Crew Connection Tips and Tricks for Crews

It’s easy for video crews to get buried in editing or lose track of time stuck behind a camera. But to build a truly profitable business, you have to bring in some new business from time to time. Take heart—you don’t necessarily need a big budget or even paid advertising! These simple steps can take your business to the next level and keep your pipeline full.

Ways for video crews to boost business  (the non-negotiables)

There are a million ways to reach potential new clients, but they don’t mean anything if you aren’t building on the right foundation. And luckily that foundation is pretty simple: do great work and be the person clients want to work with.

1. Do great work  

Superb work is non-negotiable. As equipment prices drop and novice filmmakers carry filming devices right in their pockets(take the iPhone, for example), the barriers to entry for video crews become fewer and fewer. That means you have to do more to stand out. Sharpen your skills by taking on new kinds of shoots, signing up for classes, etc. No matter how much you already know, never stop learning. As Steve Jobs once advised a graduating class of Harvard students: “Stay hungry. Stay foolish.”

2. Be nice  

The old adage remains true that people prefer to work with people they know and like. A casual conversation at an event, even if it isn’t business-related, gives you more of an in with a potential client than even the sparkliest online ad. While one pleasant conversation may get you in the door, being a person your client likes to do business with will get you to repeat business, and referrals, too.

Perhaps good work is the bread of your business and being a decent human being is the butter.

Simple ways for video crews to take their business to the next level (the nice-to-haves)

Once you’ve built a solid foundation on great work and good people skills, use these tips to build a better business.

1. Send handwritten thank you notes to existing clients

Getting new business is harder than just becoming the go-to crew for existing clients. Nurture relationships in simple ways to become a go-to partner for your clients. Handwritten notes and other simple gestures go a long way to express your appreciation and make your name stick in their heads.

2. Ask for referrals 

Finding reliable freelancers is notoriously difficult. It makes your clients look good when they can provide a good match for their colleagues. When you know you’ve become someone’s reliable partner in crime, ask them to hook you up with other people, too. Clients are glad to share their best solutions with their networks.

3. Have your elevator pitch ready at all times

Nearly everyone has an odd story about meeting their most faithful client in line at Starbucks or in some other serendipitous situation. You’re meeting people everywhere who may want to work with you if they just knew what you do. Be ready to share your elevator pitch (here are some tips to make a great one) with anyone and at any time. Your next big client could be the stranger you just bumped into while reaching for the same can of Pringles.

Three ways to use the power of the internet to reach new clients

In the video production industry, you can’t build a business on the internet alone, but the information superhighway certainly has its place. Getting in front of potential clients online can help ensure you keep paying the bills through the notorious slow seasons. Here are three ways to make your online presence effective.

1. Showcase your work with demo reels

The most effective demo reels demonstrate a wide variety of skills in a quick, eye-pleasing manner. You want potential clients to see your reel and, in 30 seconds or less, be confident you know your stuff and will represent their brand well.

2. Use social media to provide added value to clients

The most effective way to use social media is to provide content your audience cares about while occasionally mentioning how great you are. If the majority of your posts are self-promotional instead of educational, you’ll lose credibility as well as engagement from followers. You may even lose the followers themselves.

While posting only self-promotional material is off-putting, definitely capitalize on legitimate opportunities to celebrate achievements and advancements. As long as you’re doing a nice mix of other material, be sure to share when you win industry awards and/or get new gear.

3. Get in front of the right eyeballs 

It doesn’t matter how many people your work gets in front of if they’re not hiring video crews. You want to make sure people who need your skills see you. Outlets like Crew Connection, where clients go specifically to look for video crews, are exactly the kinds of places you want to invest your time because you’re guaranteed to get in front of the right people. That’s more effective than a hundred paid ads that only the wrong people see.

Sign up to become a video service provider on Crew Connection, call the Crew Connection team around the clock at 303-526-4900, or email us to get started.

