How This Videographer Closed A $27K Video Retainer - Master Filmmaker Review

What's going on, guys? I'm here with one of our clients, Z, who just closed a 27k retainer. 9k a month. What's going on, man? How are you?

Hey. How's it going, Eric?

I'm doing well, man. I guess for anybody who doesn't know you, do you mind just like giving us a little bit of background on you, kind of how you got started in this and how you. What your background is?

So I've been doing video productions since 2012 professionally. I just quit my steel mill job three years ago to do this full time. So this is what I do all the time. I've had clients on retainer before. I didn't really understand that concept. Somebody had introduced that to me and I didn't get it at all. But now that I get it, it totally makes sense. And so when I saw one of you guys ads, it just really made more sense to help me with my sales and stuff because I'm not a sales guy like, at all. I suck at that whole thing. And just to have a better structure. So it's. I think it's just been fantastic.

100%, man. Well, I love it. So you. We were bugging you on Instagram or something with ads, and that's how you ended up coming across us.

It was actually Facebook because I don't do Instagra much. I need to at least start getting a little more involved in that. But it was Facebook, so. And what attracted me to it too was the fact that you guys do what I do. I've been approached by other coaches and stuff like that, but it's like they don't get what I do, you know, but by you guys understanding the industry and stuff, it just made sense.

100. And with, I know you said kind of your biggest problem with sales, what were some of the things you were struggling with within sales when you were having those conversations?

It's like, if you come to me, I don't have a problem selling you at all. But me going to you and reaching out and saying, hey, you know, I'm Z and I got some video production work for you. I'm just not good with that.

Slimy and feel weird. And you're just like, please stop. I don't want to do this. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, that makes sense. And like, going through the program, obviously we still have more to do. But like, is there anything that we've been doing with you that you feel like has been particularly helpful up to this point as you're working through this.

Keeping me accountable because it's really easy for me. I love to edit. That's just my jam. I love that more than shooting. And I can get completely lost in that. But, you know, because of the program, it's made me stay focused. It's forced me to focus on things that I just normally would just say, I just do it tomorrow, I'll do it next week, or whatever. And I've had to stay on task. And so that's been a huge help and actually helped with this particular client big time. If it wasn't for that, I don't think I'd have been ready for it.

What. What happened specifically with it, with this client.

So they were actually a referral from someone I met years ago. And because of. Because of what you guys have made me do to kind of focus on a, you know, pick a lane, so to speak. I'm not into marketing. I don't understand marketing so much. So, you know, making a bunch of videos is going to bring clients in and all that stuff. You know, if you tell me what you want, I can create that. But for me to come up with strategies for all that, no, I can't. But what I do well is train. I love to train. I love passing on knowledge. I've been a trainer at the steel mill where I worked. I was a trainer and in charge. In charge of hiring at the trucking. Trucking company that I worked at as well. So making videos when it comes to training, that's. That's what I do. It turned out that someone that I met years ago, I think they're a contractor for this particular company, found out that these guys needed some training videos, said, hey, are you interested in having a conversation? Absolutely. I don't know that if I had met these guys before the program, I think I still would have landed the gig, but I don't know that I would have gotten a $9,000 retainer out of them the way I do right now. Because I did not have a program in place or anything in place. What you guys have forced me to do, by making me stay in my lane or picking my lane and figuring out who I'm targeting, gave me the tools and the mindset so that when I did get with these people, bam, this is what I can do for you. This is what we're going to do. This is how we're going to knock it out. I was able to secure the $9,000. And because of the intel that I received today with their hiring and onboarding and stuff, I'm Pretty confident that by summer, I'll have a $20,000 retainer out of these guys.

20K a month. Let's go, man.

Pretty doggone positive of that.

I love it. Well, and we always say, too, it' always the small. The small hinges that swing the big doors, right? So it's like people come in and think sometimes, sometimes we don't have to overhaul everything you're doing. Sometimes it's just, let's make some tweaks here. And like, we've had clients where we make some tweaks. It adds 124k. Like, one of our clients simply didn't send a proposal. He pitched it on the call, and then he ended up closing the deal. Right. For you, it's like the mindset shifts. And so I think a lot of times it's not always this huge, like, thing. It's these little tweaks that add up that make a big result at the end of the day, you know what I mean? Which is absolutely huge. And I'm super pumped for you, man. I guess, like, if anybody is maybe kind of a weird question, but if anybody's maybe, like, on the fence about talking with us and, like, booking a call, obviously, investing in yourself, investing in a program, investing in, you know, your education is a big step for a lot of people. And people can be kind of nervous about that, I guess. Like, what advice would you give them, knowing what you know now?

Definitely go for it, man. I think using the word invest is huge, because I get it. You spending money, I totally get that. But, you know, when you invest in yourself, it makes a huge difference. I've never had a problem invest in myself. I. I'm very frugal when it comes to who I'm spending that money with, but I don't have a problem with spending the money and because to me, like you said, it's an investment. And for me, especially if you are a video production company, you know, because you guys do that, this is what you do. You're clearly successful at it, right? So it's not like, you know, it's just somebody that says, hey, I can do this for you. You will do it. You know, And I. For me, it's been one of the best investments, without a doubt. If nothing else, just keeping me in the mind space and, you know, keeping me on task. Because if it wasn't for that, I guarantee I would not do it. I would not do it. I just keep on editing and chugging along and, yeah, I'm doing fine, but I want to grow. I want to get to a point where I can hire some people and stuff like that. And I think this is going to make that happen.

Yeah, 100%. It's just forcing you to work on the business instead of in it.

Right.

And I think, like, because we love some of those things that are in the business. We love editing, we love shooting. We are very passionate about it, which I was as, well, like, as being a dp. It's like you could be like, dude, I don't have to get paid that much. I just want to do this all day. And it's like, sometimes you have to think bigger and have people force you to think bigger. So you're like, okay, let me expand this horizon to be like, I need to think bigger, bigger so I can support other people under me and eventually bring other people onto the company as well. Working on the business, not in it. So I love that you said that. Well, dude, I appreciate your time. Any other major takeaways for you? I know this is literally just the start, which is super exciting.

You know, I'd say just keep chugging along, man. I'm running the ads. This is my first time ever running ads like this. I'm learning a lot. Yep, a whole lot. And I know that there is no secret sauce, special formula, any of that stuff. You just got to stick with it 100%. I love it, man.

Well, I'm super excited for you. We'll do another one of these when you're closing. 100k, 200k. Huge deals, crushing it. And I'm very excited for you.

I appreciate you, man.

Absolutely.