Marketing for Dummies

[MesaPrs]

Hi Everybody,

 

I'm just getting started trying to do freelance Architectural Visualization, and was having a bit of a hard time finding clients. I've scoured this site and found a ton of valuable information about setting yourself up to do this, but I'm doing something wrong, as I haven't been able to get to the point of closing a sale with anyone.

I've made about a billion cold sales calls, sent out flyers to those who seem interested, gone to Aia meetings, followed up and really, nothing. I live in a major urban area, and I've determined at this point that either:

 

1. My work really sucks.

2. I'm calling the wrong people.

 

Hoping that my work couldn't be that bad, would Architects, Design Groups and Realtors generally be the right type of client to approach? Anybody generally prequalify certain types of these groups?

 

I know this takes persistance but the results I've gotten so far are telling me I need to do something differently.

 

Thank you so much for any help,

 

John

[SandmanNinja]

Hi John,

 

I took the liberty of looking at your previous posts.

It looks like you use SketchUp and then take it into 3DS?

 

I looked at your High Rise Building, complete with environment (street with cars, etc) and I don't think there is anything really wrong with it.

Every light is turned on! Not very energy friendly... hehehe

 

The house with the palm tree looks good, but I can see the shadow of the house 'falling' on the background.

It looks a bit grainy, too, but that might be because of the low res for a quick critique.

You have entourage - flowers and plants and a chair and an urn and what-not.

 

Do you have a portfolio online?

[MesaPrs]

Hi Joel,

 

Thanks for looking up my posts, I should have posted a few examples. I have a website (sortof) with a few samples, but I've been hesitant to show it to anyone because the site itself is baaaad (That's not slang. It is really horrible).

 

Here it is: www.KordelaStudio.com

 

Do you think the site or the images could be deterring people?

 

But I do I model in Sketchup then take it into 3ds - and yea I guess you don't see many highrises with ALL the lights on at once.

[Stan Zaslavsky]

hey John,

 

i got started in this "thing" not long ago as well, but i've had a benefit of strong relationships with those types of people prior and that has got me going pretty quick.

 

i think that is the key - so if you can work out a way to build a "friendly" relationship with the potential clients - then that will get you a long way towards a strong business.

 

do you have any marketing background? if not - prehaps look at forming joint ventures with people who do. there are lots of opportunities out there - you just need to be strong on your purpose and plow along - nobody said it was going to be easy

 

all the best

[Crazy Homeless Guy]

One of your emails was filtered to me by the HR dept. of the firm I worked for. I have it on file, but typically we tend do a large portion of our visualization in house. We typically only outsource if it is going to be a large scale presentation that is going to require more time than we can comfortable commit. The other time we outsource is if we are in need of a traditional architectural delineator.

Edited August 24, 2008 by Crazy Homeless Guy

[SandmanNinja]

Hi John,

 

I checked out your website.

 

I would lose the game stuff from the website.

If you want to focus on arch viz, then the website should only drive your arch viz forward.

 

Also, in my opinion, the average home builder or architect isn't interested in the various types of maps or channels you used to get the image.

 

In the 2D section, the Residential, Villa Chapel, even the Spring Street & Beach House are great. They show a varied discipline around Arch Viz.

 

But the character stuff... Just not sure, man.

You can use that talent and do people in your scenes, but I'd drop the character studies/models.

 

Once again, "Does it promote your ARCH VIZ?" Ask yourself that and if the answer is no, then ask "Can I make it promote my Arch Viz?" If the answer is no, then drop it. The characters you can sketch/model - try putting them into scenes. If they don't look right, drop them.

 

In my experience, there is no ONE demo reel.

If you want a job rigging characters and machines for games, then show rigging. Don't show texturing. Don't show modelling. Show rigging.

 

If you want Arch Viz work, just show arch viz.

 

 

Hope this helps - it is offered in the spirit of helping.

 

Hang in there...

 

-Joel

[shaneis]

...Architects, Design Groups and Realtors generally be the right type of client to approach

 

Add to that list and include property developers, industrial/product designers, furniture manufacturers/ cabinet makers, stair specialists... and so-on. Start small - build your projects, business relationships and skills as you go along.

 

As a one-man freelance operation, you only need a few good regular clients to sustain you, the rest is cream.

 

All the best,

 

S.

[MesaPrs]

Right on, thanks everybody.

 

I put the game material on there because of the need to post it somewhere but not publish another site - but you're right I guess it's detrimental to both pursuits ( but I wasn't planning on using a Medieval Warrior with dreadlocks as entourage, I swear ).

 

Travis, thanks for holding onto my flyer. I'm assuming that you work for a somewhat larger firm? I think I might need to target smaller groups that don't have in-house but still have a budget for renderings.

