Heather Elder wraps up 2019 with her 38th episode of Dear Art Producer in which she interviews Leo Burnett senior producer, Michael Bilbrey. With a 28-year career as a producer and now a production consultant, he has much to share. Here are some the big takeaways from their 45-minute conversation:
-No problem is unsolvable. Break it down; be a good negotiator. And as Michael says, “If you burn dinner, there is always takeout!”
-Embrace the firm bid. It’s one big reason why Leo Burnett is at the top of the heap. Their bid sheet is the most detailed in the industry; everything about the job is spelled out ahead of time…eliminates all the receipts and backup documentation and speeds payment. It protects the client and the vendor. The only exception is change of scope.
-Turns out, Michael loves e-mail. But only when you have something new to show. So update your website/portfolio as often as possible, and he will gladly take a look and even comment if he likes what he sees.
-He loves doing portfolio reviews and adds new talent to a extensive excel matrix that is categorized by specialty.
-There really is no place to store direct mail promotions, although he has hung on to the most creative examples that he has received over the past 28 years (in files he keeps at home).
-He answers his own phone and will engage if he is not too swamped.
-When submitting a treatment for a job, one of the most important things to communicate is that you listened and heard what the client is looking for. Include samples that hew as closely as possible, what the deliverable will be, and differentiate yourself from what others might be proposing.
Obviously, there’s a lot more here, so be sure to listen to the whole podcast as well as the other 37! In an industry that is always changing, it’s great to know there are podcasts like this serving the industry and providing much-needed insight into its inner workings. Thank you Heather, and Happy Holidays!
