How to Get Video Retainer Clients with Max Lord
Table of Contents
📖 Background
I had the chance to sit down with my friend Max Lord from Bridged Media to chat about how he’s scaling his video agency.
Max explained to me how he was transitioning to a monthly recurring revenue (MRR) model, the importance of authentic and personalized video outreach, and the value of building systems & processes in business. I’ve condensed the biggest learnings and frameworks from the interview below.
💡 P.S. You can find the full, uncut video interview here.
🎯 Results
Max increased his minimum pricing from £1500 → £5000 ($6400 USD) in four years.
He found a way to transition one-off projects to an MRR model, ensuring stable income.
He created a strong personal brand where he shares engaging and valuable content.
He’s dialed in his video outreach to be one of the highest ROI acquisition channels.
“Finishing a project can be exhilarating, but then comes the challenge of finding the next client. (...) The Seesaw motion of financial ups and downs can be draining; I needed to change the model.”
🎬 Video Chapters
You can find our full two-hour interview here.
00:00 🎬 After cultivating a passion for storytelling , Max Lord established Bridged Media. This company specializes in crafting brand videos, testimonial videos, and engaging social media content. His journey towards building a successful business was catalyzed when he recognized the long-term benefits while collaborating with a client.
09:41 🎬 Max Lord talks about the hard parts of running a video company. These include finding clients, dealing with COVID-19 changes, deciding how much to charge, using a monthly payment system, doing many different jobs, and giving clients a full-service experience.
24:47 🎬 Max gives clients three choices for video packages. This helps them get what they need and also builds trust. He also says reusing old content can get the attention of possible new clients.
42:54 🎬 Max grows his video company by adding more video options, taking care of current clients, showing how valuable the service is, and telling everyone how things work. He thinks it's important to keep things simple, care about clients, and be interested in their needs for successful videos and partnerships.
01:03:18 🎬 Max uses tools like Notion to manage clients, Tide to track payments, Premier Pro and Descript to edit, and Sony gear to make videos. He says good equipment is important for making videos that clients love and for making personal videos too.
01:17:22 🎬 Max improves work speed by investing in a better computer. He also sends special videos to important clients. Instead of going to events to meet new people, he finds businesses on Google Maps. Making special videos gets him more jobs and new customers. He believes in being nice to clients and giving them what they need.
01:32:23 🎬 Max says your video company plan should match your style and what your clients want. He suggests talking to clients and sharing new ideas. He thinks it's good to be yourself and ask questions when you talk to possible clients. He also says to start small and not make things too complicated.
01:43:32 📚 Max shares important things he learned while growing his video company. He talks about having a positive attitude, taking action, and learning from others. He likes using YouTube to learn and connect with other creative people who can help you.
🔑 Key Takeaways
Moving to MRR Model for Consistent Income: Max’s decision to transition his video agency to a Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR) model has provided him with a more stable income stream. By offering retainer-based packages, he can secure long-term contracts with clients, ensuring a reliable cash flow to sustain and grow his business effectively.
Customization & Personalization in Outreach: Max uses video outreach to find his most ideal clients. Max emphasizes the importance of tailoring video outreach messages to each client, showcasing genuine appreciation for their work and industry. This personalized approach fosters stronger connections, increasing the chances of successful collaborations and client engagements.
Value Delivery through Content & Positioning: To stand out in the local video industry, Max focuses on delivering value through content that resonates with his target audience. One of the ways he does this is by breaking down his processes, either on video or with graphics like the one below, to educate and engage his customers.
Starting Small & Scaling Gradually: When taking on bigger projects or monthly retainers, it's essential to start with a manageable scope to understand the amount of work involved accurately. Max recommends starting small, even if it means charging less initially, to gain valuable experience and avoid overpromising, which can lead to client dissatisfaction.
🧠 Skills Required
Discipline & Structure
Getting Comfortable Pitching: Max’s background in Christian education taught him how to handle rejection and present ideas as conversations rather than sales pitches. He compliments potential clients on their business and focuses on offering something of value in his outreach, making his pitches more engaging and effective.
Building a CRM (in Notion): Max organizes his client projects in Notion, creating dedicated pages for each client. He keeps track of project details, including timelines, milestones, and deliverables, all in one centralized place. This allows him to stay on top of tasks and ensures smooth communication with clients throughout the project's lifecycle.
Outreach Tracker (in Notion): Max also keeps track of his video outreach using a database in Notion. This allows him to build up a list of potential clients, develop an outreach plan, then follow-up easily on a set schedule.
Empathy
Curiosity: This is a valuable trait when working with clients. Max's approach involves thorough research into a business's challenges and successes, allowing him to address their specific needs and propose relevant video ideas. This genuine interest builds trust and opens doors for meaningful conversations.
