we are on our own.what now?

[Ron Lindeboom]

[kicki] “If anyone has the similar experience or some kind of advice how to win the clients back, it would be highly appreciated.”

Hello Kicki,

I realize that this may startle and even offend some people here but these clients are not and were not “yours.” Winning them back is a distortion of the facts. The accounts did belong and do belong to the company you worked for.

Sure, you could focus on trying to take them away from the agency but then you are immediately going to branded as a “scab” company and not many legitimate large clients wish to do business like this.

Why?

It’s a “karma kinda thing.” They see that if you will do stuff like this to your former employer, then what will you do to them when the opportunity arises to cut their throat to your advantage?

I do not mean to be hard and I am truly not trying to insult you, merely give you a picture of the situation from a viewpoint you may not have considered.

You can waste a ton of time, effort and money trying to get these accounts and I will guarantee you that you will be lucky to get one — really lucky. The odds are that you will end up with not a single one.

Build your own business. Don’t ravage someone elses.

Focus on building relationships with companies whom you can serve as you come out of the gate in your new venture. Maybe you won’t be getting rich right away but you won’t be building a reputation as a scab company with whom few will want to do business.

Over time, some of the companies you wish to work with may see your efforts and they will ask for an RFP or a presentation from you — if they do, then pitch them with all the professionalism and intensity you possess. They called and they are now asking. If you go after them right now, you will be building a reputation that will hurt you in the long run and stack the deck against you in a way from which you will likely have little chance to recover.

That’s my two cents, maybe someone else will see it differently…

Ron Lindeboom
creativecow.net

[Kicki]

Thanks for your advice Ron,
that was also my opinion, that`s why we did not tried to approach these people in past six months.
And I do not think that these clients were ever “ours” they were their clients that were extremely satisfied with the work we did for them.I apologize – that was badly formulated sentence.
Surely we are building our own business and we have few clients that are pleased with us but it`s a like doing a comercials for local deli store, after you`ve done few for a microsoft.
So your advice is to stay put and not even try to aproach these agencies on a open field and let them know that we even exist anymore?
Kicki

[Tim Baker]

I would also ditto Ron’s advice and give my own.

Look for leads/networking groups in your area, join the Chamber of Commerce for your region(more than one if it applies), and like Ron said…build your own business.

The reason I say this…I am doing just that. I relocated with my family and production company 5 months ago to a new region. I have no less than 6 projects that are headed toward contracts as we speak. Two of them as leads from the local Chamber and the rest from two seperate leads groups that I have joined or attended.

I will be honest…I don’t think I have ever worked the “business” side of my business so hard before, but it is really paying off and is pushing me way out of my comfort zone and making…dare I say it…more of a sales person out of me, as well as my old roles as a DP, Producer, Editor, and video guy extraordinare…lol.

Another suggestion, as well, if you did not burn the bridge with the former employer…pursue a “strategic alliance”…if they have overflow work or still want to offer your services to clients that were happy with your work…offer them a cut rate so that they make a percentage good enough to “resell” your services.

Also, I am not sure of what all the services are that you offer…but what I am seeing is that people are more likely to use me when they see that I am a “one-stop-shop”. I offer concept to final product, be it on tape or interactive media…I handle it. Now if I don’t do it myself…I sell it as though I do…again via strategic alliances that I have with good, reputable people that I can trust, resell their services, and I still get a modest percentage. I am honest with my clients if have to “farm” services out, but they also know that they are not paying more because of it and I still handle the logistics.

Sorry to ramble, just what has worked incredibly for me.

Good luck to you…I think you will be very rewarded with what you are doing…I know I have. Just don’t burn bridges and remember that the most solid looking lead will probably not work out, but the most obscure lead will…just seems to be the way it goes for me…lol.

Tim Baker
Chameleon Mobile Video Productions
(239)849-3295
“It is not the light at the end of the tunnel that we should seek…it is the courage to take the next step in the dark that we must find.”

[Michael Munkittrick]

Kicki,
Clearly, I would be in the minority with my point of view on this specific point, but then again I

[Bob Cole]

Great advice. Two aspects of this situation which haven’t been touched on: (1)how to deal with being impugned by your previous employer; (2) how to let people know your new situation.

When you aren’t around to defend yourself you might be blamed for everything that goes wrong. When I left one job, partially over my opposition to pursuing a major contract, the company went ahead with the contract. About a year later the contract blew up with a loss of about $800,000, much as I predicted. A few months after that, one of my friends “inside” told me that the company was saying that I had been in FAVOR of the contract. Implication: I’d been canned and good riddance, instead of, I’d left and coulda saved them a bundle if they’d listened. Damage to reputation: I don’t really know, but I bet I didn’t get a few calls as a result.

