161: Why You Don't Need To Fake It To Make It w/ Ryan Spanger
Have you ever tried to put on a different persona when working with a client? I bet it felt awkward. The reality is, there’s no need to do that, even when working with giant brands. Don’t fall into the trap of believing that you’re not good enough as you are. The right client for you isn’t looking for someone else. They want you as you are with what you have to offer.
Ryan Spanger is the founder of Dream Engine, a corporate video production company in Melbourne, Australia. Since 2001, his company has been turning out high-quality corporate videos, training materials, events, and TV commercials, and website videos for businesses, government departments, and universities. He’s won numerous awards and filmed across the globe with some of the best-known brands out there.
Having been making videos for over two decades, Ryan discusses what he has learned about doing this over the long run. While a certain element of luck might be involved, Ryan describes the attitude and dedication necessary to take advantage of the opportunities that present themselves. Being dedicated above all else to create success will lead from one happy client to the next.
As someone who has worked with many big brands and companies, Ryan explains just who they are in reality. There’s often a perception of these organizations as an impersonal behemoth. In reality, since big brands are so familiar, we are actually better positioned to create a working relationship with them than many of us might believe. He describes just what you need in order to win over clients of any size and keep them coming back for more.
One key part of building a good working relationship with any client is to present an honest image of who you are. Ryan has found that by presenting himself as a creative, instead of a suit-and-tie businessman, he is able to offer clients what they want. The important part is still understanding their culture and needs to create an understanding. However, you still want to retain your individual character as a storyteller.
How can you present your authentic self when working with clients of any size? Let’s talk about it in the comments on the episode page!
In this episode
- The secrets to longevity in the video business
- Who corporate clients really are at their core
- Why being your authentic self is important for finding and impressing the right clients
- The key elements of winning large corporate clients
- Identifying the red flags of projects that are best avoided
- Practical tools you can use to niche down your business
Quotes
“It’s not like there’s a hierarchy that you start working on weddings and then smaller businesses and then medium and large. There’s no one right way. It’s important to find the types of clients you like working with.” [17:30]
“Because we’re creatives, they don’t expect us to be carbon-copies of them. They want us to be creatives. They want us a little bit out of the box.” [21:09]
“We have this impression of this big brand that’s been built up over time with all this branding and marketing. At the end of the day, you’re just working with some else, not too different from yourself.” [22:10]
“The most important thing is to just keep on thinking from the client’s point of view. What is the immediate problem that they want to solve? What are they thinking about?” [34:59]
“This is really achievable. If this is the market that you want to work with, it’s only the barriers in your own mind that would be stopping you.” [53:42]
Links
Find Ryan on Linkedin | Instagram
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