Understanding Client Goals: Max deeply understands his clients' goals and aspirations for the video project. He listens closely to their vision and objectives, ensuring that the final product meets their specific needs.
Personalized Thank-You Messages & Gifts: After finishing a project, Max often sends personalized thank-you messages to his clients to show appreciation for working with them. On occasion, Max surprises his clients with thoughtful gifts related to their businesses. This strengthens the client relationship and demonstrates Max's recognition of the importance of their collaboration.
Client Recognition on Social Media: Max promotes his clients' businesses on LinkedIn, highlighting their work together and celebrating achievements. This helps clients reach a wider audience and fosters camaraderie and partnership.
🧰 Tools & Equipment
Hardware
Camera Ecosystem: Max uses the Sony ecosystem, but he also brings in DP’s and cinematographers for projects who often bring more advanced camera rigs. He uses a Sony A73 to shoot his own social content.
Editing Rig: If Max had to start over from scratch, the first piece of equipment he would invest in is a powerful editing rig. The amount of time you’ll save in post-production adds up, so investing in an editing rig that allows you to move at the speed of thought is really important. It allows you to get into a flow state, it enhances efficiency, and can even impress clients with faster turnaround times.
“When you’re working on an edit, the worst thing in the world is stop, start, stop, start... Once you’re in flow state, yeah, it’s a wonderful place to be.”
Software
Premiere Pro: Max uses Adobe Premiere Pro for his client's projects. He's considering switching to Davinci Resolve, but he wants to maintain efficiency with his clients by sticking to the tools he knows for now.
Descript: Descript is a tool Max uses for video production. It has simple audio and video editing features, and a unique transcript-editing feature that saves time and streamlines the editing process.
Sony Imaging Edge: Max uses the Imaging Edge app to wirelessly monitor his camera feed when he’s creating videos for his personal brand on social media.
Frame.io: Max uses Frame.io for client collaboration. This cloud-based platform simplifies the review process by allowing clients to provide feedback directly on the video, streamlining revisions and ensuring clear communication.
Google Drive: Max will often deliver the final video assets using Google Drive.
VidYard: Max uses VidYard for his video outreach hosting, which allows him to see if his prospects watch his videos.
LinkedIn Sales Navigator: This is how Max finds the decision-makers at the companies he’s reaching out to.
Notion: Max uses Notion to manage his CRM and outreach tracker. It helps him stay organized, collaborate with his clients, and keep track of tasks, timelines, and important client information. He loves it so much he started managing his personal life in Notion too.
📝 Processes
1. Video Outreach
Max uses a combination of tools & strategies for his targeted video outreach.
Max uses LinkedIn Sales Navigator to find the decision-makers at a given company.
Then he records a video and edits it in Premiere Pro
Next, he uploads it to VidYard where it gives a link that will show the first 3-seconds of the video. It also lets you see when someone has watched the video, which helps for tracking purposes & follow-up.
Lastly, he sends the video via Gmail and uses the MailTrack plug-in to track open-rates.
Tips for Effective Video Outreach
Provide Value First: Max prioritizes providing value to potential clients by demonstrating his understanding of their business and suggesting how video can enhance their success. This approach positions him as a valuable partner rather than a salesperson, helping build trust and credibility and making the outreach more effective.
Hyper-Personalization within a Framework: Max balances hyper-personalization with a structured framework in his outreach videos. He tailors each video to the recipient, but follows a consistent format for efficient editing and quick turnaround times. This ensures personalization without sacrificing efficiency.
Research and Tailoring: Max compares video outreach to attending a networking event. You have no control over who attends a networking event, and the attendees are often trying to pitch you something as well. But with video outreach, you can narrow down your ideal client and reach out to them directly with a personalized message.
Genuine Passion and Enthusiasm: Max's passion for helping businesses shines in his outreach videos. This authentic approach fosters trust and connection with the recipient, making clients more likely to respond positively to Max's dedication to their success.
Persistence and Follow-Up: Max’s follow-up game is borderline obsessive (in a good way). Max knows that successful outreach takes persistence. He doesn't give up after not hearing back at first. Instead, he continues to follow up with potential clients, providing value in each interaction. This approach keeps him on their radar and improves the chances of getting a positive response or turning them into long-term clients.
“My follow-up game is borderline obsessive, but the point is that if it’s high quality enough, by the time they watch it, they’ll get it. And if not, no worries. But by doing that, I’ve converted some of my highest paying clients into long-term customers.”