 

And I definitely don't have a marketing background - but I have run into someone with strengths in business and marketing and might be doing just that in the near future ( joint venture ).

 

"Add to that list and include property developers, industrial/product designers, furniture manufacturers/ cabinet makers, stair specialists... and so-on." Thanks Shane that's exactly what I wasn't quite sure about!

[landrvr1]

Eh, okay. I'm going to be honest, so brace yourself.

 

 

Website

That website is the gateway to who you are as far as potential new clients, and it sucks. Sorry man. You've got to redo that sucker. It's incredibly dull. If I'm a client, I'm not getting excited. I need to get excited and interested.

 

The front page needs a redesign. Something a lot more dynamic and graphic. Cool small fonts. I'd add menu items such as:

 

Architecture

Figure Modeling

Personal Art Work

etc etc etc

 

Separate those things and let the clients go where they are most interested. Don't make them wade through a ton of stuff that they may not care about.

 

If you know anyone who does Flash, have them build you site. It may cost you a bit of cash, but it will be worth it. If you can't find a competent Flash artist let me know. I know of a couple who would do your site for $1000 - $1200. Anyone wants to charge you more (for what is arguably a very simple build) then go somewhere else. Hell, I'll build you a site for $500. :p

 

The image links don't work, btw.

 

The Work

The architectural work looks great. The mid rise tower is very nice. But if I see one more architectural viz guy give me a bunch of full on tower shots, I'm going to vomit. Zoom IN, my brutha! For that mid rise tower, I'd have a series of photos that give me some full on shots at different angles, but also some that zoom in on some details in a more abstract composition. It adds to the mystique of the architecture (even if there isn't any!) and sets you apart from the pack. The client may never want or need those kinds of shots, but they sure will appeal to the tons of architects/designers/developers who will stop by and check out your work.

 

Example

It's an example that's been done to death, but Neoscape are simply the masters at architectural composition.

 

www.neoscape.com

 

Go there. Live it. Breathe it. Then go forth and create a beautiful new website and images!

 

Be Dramatic. There's a lot of people in this business who are afraid of DRAMA in their work. Don't Fear The Drama. People Love It. Those hordes of real estate developers in Boca Raton who all think they are God's Gift to Pretty Much Everything love the drama.

[EddieLeon]

Guys, I'm eternally optimistic. But, based on the current state of the economy, isn't it a bad time to start a new 3d company? There is less work/money out there and the competition is starting to get fierce.

[SandmanNinja]

Oh Eddie!

 

I just saw a new post on a thread with business advice, and I got my paper and pencil ready.

 

If you're losing hope, what do the rest of us have to hang on to...

 

[EddieLeon]

Oh Eddie!

 

I just saw a new post on a thread with business advice, and I got my paper and pencil ready.

 

If you're losing hope, what do the rest of us have to hang on to...

 

 

Lol...I haven't lost hope

Actually, I feel quiet the contrary. I believe there is plenty of opportunity now to expand an existing 3d operation.

 

Everyone has given John Kordela some great advice here and I believe that if he uses it he will have a good chance of getting a decent amount of work. The issue that I see is that the industry is very different today than when you and I started our careers in 3d.

 

I think John now needs to consider more than just how to get a few clients to get by. He should decide where he wants to take his career/company first. This is an important business decision that I believe shouldn't be taken too lightly.

 

I don't want to be controversial here, but I have two thoughts for John to consider. They both relate to the business idea of "exit strategy". After all we are not just artists. We are also entrepreneurs and we need to have clear goals/objectives on how to grow our companies and possibly when to sell them.

 

First, if John sticks to Arch Viz and remains a freelancer the chances are that he will eventually feel burnt out after about 10-15 years of late nights and difficult clients. At this point, he won't really have any options to sell his business and move on. He might also find it difficult to find employment at a 3d company or architecture firm because of his salary needs and lack of experience in a team environment.

 

Second, if John chooses to grow a small or mid-size company he might find it very hard to compete in a few years. Our industry will eventually start to consolidate and work methods will become more sophisticated. The result will be that some 3d companies will become very large and offer services and pricing that smaller companies will not be able to offer. The smaller ones might get squeezed out. Furthermore, they might not have much value for buyout since the larger companies will have centralized sales and production.

 

I don't mean to sound alarmist. The sky is not falling and changes will be gradual enough for us to adapt. I just think John needs a clear picture of our industry so that he can make good choices early on.

 

As I said, I am an optimist. So if I was in John's shoes I would hurry up and build the biggest company possible now and have a clear idea of what segment of the market to tackle.

 

Good luck!

[SandmanNinja]

Yay!

 

(copies notes, adds it to the "Golden Advice from Eddie" folder)

 

Good stuff, mate.

