What Is A Photographer’s True Competitive Edge?

Why A Networking Group Can Save Your Photography Business

“I’m stuck.”

“I don’t know what to do next.”

“I have no clients and don’t know what to do.”

When clients (and profits) aren’t where they need to be, there’s only one thing to do … get more clients.

Yet in some cases that can seem like the most difficult and painful thing to do. You’ve tried things before. What should you do now?

The easiest answer is right down the street from you. And it takes the form of a Chamber of Commerce.

Chamber of Commerce offices are designed to help businesses get business and stay in business. They offer everything from advice, to networking opportunities, to resources and more. If you have a question, they are the best place to find an answer in your community.

If you’ve never been to your local chamber, what’s your first step? And what should you do when you get there? This is how to get started.

Why A Networking Group Can Save Your Photography Business

Find The Best Group

All chambers are not created equal. When we were first starting out, we joined two chambers and quickly found out that there is a difference.

The Denver Chamber was a huge group of people with lots of meetings and a ton of advice. But because they cater to the downtown Denver area, a lot of their members are larger, corporate businesses, and the members tend to be employees. We also found a lot of people in the professional venues, such as financial, law and real estate.

Then we joined the South Metro Denver Chamber, which catered to smaller businesses, more entrepreneurial in nature. And we found our target.

Spend the time to look at several in your area. Many focus in on areas – cities or regions – but you can find them based on a wide variety of interests. The Women’s Chamber, for instance, is a great place for targeting women based business opportunities.

Make sure you are comfortable with the people you meet, with the types of networking opportunities, and with the location. You will be working with it quite a bit to do it right, so make sure you have easy access. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Blog, Get Clients Tagged With: chamber of commerce, find more photography clients, Photography Business

5 Signs Your Website Has A Flawed Design and How To Fix It

by Virtual Photography Leave a Comment

Photographers love graphics. And when it comes to your website, your images should be the central theme. However, people come to your site over and over again to see what’s new. If you had the “design it and leave it” mentality when you originally put your website online, you’re missing some very crucial pieces to the online world.

While all websites are not created equal – just like all business niches are not created equal – there are some design rules that flow from industry to industry. Are you breaking any of these rules?

Mistake #1: No Action, No Changes

Why do you visit a site over and over again? It’s because when you visit, you find something new.

Why don’t photographers use that same concept on their own sites? Photographers prefer to create a dynamic site with bells and whistles and images that rotate round and round. The problem is when you head to a site like this, it takes seconds for the images to load and the “show to begin”. Once it does – once a person has been to the site – they’ve seen it all before. Why return? People want new. They want action. They want a reason to return.

With a site that offers a lot of different options – from content, to news stories, to new images, to extras like video content – there’s a reason to come back and check things out. When you predominantly place things on the home page and change them out regularly, people will happily come back to see what you have been up to. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Blog, Website Marketing Tagged With: blog design, mistakes when designing a photography blog, Photography Business, photography website marketing, website design

Will Photography Make You Rich?

by Virtual Photography Leave a Comment

How do you define “rich”?

That, of course, is a matter of opinion.

According to the IRS, the top 10% of income earners in America today make 43% of all income and pay 70% of all taxes. The top 2% of income earners pay approximately 50% of all income taxes.

According to the Tax Policy Center, if you make $107,628, you are in the top 20% of income earners. If you exceed $148,687, you are in the top 10%. If your annual income is $208,810 or more, you are in the top 5%. And if you exceed $521,411, congratulations, you are in the top 1%.

But that is income. And does your income truly signify your wealth?

It doesn’t matter how much you make if you have significantly more expenses than you do income.

So maybe we should turn to net worth. According to the Federal Reserve Survey of Consumer Finances, a net worth of $415,700 would put you in the top 20% of Americans. A net worth of $952,200 puts you into the top 10%. $1,863,800 would put you into the top 5%, and $6,816,200 would put you safely into the top 1%.

How do those numbers affect you? Did you think they would be higher than they are? Do they seem attainable to you, or are they so far off, they almost seem imaginary?

Now let’s look at photographers. According to the US Department of Labor, the National Employment Statistics for May 2012 show that to be in the top 10% of all wage earners, you would need to make $66,990. To be in the top 25%, that number would fall to $43,930.

And more importantly, studies have also shown that average salary for photographers over the past 10 years has fallen anywhere from 8 to 12 percent per year. That is attributed to improved digital technologies and the barrier to entry that has allowed huge waves of photographers to enter the field.

Will photography make you rich? Again, the definition of rich can be arguable. But when we look at solely from a physical money standpoint, the odds are not in your favor. But does that mean it’s impossible? Can photography still be a viable option for you?

