Hi Everyone,

I am wondering if anyone does video shops, and if they use PV500 equipment. I'm going to a certification in Seattle, and love to hear some pros/cons with your experience or equipment. Thanks!

I do video shops all the time and bought my own PV500 for the shops. I like it but they make it better all the time. I bought mine a couple of months ago and they have already made an upgrade on it so mine is old hat. I like the 500 though. It is easy to use and gives good video pictures. I have no complaints about mine.

I have used PV-500 equipment for several years and have owned my own for 2+ years. The "upgrades" are a mixed blessing. Some of the newer sets have to have several settings adjusted every single time the are started. This is a nontrivial annoyance, especially during th "robing and wiring" ritual, when distractions can cause a user-error shop failure. Some produce video of such high quality that it is difficult and more time consuming, by far, to upload it to the MSC and to rneder the final produce once it gets to the editor. Several of us are happy to buy resales of the 2-4 year old PV-500s to avoid these problems.

Carrie will be able to fill you in on the pros and cons of the various generations of the PV-500 at the training, as she is very thorough.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/24/2011 07:01PM by walesmaven.

Thanks wjones777 and walesmaven. I'm looking forward to the class in a couple of months. Another question: Have jobs been available for you in the states you live in? Thanks!

Roel,
Yes, I have done many, many video jobs within a daytrip of my home. However, to excel at video shopping, one may very well have to accept some overnight travel. The people who really make good money at this travel extensively. It can be great fun to put together a road trip with some hotel shops, some travel funds from the video shops, a few other shops and just hit the road for a few days. It's also a fair amount of work to coordinate. fortunately, the top 7-10 video companies cooperate to help shoppers put togther road trips. I shopped for 5 different video companies when I shopped my way from MD to FL, and back, in May to attend the IMSC conference. It is up to you to puesue road trips. They are seldom, if ever, presented, fully formed, by the MSC.

If you only want to do a couple of videos per month, every month, you can probably do that without overnight travel for a while. But, once you have done a long format video shop (30-120 minutes) at a given site, or involving a specific target, you may be barred from returning to the site for 18-24 months, and probably can never shop that target again.

It's up to you to keep a log of the people with whom you have interected during your shops. This is because the sales/leasing agent targets may move from one location to another, and from one client to another; and, the client may move from one MSC to another. So, just checking who and where you have shopped for one company will not alert you that you may be in danger of encountering the target that you shopped 3 years ago. And, believer you me, those agents are trained to remember the people who visit their subdivisions or apartment developments!

As you can see, a very active video shopper will exhaust even a large local list of aprtment complexes, new home sales agents, retirement communities, etc., in a couple of years and need to expand her/his range.

Thanks Walesmaven! How long have you been doing video shops? The good thing is my wife and I are going to the certification class. So if I've exhaust my shops, I'm sure she can pick up the slack <lol>
Would you mind if I PM you to get more indepth analysis with you? I'm going to the IMSC conference in Las Vegas in November, looking forward to it. It will be my first of many to come.

Roel,
I have been video shopping since late 2005. Frankly, Carrie will cover, in depth, just about anything you might want to know. Also, before you pose more questions, I highly recommend that you search for and read the several video shopping threads at volition.com.

Chatting with other video shoppers in LV will also be priceless. This part of MSing is NOTHING like written shops, and the demands on shoppers and schedulers are quite different. Enjoy!

Walesmaven,
I have searched and researched on Volition for threads, thanks for asking. The reason for my post was to talk with a few people (network) and get thier take on VS. Since I'm being trained first in Sept, then buying the equipment from a MSP that Carrie provided its 1 1/2 away. I'm looking for folks that can provide tips even though I'll know in the certification class. Kind of like, "oh, watch out for this, and that, etc." You have enlightened me, and I thank you for your kind posts.

Roel,
The sort of back and forth that you are seeking really needs to be face to face, I think. You will find video shoppers very ready to share war stories at the conference. I appreciate your impatience, lol.

<----------- Wishes she could go to Vegas but may have shop my way to Chicago. Carrie said Atlanta might be next on this side of the country. That would be awesome.

ibless,
I sure would love to meet you in Chicago in March. Let's not wait for 2013!