 

I'm 43, my exit strategy is "hang on until I die"...

[JDillon]

Hey Guys,

 

I'm new to the forums but have been in Arch Viz for about 10 years now. I think Eddie is right about a lot of things, I do have a slight disagreement with one...

 

" The smaller ones might get squeezed out. Furthermore, they might not have much value for buyout since the larger companies will have centralized sales and production."

 

Never count the little guy out. There will always be a need for small business as long as the product, service and price create an excellent value.

 

However, it is a pretty poor time to start anything new, the established firms large and small already have their networks in place. What is happening right now is that a lot of fat is being trimmed. Things will turn around eventually and when they do there will be plenty of work for everyone.

 

Good luck John, if you want something badly enough you will do all the work necessary.

 

 

Thanks,

 

Jason Dillon

[EddieLeon]

I'm 43, my exit strategy is "hang on until I die"...

 

I'm 40 and I'm with you on that thought

 

Never count the little guy out. There will always be a need for small business as long as the product, service and price create an excellent value.

 

I hope I am wrong, but I can't help but think of the days in the 1980's when Miami was full of "mom & pop" video rental stores. There was one in particular near my house called Pinocchio Video & Flowers. I guess they thought they had a diverse business model in a competitive environment Needless to say, when Blockbuster Video came along the store closed down within 1-2 years. And so did all the other small video stores in Miami.

 

20 years later, Blockbuster and Netflix are battling it out with an online ordering/mail-delivery business model that offers even better pricing, service, and value. Eventually, they will also lose out to Google or another 800 pound gorilla.

 

Again, I don't mean to discourage anyone. In fact, I believe there will always be opportunities and silver linings as things change. So, if we can understand how our industry "might" evolve, then why not consider our positions in it?

 

If a 3d artist wants to just be a little guy (and ignore my BS), that's obviously fine. There will always be plenty of creative work out there. I just wouldn't plan on it always being Arch Viz work. Don't forget what Phil Bernstein from Autodesk said at Vismasters. "Within 10 years 90 percent of all 3d will be done within the architecture firms". I guess he attributes this shift to the rise of BIM.

 

Phil might be right, but I choose to believe that 90 percent of architecture firms will be very different in 10 years and they will outsource 90 percent of all their work

 

-------

 

Ok, before anyone says that I am now contradicting myself because I am saying that more work will be outsourced in the future. Keep in mind that big companies like Satellier or maybe even ARC will try to capture this work with big sophisticated collaboration platforms...

[JDillon]

Eddie,

 

I hear what you are saying...On the other hand if you approach the Design Viz business the same way you would a small retail video store (or any retail outlet), then yes, there will be no future.

 

The entire point of Design Viz from a business model is to offer something that can't be done by a typical architectural firm (or whomever your client is) with a quick turnaround.

 

Yes, we as individual companies need to be leveraged to offer more services than just a rendering/animation. The benefit of doing this is...

 

1. To have a job in the future.

2. To be compensated well for it.

 

In the future architects will be doing more 3D in-house but at the same time the need for higher quality work will grow exponentially. If you look back 25, 10, 5 years there has been a dramatic increase in Design Viz. The point of a rendering is to excite and maintain the attention of the viewer. Design Viz studios do this better than anyone.

 

To sum it up I see it like this...if you work in a medium to large Design Viz studio (8-50 people) then you typically work with large architectural/development firms. You may not recognize all of the small businesses that need renderings/animations. If you are a small Design Viz studio (1-7 people) then you most likely work with small architectural/development firms. You may not be able to take on the larger scale projects, because you still need to maintain your current client base.

 

Of course, both scenarios offer opportunities for growth. Design Viz is far from dead it is an extremely important tool for sales and communication. The best communicators will succeed.

 

I think we essentially agree but are coming at this from different perspectives.

 

Thank You,

 

 

Jason Dillon

[EddieLeon]

I think we essentially agree but are coming at this from different perspectives.

 

Yes. I agree that Design Viz is an important part of the AEC industry. We serve an important function that won't become outdated anytime soon. I also believe people like John Kordela can start a successful 3d company in today's difficult market. I just believe that John should have a clear plan and a good understanding of how the industry is evolving so that he can be as successful as possible.

 

Regarding the Design Viz business model, you hit the nail on the head about why architects come to us. We can do it better and faster. 3d is not the core business of an architecture firm.

 

Regarding company sizes and target clients, I might disagree a little bit on this one. We also target small firms and developers if their budgets are not too low. I think the larger 3d companies will continue to refine their process, pricing, and service to the point that some of the smaller studios will feel some pressure. I am not saying that my company will be the one to do it. I just think it will be a natural trend that will occur in a few years.

