JUST PUBLISHED MY NEW BOOK!-- "How to Manage Your Time & Organize Your Life."
Exhausted but happy.
Friday, July 16, 2010
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Is Your Photography Business Out of Focus?
If somebody asked you to describe a perfect day in the life of your photography business, could you do it?
If somebody asked you to describe your ideal customer, could you do it?
If somebody asked you what you wanted your business to look like in 5 years, could you do it? How about 10 years? Or 20?
It's sad, really, how many photographers spend hundreds or thousands of hours trying to perfect their craft... when then don't have the first clue about how to actually make money with their craft.
Look, I understand the whole "art for art's sake," thing... but I have a hunch that more often than not, this is simply used as an excuse by photographers who aren't making any money.
But making money with your photography isn't really as hard as you might think... although it does require (excuse the pun) some intense focus.
If you're a little unclear about what your business should look like, here are the first 3 things you must do to get your photography business on the right track:
1. Figure out what your photography strengths are... then cater to them. If you have a strong eye for photographing people... consider being a fashion or portrait photographer. It you're particularly skilled at photographing buildings, consider shooting commercial real estate. And so on.
On the other hand, if you get abnormally nervous when dealing with people... you probably shouldn't be a wedding photographer. If you have trouble photographing moving objects, you might want to stay away from NASCAR photography. And so on.
2. Figure out who your ideal customer is. What are their habits? What gives them pleasure? What scares them? What are their hobbies?
The more narrowly you can define this ideal customer, the more you can gear your marketing toward them. After all, you can be the most technically skilled photographer in the world... but if you can't get people to actually buy your photographs, these skills could go to waste.
3. Figure out what you want your business to look like in 20 years. Thinking long-term will force you to make smarter decisions than if you're just trying to pay the rent next week. Create a solid vision of your business, and then make every marketing decision with this vision in mind.
Of course, marketing your business is a complete subject to itself (sadly, one that most photographers don't have a clue about), but until you know exactly what you're trying to accomplish with your photography-both today and 20 years from now-you'll be running hard on a treadmill, going nowhere
If somebody asked you to describe your ideal customer, could you do it?
If somebody asked you what you wanted your business to look like in 5 years, could you do it? How about 10 years? Or 20?
It's sad, really, how many photographers spend hundreds or thousands of hours trying to perfect their craft... when then don't have the first clue about how to actually make money with their craft.
Look, I understand the whole "art for art's sake," thing... but I have a hunch that more often than not, this is simply used as an excuse by photographers who aren't making any money.
But making money with your photography isn't really as hard as you might think... although it does require (excuse the pun) some intense focus.
If you're a little unclear about what your business should look like, here are the first 3 things you must do to get your photography business on the right track:
1. Figure out what your photography strengths are... then cater to them. If you have a strong eye for photographing people... consider being a fashion or portrait photographer. It you're particularly skilled at photographing buildings, consider shooting commercial real estate. And so on.
On the other hand, if you get abnormally nervous when dealing with people... you probably shouldn't be a wedding photographer. If you have trouble photographing moving objects, you might want to stay away from NASCAR photography. And so on.
2. Figure out who your ideal customer is. What are their habits? What gives them pleasure? What scares them? What are their hobbies?
The more narrowly you can define this ideal customer, the more you can gear your marketing toward them. After all, you can be the most technically skilled photographer in the world... but if you can't get people to actually buy your photographs, these skills could go to waste.
3. Figure out what you want your business to look like in 20 years. Thinking long-term will force you to make smarter decisions than if you're just trying to pay the rent next week. Create a solid vision of your business, and then make every marketing decision with this vision in mind.
Of course, marketing your business is a complete subject to itself (sadly, one that most photographers don't have a clue about), but until you know exactly what you're trying to accomplish with your photography-both today and 20 years from now-you'll be running hard on a treadmill, going nowhere
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Creating the Perfect Welcome Package For Your Clients
What do you do when somebody calls you on the phone - or e-mails you - and asks you to send them some information about your photography services?