Yes, and here’s how.

Will Photography Make You Rich

1. At the lowest end of the spectrum is the general photographer, making on average $19,000. The photographers that are in the upper 10% are all niched and specialized, known within their genre. Which means for you to do well in photography, pick your niche, specialize, become as good as you can within that genre, and continue to promote yourself all over the world.

2. Focus on the bottom line, not what everyone else is charging for something “similar”. If you’ve read my Pricing Your Photography, you know how important it is to start with the end in mind. What do you need from your photography to survive? How can you create packages to achieve those results?

3. What is your revenue every year for your photography business? Have you ever added everything up to truly figure out how much your business is bringing in? In some cases just looking at the numbers can give you a wake up call. Make sure you use an accounting system and look at your reports all the time. I use online Wave Accounting – it’s free – and it has a wonderful graphic dashboard that tells you your numbers as soon as you enter the program. You don’t need sophisticated programs – just something to help you keep track of where you are and where you want to be.

4. Make more than you spend. If you are defining wealth by how much you make, yet you spend more than you take in, you are losing every single year. Instead, focus in on what comes in, and how you can spend less than that to put some away. Remember, to be in the top 10%, your net worth needs only to be $952,200.

5. Never focus your mind on making money with your photography. Instead, focus in on how to build a business. If you want a Six Figure business, you have to build the structure and the systems that will allow you to attain that level of business. You’ll never make it if you hand over your digital files for whatever price you can get. You must have a business model set in place that allows you to “see” your business long before a potential customer ever walks through your door.

Filed Under: Blog, Make Money With Photography Tagged With: making money with your camera, Photography Business, Will Photography Make You Rich

7 Photography Management Software Programs To Make You More Efficient

by Virtual Photography 1 Comment

Shoot Q

Shoot-Q

Shoot Q, a division of Pictage, is a cloud based software program designed to help photographers automate their businesses. Login online from any computer in the world. There you’ll have access to all facets of your business. Track your sales leads, recording information that will help you convert them into clients. Create the perfect pricing information and embed it on your site or blog. Book and sign up your clients online. Create and organize your daily to-do lists. Then use the internal analytics to watch how your business grows over the coming months.

Pixifi

Pixifi is a web based studio management system designed to keep you organized no matter where you are in the world. Start by keeping track of your leads and your referral sources. Design contracts your clients can sign online. Want to host your own workshop? Pixifi provides an easy way to manage the entire process. How events on a regular basis? Use the calendar feature to block off your availability. Invoicing, payment tracking, communication, client and task tracing all is easy to manage in this one stop management program.

SuccessWare

SuccessWare is an award winning studio management software designed by photography industry experts. SuccessWare allows you an up close and personal look at your client list – track just about everything. You can even attach a photograph so you never forget what they look like. It manages your appointment calendar, provides details on every session you book, and allows you to take as many notes as you need to make your session a success. All of your paperwork, from sales to processing, is located in one place. Easy to get to, easy to use, and a great way to keep you on track with your business.

StudioCloud

StudioCloud is a free desktop software that provides many of the tasks photographers do every day. From client management, scheduling, point of sale, bookkeeping, reporting, marketing, to project/event/order management, this is a great tool to start your business on the road of success.

StudioPlus

StudioPlus has an entire suite of software designed for professional photographers. Start with the basics and add the functions you need. Choose from a series of robust desktop solutions, or take the same great features to the cloud for access anywhere.

Tave

Tave is a photo studio management program that helps studios with the entire management process. From quoting a lead, to contract management and signing capabilities, to lead tracking capabilities, and contact tracking and management, you’ll be on top of your daily business activities immediately.

Simply Studio

Simply-Studio

Simply Studio allows you to simplify your studio. This management program allows you to do many things, including invoicing and client management, scheduling and workflow tracking, online contracts, accounting and reporting, online proofing and selling, plus online help and phone support when you need it.

Filed Under: Production Resources Tagged With: Photography Business, Photography Management Software Programs

How To Snag One Big Client That Can Keep The Money Coming In Year Round

by Virtual Photography Leave a Comment

Let’s say you have a goal of bringing in $50,000 a year. If you hit that mark, you could quit your full time job and concentrate on photography year round.

What would be better:

Finding one $50,000 client?

Or finding 10 $5,000 clients?

How To Snag One Big Client That Can Keep The Money Coming In Year Round You probably jumped one way or the other immediately. Some would say the easiest way would be to find that one great client that you could focus all your energy and provide them with the best service ever. Others would say that is impossible – it’s much easier finding 10 people that are willing to spend $5,000 each.

Now lets define what a client is. How would you define “client”?