The bottom line 

For video crews looking to boost business, there is no substitute for the basics: Do great work, make sure people see that work, and be someone people like to work with. From that foundation, add in a few special touches like always being prepared to tell people about what you do, getting in front of the right eyeballs, and beefing up your demo reel and you’ll be flush with high-quality and well-paying video production work. 

About Crew Connection

Crew Connection puts a suite of marketing tools at your fingertips. Get your demo reels, stills, gear, awards, and more in front of the biggest clients all over the world—for free. At Crew Connection we pay video and post-production providers within 30 days of receiving your invoice so your work and your life are never interrupted. Need live assistance or want to add quality jobs to your pipeline? Our crew coordinators are on call around the clock. Sign up to become a video service provider on Crew Connection, call 303-526-4900, or email info@crewconnection.com.

When you sign up to work with Crew Connection, you can leave all those other crewing companies at the door. Not only do we match you up with the world’s largest clients on well-paying gigs, but we also make sure you get paid within 30 days of submitting your invoice.

Here are a few tips for using Crew Connection’s super simple system to get your invoice right the first time around so you can get to work and let us get your money in your pocket.

Taking Care of the Details

Your invoice can be sent as soon as the day after the end date of a project. Feel free to draw up your invoice using your in-house system and your own letterhead. In order to submit it to Crew Connection, you’ll have to save the document as a .pdf that doesn’t exceed 2 megabytes.

Providing Proof of Purchase

If you have receipts for expenses outside of your video services—lunch, parking, tolls, etc.—please include those either as pages of one single invoice or as separate “invoices” for that same project.

Just like you, we have a lot of invoices on our plate at any given time. It’s a lot easier for us—and for you!—to keep track of paperwork if you include a few details in the name. Tracking down a receipt or invoice with your crew name on it is a lot quicker than you receipt that’s named something like “receiptV3_49374xg_version1_V_9.pdf”.

And remember to hold on to those receipts! We fight to make sure you’re paid. But, if you can’t provide proof that you bought lunch for the whole crew on set, there isn’t a lot we can do to force the client to pay for it.

Understanding Where Your Invoice Stands

What does the status of your invoice mean? It’s simple!

A submitted invoice has simply been successfully uploaded. It’s pending review by your dedicated Crew Connection coordinator. If you forgot anything or need to make a change to your invoice, in this stage all you need to do is delete the existing invoice and upload a new one.

An accepted status means everything looks good with your invoice and it’s been sent over to our accounting team. They’ll issue your payment as soon as the client approves the charges. You can no longer edit your invoice at this point. To make changes or submit receipts for a client after your invoice is accepted, just get in touch and send them to your Crew Connection coordinator.

If your invoice is rejected, you’ll be sent a reason via email. Once you make the recommended changes to your invoice, you can resubmit it to the project.

Here’s How:

1. Sign up as a crew or log in to your company profile on Crew Connection.

2. Go to your Invoices tab.

Your Invoices page will show you the invoices that you’ve already uploaded along with the status of each.

3. Use the Upload a New Invoice button to open a new page where you can upload your invoice.

4. On the Add Invoice page, use the dropdown menu to select to project you’re submitting the invoice for.

There will be a list of eligible projects to choose from.

5. Use the Choose File button to select an invoice from your computer or simply drag and drop your invoice onto the Choose File button.

6. Use the Upload button to submit your invoice!

If you need any help with Crew Connection’s invoicing system, contact our crew coordinators today.

About Crew Connection

Crew Connection puts a suite of marketing tools at your fingertips. Get your demo reels, stills, gear, awards, and more in front of the biggest clients all over the world—for free. At Crew Connection we pay video and post-production providers within 30 days of receiving your invoice so your work and your life are never interrupted. Need live assistance or want to add quality jobs to your pipeline? Our crew coordinators are on call around the clock. Sign Up on Crew Connection, call 303-526-4900, or email info@crewconnection.com.