While this website, along with the “Mindy the Cat” e-mails http://tinyurl.com/6hmf4a , networking (both in-person and online), and the marketing efforts of Video Labs www.VideoLabs.net have afforded me the opportunity to meet and serve many new clients, I am most fortunate to have reached the point where a good portion of new business coming my way is from referrals.

And that is a most gratifying reward.

My experience in the media production realm has included years working as a multi-camera director.  I loved it.  Whether it was live or live-to-tape, I thrived on the adrenaline rush of directing.

But one didn’t get that thrill from just “winging it.”  It was all in the preparation and maintaining proper perspective  that made success possible.  As one of my mentors, Kaye Lavine, (herself an extraordinary multi-camera director) said, “Proper Prior Planning Prevents Pi** Poor Production.” (see my tribute blog to Kaye: http://tinyurl.com/5uy8vb) 

Now that I have gravitated to media sales and marketing over the past decade, I gotta tell ya, receiving a referral is a close contender for providing the same level of excitement and satisfaction that I used to receive from multi-camera directing.

Just as a the director’s call of “fade to black” at the end of a well-directed live program typically brings accolades throughout the control room, a referral similarly confirms that all the preparation, attention to detail, multi-tasking and overall management has been noticed and appreciated.

I believe it’s important to always thank those that refer others to me.  Hey, I know what’s at stake.  There was a level of trust involved.  No one wants to go out on a limb and refer someone and then hear about a bad experience. 

And I always try to return the favor of referring back whenever possible.  I don’t forget those that “brung me to the dance.”

There is indeed no rocket science involved here – it’s all part of good networking.

But I want to now formalize my appreciation in a further way as well.  Here’s how:

If you honor me with a referral, and I’m made aware of it, I will discount  your next order by 10%.  (Ok, the small print — a few qualifications — orders need to be at least $500, no two discounts on any one order,  discounts given will be limited to parity in total $ amount, and also, please note, given the tight pricing inherent with disc “replicaton” orders, I can discount only 5% for those — see http://tinyurl.com/5m6hga for more details about the difference between disc “duplication” and disc “replication.”  Also, GSA Sched clients I can only discount 2.5%)

Again, thank you for your referrals.  It truly doesn’t get much better . . .

Your comments are welcomed below.

Contact David Ryan at dryan@videolabs.net or 301-217-0000 x104

Interested in other marketing ideas?  Check out my blog about Action Plan Marketing: http://tinyurl.com/4ykpa6

Follow me on Twitter @ www.Twitter.com/DRMediaSolution