2. Transitioning to MRR
Max’s switch to monthly recurring revenue wasn’t exactly easy. In fact, he claims it’s bee one of the biggest learning curves in his career. But, he knows it will be worth it in the long-run. Here’s how Max is approaching this:
Identifying Pain Points: Max understands his clients' pain points during the initial sales conversation. By asking supplementary questions, he uncovers various pain points that can be addressed with ongoing video projects, presenting an opportunity for continuous collaboration.
Multiple Package Options: Max offers clients three package options instead of just one-off videos, allowing him to propose ongoing video projects that address multiple pain points in their business. This three-tier pricing strategy is effective because it encourages clients to consider higher-priced packages with added benefits. The clear structure makes it easier for clients to choose a package that aligns with their requirements, streamlining the sales process. It also allows the customers to choose their own adventure (with no wrong answer).
Allowing Long-Term Payment Plans: Including long-term payment options also you to spread the project, the cost and the deliverables across a longer time horizon. This encourages clients to opt for larger projects, which builds an even deeper relationship, and provides Max with Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR).
If you’re strategic about the types of projects you take on, you can spend more of your time creating videos and less time finding clients. Remember, it takes the same amount of effort to find a one-off client as it does to find a retainer client.
“Changing the model in which I deliver the product has been one of the biggest learning curves in my business career.”
Nurturing Existing Client Relationships: With repeat clients, Max leverages his existing knowledge of their pain points and business needs to propose ongoing video projects that serve their business continually. After working with a client, you understand their individual style, needs and pain points to a deeper level, so you can propose unique solutions tailored for their business. It’s also easier to sell a client who has already worked with you and seen the value you provide.
Educating the Client: Max will take the time to educate the customer on the many ways video can be integrated into their business and customer lifecycle. Max uses visuals (like the one below) to educate his clients, which he references in sales calls and when pitching projects.
Most clients want to create one single video (usually a ‘Brand Story’ video). Max created this graphic to illustrate the additional ways video can be used in his customers’ business, throughout the entire customer journey. This graphic immediately gets the point across. It educates his clients and gets them excited for a future working with him and his team.
3. Standing Out Online
Strong Brand Story Video: We didn’t talk about this in the interview, but it’s worth noting that Bridged Media has one of the best brand story videos I’ve ever seen. With this single asset he’s able to educate, inspire and convert potential customers passively.
Becoming a Thought Leader: Producing videos and appearing on video are two completely different skillsets, and Max has honed both of these skills. Max consistently shares content for his target market on social platforms like LinkedIn and TikTok, which ensures he’s always top-of-mind for his clients.
🚫 What Didn’t Work
Networking Events: Although he did get some clients from networking, he couldn't control the quality of leads, and the lack of ability to qualify potential clients made the process less effective. He recognizes that networking can work for people, but he prefers a more targeted approach using video outreach.
Analysis Paralysis: Consuming too much information without taking action can hinder your progress. You can’t just consume, consume, consume. Eventually you need to take action.
⚠️ Risks & Pitfalls
Underestimating Scope of Work: One of the major risks Max has encountered is underestimating the amount of work necessary to complete larger projects or multi-month retainers. He has faced challenges in rescheduling, planning, and dealing with unprepared clients, which highlights the importance of thoroughly understanding the scope of work before committing to such projects.
Overpromising and Undercharging: Max emphasizes the pitfall of overpromising and undercharging for his services. He advises against making unrealistic commitments, such as promising to deliver numerous videos per month, as it may lead to overwhelming workloads and a lack of value for the price quoted. Starting with smaller, more manageable projects helps him gain a better understanding of the necessary scope and ensures that he can deliver effectively in the future.
At events, you’re pitching yourself to people who are usually trying to pitch you as well. You also have no control over the people in attendance. With targeted video outreach, you can do your research and pitch directly to your ideal clients.
📕 Resources
Max highlights the significance of learning from others in the creative space while simultaneously recognizing the value of testing and adapting strategies. By observing successful entrepreneurs, he gains insights into mindset, business structure, and the importance of taking bold, calculated risks.
Chris Do: Max says that Chris Do has acted as a ‘North Star’ for him over the past few years. He recommends watching The Futur youtube channel, which is a valuable resource for understanding the entrepreneurial and creative aspects of running a video business.
Alex Hormozi: Provides insights into delivering value and positioning yourself as an expert.
Creators Grab Coffee Podcast: A podcast featuring video producers sharing their experiences and stories in the industry.
YouTube University: Anything you want to learn is available on the internet, quite often for free. He recommends consistent learning, as long as you’re actually executing and not just stuck in perpetual “analysis” mode.
Summary
I love the way Max thinks about building systems & internal infrastructure in his business. By doing so, he’s able to take on bigger projects, engage more deeply with his clients and deliver a more consistent client experience.
If you’ve enjoyed this framework, be sure to let me know here. 🙏