If you're like many photographers, the first thing you do is... panic!
This is silly. After all, you're a professional photographer... and you should want people to call you. You should want people to ask for more information about your photography services.
Because building a successful photography business is more about connecting with people than it is about taking quality photographs. So whether people inquire by phone, by e-mail, or in person... it's important that you have a streamlined, professional-looking "welcome package" you can quickly mail out to them.
What should you have in this welcome package? Well, here's an example of a package I'm currently putting together for Tess (not her real name), one of my coaching clients who specializes in infant & baby photography.
When Tess receives a request for more information about her photography services, she will immediately send that person an overnight Federal Express package containing the following items:
1. A 4-page sales letter that explains who Tess is, what she offers... and a bit more about everything that's included in the package.
2. A handwritten sticky note attached to the front of the sales letter - showing the client that Tess is an actual person, and isn't just sending out cold, impersonal packages to everybody who asks.
3. A color brochure that includes a biography about herself, several of her very best pictures, and a strong call to action.
4. A stack of business cards wrapped inside a short note explaining how Tess will give them a $50-off coupon (for a portrait, an album, etc.) for every person they refer to her business.
5. A time-sensitive coupon for 25% off of any baby portrait - and this coupon is transferable, so the prospective client can give it to somebody else if they don't use it.
6. An application to join her Birthday Club - an ongoing "club" where Tess will take pictures of a baby every year from age 1-18.
7. A magnetized version of her business card - so the client can keep Tess' name on their refrigerator. This will allow both her phone number and website information to be prominently displayed.
8. A pad of Post-It Notes with Tess' phone number and website information.
9. A DVD slide show (set to music) of some of Tess' best baby portraits.
10. An 8-page booklet explaining how parents can take good snapshots of their kids.
Now, all this might sound overly ambitious and expensive... but the care you take in assembling this package will make it clear to your clients that you are serious... that you are professional... and that you are really, really talented.
Taking the time and expense of sending it overnight mail proves that you are eager to have them as a client.
And all of this will translate into... more sales!
The beauty of a system like this is that most of the work is done on the front end. Once you've compiled all your materials... it is extremely easy to actually mail the completed package out to a prospective client.
If you're like many photographers, the first thing you do is... panic!
This is silly. After all, you're a professional photographer... and you should want people to call you. You should want people to ask for more information about your photography services.
Because building a successful photography business is more about connecting with people than it is about taking quality photographs. So whether people inquire by phone, by e-mail, or in person... it's important that you have a streamlined, professional-looking "welcome package" you can quickly mail out to them.
What should you have in this welcome package? Well, here's an example of a package I'm currently putting together for Tess (not her real name), one of my coaching clients who specializes in infant & baby photography.
When Tess receives a request for more information about her photography services, she will immediately send that person an overnight Federal Express package containing the following items:
1. A 4-page sales letter that explains who Tess is, what she offers... and a bit more about everything that's included in the package.
2. A handwritten sticky note attached to the front of the sales letter - showing the client that Tess is an actual person, and isn't just sending out cold, impersonal packages to everybody who asks.
3. A color brochure that includes a biography about herself, several of her very best pictures, and a strong call to action.
4. A stack of business cards wrapped inside a short note explaining how Tess will give them a $50-off coupon (for a portrait, an album, etc.) for every person they refer to her business.
5. A time-sensitive coupon for 25% off of any baby portrait - and this coupon is transferable, so the prospective client can give it to somebody else if they don't use it.
6. An application to join her Birthday Club - an ongoing "club" where Tess will take pictures of a baby every year from age 1-18.
7. A magnetized version of her business card - so the client can keep Tess' name on their refrigerator. This will allow both her phone number and website information to be prominently displayed.