Roel,

I love to see you doing your homework! Wavensmaven is one of the few of us who have been around and done many things the hard way. Her input, along with many others and the Video Mscs is the material that has been gathered for Video Certification. I can tell by your tenacity anc curiosity that you will make a great video shopper!

I look forward to meeting you!

Wow Carrie,
It's good to hear from you! Walesmaven has been VERY helpful,as others too. I'm saving up money to get my equipment! I look forward to seeing you in Seattle!

Not completely ruling out Vegas! Might route shop my way there and back! yOU NEVER KNOW!

You know, your not allowed to shop Vegas unless you have a work card..just saying... iblessyah Wrote:
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Not completely ruling out Vegas! Might route shop
> my way there and back! yOU NEVER KNOW!

Hi, You will learn alot from the class. I took the class in February and have made my money from the equipment purchase within a month. The schedulers don't usually post the assignments. They go by word of mouth. First Carrie will give them your name and if your area is in need of shoppers, they call you. They are much more personal than the regular shopping companies. I have been weeding out the written shops and doing video because they pay more.


In the class Carrie said it;s not hard to get the document you need to shop Vegas. I'm just waiting on the kids to get bigger and then I'm on my way. Hopefully in a cooler month.

prettygul1,
Thanks for your post! I can't wait to take the class. I've read from other folks who say they get their return on investment in a month or two. I'm glad we think alike in respects to VS vs regular shops. Not only because of pay, but I love gadgets and how the video equipment is getting compact in size and overall technology is amazing.

Warning though.....Video shopping will make you feel like you are better tahn everyone else. Kidding of course. But you get to speak with owners of companies and they know you on a first name basis and they actually appreciate you.

I want to do the conference in Vegas but I have little ones, so not sure if I'll make it or not.

I would love to attend the conference, but I'm afraid it's out for me, being so far from home. I've done video shops for Bare and enjoy them. I'd like to do many more, for more companies.

I signed up for the Cleveland workshop on August 24th. I'd forgotten about it and am so glad you sent out the reminder about it today, Carrie. Vegas might be beyond my scope this year, but this I can't pass up. =)

Great TechSavvy! Please post when you finish the class, and give some insights. I have to wait until September!

TechSavvy,
Is the Class in Cleveland still open. I live in Western NY and could drive for the day. Maybe I could pick up a hotel shop. How do you apply?
Thank you in advance.

Roel_in_Seattle Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Thanks wjones777 and walesmaven. I'm looking
> forward to the class in a couple of months.
> Another question: Have jobs been available for you
> in the states you live in? Thanks!


Sorry it took so long to get back to you. I live in Florida on the Southeast Coast. I do not do routes like some do but manage to do 8 to 10 video shops a month. As long as I clear around 1200.00 a month shopping I am ok. The video shops just makes my life a lot easier and I do not have to do cheap shops anymore to make my quota. In July I will make my quota and only did around 48 shops for the month. It saves on gas and my life is a lot less stressful without the constant paperwork.

Poboi35- I sent you a private message about the workshop.

Pobo, are you going to Cleveland?

Pobo35 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> TechSavvy,
> Is the Class in Cleveland still open. I live in
> Western NY and could drive for the day. Maybe I
> could pick up a hotel shop. How do you apply?
> Thank you in advance.

Roel, I got my PV-500ECO today. The extended battery is on backorder, though - gah! I got an external AA battery pack from eBay, though, so should be okay for my route Wednesday.

Tomorrow I must get the button cam stuff in place so I'm ready to hit the road with confidence on Wednesday.

Roel_in_Seattle Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Great TechSavvy! Please post when you finish the
> class, and give some insights. I have to wait
> until September!

Porhammer--where do I find the PM. Is it my email?

Pobo35- At the top of this page there is "My Control Center". Go there and you should see "Private Messages."

Just a note to remind everyone that those AA battery packs, and the wires to them, can heat up quite a lot. Be sure to have amply cloth between your skin and those parts.

That is good to know - thanks.