Also, your old employer isn’t going to tell anyone that you are in business.

So, if you have valuable contacts from that job, make sure you stay in touch. You can tell them you aren’t soliciting THEIR business because you know that they are happy with XYZ Firm, but you are open for OTHER business, and if they know of someone else who might use your services, please let them know…

[Leo Ticheli]

I agree with most of what’s been posted on this thread, but I do have a comment about employees breaking off to do their own thing.

I’ve had many good people train at my shop and then spread their wings; it’s just the natural order of things. Usually, they are very successful. Sometimes, they come to realize that the “business” part of the business is not nearly so attractive from the captain’s chair, but usually they are successful on their own for the same reasons they were successful working with me.

I am a supporter of everyone who’s ever labored here; they’ve all worked hard and deserve whatever rewards they can earn after they move on. True, they are competitors, but they are also colleagues and friends; we rent gear to them and help all we can. I definitely tell anyone inquiring that they are in business and recommend them when I can.

I’m actually hired by a few of them from time to time and that’s always very gratifying. When you become an old dog it’s nice to be treated like a favorite uncle!

Best regards to all,
Leo

Director/Cinematographer
Southeast USA

[Ron Lindeboom]

[Leo Ticheli] “I am a supporter of everyone who’s ever labored here; they’ve all worked hard and deserve whatever rewards they can earn after they move on.”

I couldn’t agree more.

But…

When a former employee takes the knowledge given them and uses it to target their former employer’s client list — well, then in my book, that’s playing dirty.

There is a big difference between employees growing their own business and those who walk out with the client list and numbers and then use it against their former employer.

I am glad that Kicki made it clear that this was not her new company’s focus, as it appeared to be at first — it makes it a lot easier to offer ideas and assistance to someone starting fresh.

I, for one, would be hesitant to offer anything more than a cautionary tale to someone whose goal was to cannibalize their former employer’s client list.

Your mileage may vary.

Best regards,

Ron Lindeboom

[Ron Lindeboom]

[Michael Munkittrick] “Now, far be it from me to claim that I

[Charley King]

Interesting things being discussed here. I can see Ron’s comments very strongly, but there are, in my opinion, sometimes exceptions.
Many moons ago in the olden times, I was offered a job in the desert. I was currrently working in the gorgeous seacoast city of San Diego. My employer in San Diego knew I was leaving and gave me a fond farewell. Two of my clients asked him where I went and he told them. They then brought their business to the desert so I could continue servicing their needs. I never felt in this instance that I had violated a trust. Of course I didn’t actually ask them to follow me.
After 10 years at the facility in the desert I was offered a position at a brand new facility. My employer knew I was offered that position and again I left with a very good relationship. I did inform several of my clients where I was moving and that to continue doing business with me they would have to decide on paying a much higher rate. Most did some didn’t. I along with my former employer knew if they hadn’t followed me, they would probably have eventually gone somewhere else anyhow since that employer was unable to continue they high quality of service the clients that left were use to receiving without spending a lot of money to upgrade the equipment which he was told was the only way to keep me there.
Soooooo, there are some instances that it really isn’t bad business practices to go after clients of a previous employer, but I will admit these instances are rare.

Charlie

[Ron Lindeboom]

[Charlie King] “My employer in San Diego knew I was leaving and gave me a fond farewell. Two of my clients asked him where I went and he told them. They then brought their business to the desert so I could continue servicing their needs. I never felt in this instance that I had violated a trust. Of course I didn’t actually ask them to follow me.”

Hi Charlie,

This is a far cry different than targeting a former employer’s customer list. I do not see a single unethical thing in what you lay out here and I don’t believe for a second that the scenario you present violates a trust.

The problem arises when an employee knows that they are about to leave — either because they have the desire to leave or may be getting let go for some reason — and they take customer lists and other things that are actually the property of the company they are leaving.

It’s one thing for clients to *want* to follow you because of a relationship they have with you. It is quite another when the relationship is with the company and the former employee targets these clients — which most will not respond to but some will, due to low-ball pricing or other incentives that attract the client.

[Charlie King] “I, along with my former employer, knew if they hadn’t followed me, they would probably have eventually gone somewhere else anyhow since that employer was unable to continue the high quality of service the clients that left were used to receiving without spending a lot of money to upgrade the equipment which he was told was the only way to keep me there.”

Companies that will not invest in their own future or in their employees, are prone to failure anyway — they are playing a defensive war and that never works. If you will not develop new markets and opportunities, then the very ones that were once yours will evaporate eventually.

Best regards, Charlie.

Ron Lindeboom