8. A pad of Post-It Notes with Tess' phone number and website information.
9. A DVD slide show (set to music) of some of Tess' best baby portraits.
10. An 8-page booklet explaining how parents can take good snapshots of their kids.
Now, all this might sound overly ambitious and expensive... but the care you take in assembling this package will make it clear to your clients that you are serious... that you are professional... and that you are really, really talented.
Taking the time and expense of sending it overnight mail proves that you are eager to have them as a client.
And all of this will translate into... more sales!
The beauty of a system like this is that most of the work is done on the front end. Once you've compiled all your materials... it is extremely easy to actually mail the completed package out to a prospective client.
Friday, July 9, 2010
Trading Coffee For Clients...
Something interesting happened the other day when my wife went to buy her morning cup of coffee... and it's a perfect example of marketing "outside of the box." (I hate the phrase but completely agree with the concept.)
Next to the register was a stack of business cards literally 8 inches tall. For a group of financial advisors here in town. My wife didn't think anything of this, of course... so she gave her order to the barista, then rummaged through her pockets for her money.
But instead of asking for payment, the barista handed my wife one of the business cards and said, "Your coffee has been paid for today."
My wife, pleasantly surprised, turned around to see a crowd of 10 or 12 people gathered around a group of three men. As it turns out, these three men were the financial advisors who were paying for everybody's coffee that morning.
Their reward? A steady stream of people coming over to thank them, to get information about their financial services... and to set up appointments. And I guarantee that even the people who didn't talk to them personally told their wives, husbands, or co-workers about the free coffee they got that morning.
So, was their effort worth it? Perhaps it'll be hard to measure right away... but over the course of six months, or a year... there's no telling how many new customers these three men earned just by "buying" a few hundred cups of coffee for people.
How does this relate to your photography business? Well, I think a similar approach could work for you... not necessarily at a coffee shop (although why not a coffee shop?), but maybe at a photography store. For instance, what if you "paid" $5 of every person's purchase at the local camera store... then hung out at the store to talk to all the people who would undoubtedly come up and thank you.
The odds are pretty good that you would walk out of that store with a couple of new clients. Even if you got just one... your time and money would be well spent.
This bold approach isn't for everybody, of course... but if you're trying to get new clients (and you should be trying to get new clients), it's definitely something to consider.
Next to the register was a stack of business cards literally 8 inches tall. For a group of financial advisors here in town. My wife didn't think anything of this, of course... so she gave her order to the barista, then rummaged through her pockets for her money.
But instead of asking for payment, the barista handed my wife one of the business cards and said, "Your coffee has been paid for today."
My wife, pleasantly surprised, turned around to see a crowd of 10 or 12 people gathered around a group of three men. As it turns out, these three men were the financial advisors who were paying for everybody's coffee that morning.
Their reward? A steady stream of people coming over to thank them, to get information about their financial services... and to set up appointments. And I guarantee that even the people who didn't talk to them personally told their wives, husbands, or co-workers about the free coffee they got that morning.
So, was their effort worth it? Perhaps it'll be hard to measure right away... but over the course of six months, or a year... there's no telling how many new customers these three men earned just by "buying" a few hundred cups of coffee for people.
How does this relate to your photography business? Well, I think a similar approach could work for you... not necessarily at a coffee shop (although why not a coffee shop?), but maybe at a photography store. For instance, what if you "paid" $5 of every person's purchase at the local camera store... then hung out at the store to talk to all the people who would undoubtedly come up and thank you.
The odds are pretty good that you would walk out of that store with a couple of new clients. Even if you got just one... your time and money would be well spent.
This bold approach isn't for everybody, of course... but if you're trying to get new clients (and you should be trying to get new clients), it's definitely something to consider.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
The disadvantage of Twitter...
So, I joined Twitter a few weeks ago, and I've become a full-fledged addict. The problem is, when I think about posting on this blog, I freeze up if I type more than one or two sentences. See... I got nothing more. :)
Oh, incidentally: @photomrktmagic
Oh, incidentally: @photomrktmagic
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