Most people would say something like “a person that hires you for a service and brings in money to your business.” Yep, that is a client.

But I think you can look at a “client” in a different manner as well.

I found this definition of client in the Merriam Webster dictionary:

A person who engages the professional advice or service of another.

And that’s where the difference lies. It’s with the word “advice”.

For me, a client doesn’t necessarily have to bring you in money. They can bring you in non-monetary services as well. Including referrals.

So if you are a wedding photographer, and you become close with a wedding reception site – close enough that they send you a good selection of their own clients every year – the wedding reception site could be your client.

In order to market and service this “client”, you would have to maintain a very good relationship with them over time. You could:

Take the manager out to lunch

Send over a gift basket after you book a client they send over

Refer clients to them if they book you before their wedding venue

Provide them with a free sample album to showcase how their venue looks in photographs

And of course a whole lot more.

So if your goal is to snag one big client for the year, where should you look for that “client”?

Should you market to a list of newly engaged couples? They get married once. They may refer their newly engaged friends, but time will move them away from your business if you focus on wedding photography.

Or should you concentrate on getting your one big “client” from a referral source so strong, they can literally keep you in business for years to come?

You choose.

Filed Under: Get Clients Tagged With: getting clients, How To Snag One Big Client, Keep The Money Coming In Year Round, Photography Business

Why Are You So Negative About Your Photography Business?

by Virtual Photography 4 Comments

I literally read it every day. Negative Photographer

“All you give is pie in the sky advice. Everything’s great. How can you say that when it’s anything but?”

“People are awful. You can’t trust anyone. I want to provide quality work but I have to deal with all of this ‘stuff’ within the industry. Why can’t I just shoot and be the artist I want to be?”

And I feel your pain. I really do.

But when I read things like this, I know there is very little I can do. I can’t turn a switch in your brain and make you look at things differently. I can’t rework all you’ve done up until now to come to the conclusions you’ve reached.

I read a great book recently – one I would highly recommend. You can read it in an hour or two if you put your mind to it. It’s a fast read. But the thoughts are incredibly powerful. Thoughts that will make you think about how you approach things.

The book is Risky Is The New Safe by Randy Gage. I’ve followed Randy for years. I’ve attended one of his seminars. I love his “no bull” approach.

In this book, he wrote something I’d like to share. Something I’d like you to take to heart.

“Take the same opportunity and offer it to a broke person and a wealthy person, and I guarantee you they will see it differently. When I was poor, I looked at everything through the lens of the mind viruses I was infected with. No matter what business venture I was exposed to, I approached it with the beliefs that you need money to make money; you need an education and have to know people, and so on. I could look at anything and immediately give you 15 reasons why it wouldn’t work. While I was accumulating all the evidence why it couldn’t be done, people with prosperity consciousness were simply doing it.

For those many years I was struggling financially, I was a cynic. And nothing kills innovation, creativity and ambition faster than cynicism. It’s poverty consciousness.

Wealthy people have a healthy skepticism that causes them to evaluate things objectively and make good decisions based on solid assumptions. Skepticism is healthy; cynicism never is. Here’s why: If you ask the wrong question, the answer doesn’t matter. “

Make sense?

If you ask why the photography industry has changed, why you can’t make money the way you used to, or why consumers are terrible for wanting the digital files, you’re asking the wrong questions.

If you ask how you can change your pricing structure to give people what they really want, look for alternative ways to build your photography packages, or ask how photography will impact people in the coming years, you’re on the right track.

Photography isn’t dead. In fact, it’s anything but.

We read a lot now. But that’s changing. We’re incorporating more than ever into video and audio. We’re a graphic society. We attract through imagery. We’re obsessed with quick pictures. We love color and vibrancy. And that’s not going to change.

But the way our society lives, works, moves and thinks is changing.

Go back a hundred years or more, and it took a generation to get a new idea into place. Now it takes a year, or even a few months.

With that much change, it’s hard to wrap our brains around new ideas. Even before we come to terms with one idea, we’re on to something else.

But don’t think photography is alone. Ask anyone in any industry, and they’ll probably start talking about the chaos. Look at the music industry. Or the publishing industry. Or education.

Watch this year’s TED prize winner – Sugata Mitra and his wish to design the future of learning. Its simple. Its brilliant. And I couldn’t agree more.

Everything is changing. And yes, it’s difficult at times. Mind-blowingly difficult.

But that doesn’t mean it can’t be fun and exhilarating and full of potential.

What if you approached one thing differently today? Instead of saying “this sucks”, what if you said “I’m going to do one great thing?”

I know it’s not easy to believe this. I know it’s not easy to do this.