 

Regards,

Eddie

[JDillon]

Eddie,

 

Very good. The future will be very exciting regarding Design Viz and depending on your business model (large or small) I feel it is a unique industry that will have many beneficiaries.

 

And absolutely John Kordela should launch his company. I did not mean to deter him earlier I was just trying to be as honest as possible. So, John I apologize if I came off too rough.

 

Good Luck with your venture,

 

Jason Dillon

[SandmanNinja]

I 'moonlight' at IBM, doing tech support and what-not.

 

The MINIMUM time for IBM to get a problem solved is 3 days. Minimum. (with the particular contract that I'm on).

 

Why? We're big and we support a big company.

 

Even stuff like installing a program that the user went out and bought (they cannot install stuff, no admin permissions). So, someone calls up. "I have a presentation tomorrow morning and need some labels made. I bought this label maker program..."

 

I take their info, tell them someone will call them 'in a day or two'. Then the 2nd level guys remote into their computer 2-3 days later, run the program as themselves, and install it.

 

In other words, a 5 minute job takes up to 3 days to get done.

 

 

So I think a small, lean company that can provide a quick service for a good value does have the potential to have a viable business.

 

At least, that's my plan...

[EddieLeon]

In other words, a 5 minute job takes up to 3 days to get done.

 

Ok, that's a great point. But, what if the big company learns to do it in 10 minutes?

 

I did not mean to deter him earlier I was just trying to be as honest as possible. So, John I apologize if I came off too rough.

 

I don't think apologies are necessary. All the thoughts expressed here are insightful and very helpful.

[brianzajac]

Ok, that's a great point. But, what if the big company learns to do it in 10 minutes?

 

Hey Eddie,

 

Sorry, but I've got to chime in a bit on this one. First of all, I applaud your optimism. This is probably one of the main reasons that Spine has done so well. But, I'm more realistic and find that bigger businesses just take more time because of the channels they always go through. Doing a quick search, the WSJ forums discuss this in detail. However, I do believe that bigger companies (like yours) can offer a broader range of specializations due to employee experience, cash-flow resources, and your networks of clients.

 

As for small businesses, they don't need to worry about the various amounts of compliance (internal and external) like a big business does. Small business owners are the best at adapting and getting it done themselves.

 

So, can big business get quicker than small business? Historically, this is mostly untrue (except for big business automation). But, can small business get 30 high-resolution images done overnight? Probably not. I say let's just work together and get the job done. And, hopefully, we can make it through the tough times.

[pipjor]

http://forums.cgsociety.org/showthread.php?f=2&t=668567

i like the 7th comment down

[Sawyer]

I think the example of IBM is a very extreme one and I wouldn't suggest that you build your business model off any extreme example in any direction. IBM can afford to to take 3 days to get something done, most places cannot. And if you have decided that your competition is IBM...

 

My advice is don't quit your day job and assume that the work will come. Quit your day job because you have too much work to handle. Quit your day job when you are at the point that you are thinking about hiring another employee because you have so much work.

 

Both of my parents are self employed and were very encouraging when I started my own company (7 years ago. In fact it was just assumed that I would). Both had varying degrees of success over time, my mother was highly successful for most of her career. Now they are both in their 60's no retirement, no savings and health issues that are becoming an issue. I had only heard the great strengths of working for yourself growing up now it looks very different. Its a lot scarier.

[EddieLeon]

...Small business owners are the best at adapting and getting it done themselves.

 

So, can big business get quicker than small business? Historically, this is mostly untrue (except for big business automation). But, can small business get 30 high-resolution images done overnight? Probably not. I say let's just work together and get the job done. And, hopefully, we can make it through the tough times.

 

Thanks Brian!

 

I have less than 50 employees, so we are also technically a small business

 

You are correct that, as a company grows, things that were quick and simple can get slower and complicated. But, I think that because of technology and the ways that we are now accustomed to collaborating online, it is possible that big companies (500+) can find ways to mimic smaller companies.

 

Anyways, this is just my speculation. The truth is, as you pointed out, that we all need to get through these tough times. I think the best way to work together is to continue sharing thoughts and observations about the current market. It seems to be getting tougher, but now that summer is over and everyone is back to work we should start to see some improvements...

 

Good Luck!

[EddieLeon]

Both of my parents are self employed and were very encouraging when I started my own company (7 years ago. In fact it was just assumed that I would). Both had varying degrees of success over time, my mother was highly successful for most of her career. Now they are both in their 60's no retirement, no savings and health issues that are becoming an issue. I had only heard the great strengths of working for yourself growing up now it looks very different. Its a lot scarier.

 

I hear you. My parents did the same thing and are in the same situation. That's why I mentioned that we should all have some sort of exit strategy. This doesn't mean that we need to become sell-outs, but we should understand that if you don't build your business then you will have fewer options down the road.