from a 50-year-old, but it’s also hard to argue with this one. Hear this at 18:20)
- Den boogies on out of his studio to party hardy. Happy 50th birthday, Den!