Business is all about relationships – something that David Garcia-Gonzalez knows only too well, as he has been able to significantly grow his business because of the relationships and connections that he has forged over his years in the media industry. David set up his own voice-over and translation business, GoLocalise, after gaining experience at some of the biggest audiovisual localisation companies in the world, as well as providing voiceovers for huge names such as Discovery Channel Spain, MTV, Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network.
“I realised that after having learned from some of the top companies in the industry, I could offer a better service,” David says. “Although I was never going to beat them in price, I could beat them with a personal touch and top-notch quality. I applied what I learned from the big players in the market and mixed it with a dedicated personal boutique approach.”
David cultivated his business and nurtured the relationships that he had developed during his media career in order to grow a successful business, but when it was time to move up a gear, David joined EC. He didn’t waste any time before implementing marketing templates and saw great results from using the 80 Hour Cash Machine.
Sending out the done-for-you email sequence and getting in touch with his customers meant that David was able to re-engage with three clients and book three jobs straight away. “It was amazing, given that I did it during one of our quietest times of the year,” he says.
David’s dedication to preserve good connections with past clients and colleagues is something that he has given a lot of thought to. He says, “I strongly believe that maintaining relationships in a genuine way is a great way to do business. I keep in touch with former bosses, employers, colleagues, suppliers and even university professors and teachers. By being ‘out there’ nurturing those relationships, and offering assistance, whether through paid or unpaid jobs I have built a network of trusted industry professionals and contacts.”
David landed two new clients for GoLocalise, each placing orders worth £50,000 and £20,000 respectively. It took six months of negotiations, phone calls, emails and sales pitches, but David made it happen – something that he attributes to staying focused on the philosophy behind his business.“It’s important to have a clear philosophy for your business and to really believe in it,” says David. “I always make sure that my network understands that we offer a personalised ‘boutique’ service to absolutely every single one of our clients and that we work hard to meet stringent deadlines, all the while maintaining our quality standards. Our ethos is ‘no job is too small, and each job is as important as another’.”
Much new business has come as a result of referrals. David says “I’ve had several prospects say to me ‘Mr. So-and-So’ just couldn’t emphasise enough how important it was for them to call me as I would likely have the solution they were looking for. Building that bridge with that person drove a lot of traffic my way, which wouldn’t have come otherwise.”
“The next time temptation arises to burn a bridge or even let it fall into disrepair, take a moment and realise there’s a reason for a bridge’s existence. Once a bridge is gone, it’s very difficult to cross the gap.”
David is now putting into practice the lessons he’s learned at EC and is continuing to work towards his long term vision for Go Localise – to grow exponentially, open up offices around the world and be amongst the market leaders in the localisation field.