But what’s the alternative?

Filed Under: Future Trending Tagged With: mindset, negative attitude, Photography Business, positive throughts, Randy Gage, Risky Is The New Safe, ted, video

The #1 Myth That’s Holding You Back

by Virtual Photography 3 Comments

If I asked you what is holding you back from creating the photography business of your dreams, what would you say?

I’m willing to bet it’s related to the one myth that holds every photographer back at some point in his or her career.

I know, you might say a variety of things – I have people email me all the time with different comments and questions.

Some say they simply can’t find clients in these hard economic times.

Some say they don’t have all the pieces to put together a business.

Some say they don’t have the time to dedicate to do all the things they want to do.

But no matter what people say or how they say it, it all comes down to one thing. The one myth that will hold you back and keep you from being the success you are truly meant to be.

I need to “give” away my photography services and not charge what I’m truly worth.

Yep, I hear it all the time. They may say it in different ways, but that’s truly what they mean.

Have you ever been held back by this myth?

The 1 Myth Thats Holding You Back As A Photographer

Have you ever said:

“Photography is easy – how can I charge for something that people do all the time. Everyone has a camera. Why is my work better than theirs?”

I agree. Photography is easy. Anyone can find a camera, see something they want to capture, and press the button to freeze the moment. The art comes in creating something different that the average person can’t create.

A photographer understands there are many ways to capture an image, but only a few that will make the viewer say “WOW”. They look for the WOW in everything they do. They leave nothing to chance. They take images that most can’t. Because they know how to look beyond what most people see, and capture a whole lot more.

That’s the art form. And that’s what people get paid for. They create an experience that they can’t recreate themselves; that very few can capture.

And they aren’t afraid to charge what that experience is worth.

Or how about:

“I used to charge more 5 (10, 15, 20) years ago. But the market has changed. I can’t get what I used to. I have to lower my sales just to keep up with the new players in the industry.”

Have times change? You bet.

But that doesn’t mean photography has changed. In fact I would argue that there is more demand for photography today than there has been at any other period of time.

Yet that doesn’t mean its business as usual. You can’t “do what you’ve always done” and expect to get paid the same for it. You have to look at things differently. You have to offer things differently. You have to give people what they demand.

And when you tie it all together, you can most certainly make what you did 5, 10, 15 or even 20 year ago … and more.

Or maybe that’s not you. Maybe you’ve thought:

“I would be thought of as greedy if I charged a whole lot more than what someone can print a picture for at “insert your favorite big box store here”.”

Does anyone think you’re greedy if you have a roof over your head, clothes on your back, and food on the table? Nope, I don’t think so. We live in a society that is way beyond “existence” mode.

We live in communities where the basic necessities are a given. They are the norm. We expect people to be well fed, have clothes on their backs, and live in a place that is acceptable to them.

If you have a job, is it greedy expecting a salary? Is it greedy wanting to give your family everything they need and desire?

Then why is it greedy expecting a healthy living from photography?

Photography is a whole lot more than printing an 8×10 at Walmart. Yes, I’ll agree, some “photographers” attempt to do that. And that’s why they are held back.

But if you treat photography as an art form – not simply a business – you create an experience they can never get using their iPhones and Androids.

You offer professional products – not merely an 8×10 that could be printed at Walmart.

You offer albums only a professional has access to.

You offer unique sizes, styles and options your audience has never seen before.

You go the extra mile and do what very few don’t.

And once you do this – once you feel the difference – you’ll quickly realize you are worth everything you charge … and more.

Filed Under: Get Clients Tagged With: Myth That’s Holding You Back, Photographer, Photography Business

20 Instagram Accounts That Will Help You Build Your Own

by Virtual Photography Leave a Comment

Looking for a social site that can help you promote your photography? Maybe its Instagram.

Instagram has been rapidly growing over the past couple of years. And in a recent press release, their newly announced statistics are definitely something to make you sit up and take notice.

90 million monthly active users

40 million photos per day

8500 likes per second

1000 comments per second

That’s a lot of traction And if you’ve been using social in any way over the past year, you know that the potential lies in the action – and 90 million active users means there is a lot of action.

Facebook has 1 billion monthly active users

Twitter has 200 million monthly active users

LinkedIn has 160 million monthly active users

Google+ has 135 million monthly active users

When compared to other active social platforms, Instagram is definitely handling its own space very well.

While you may have opened an account and posted a few images, are you using Instagram in the right way? After looking through a wide variety of accounts, there are a few rules that will help you dominate the Instagram field.

Dig Deeper: Following Trends and Using Instagram

Rule #1 Post Interesting Images

That sound simple enough, but this is where so many people get it wrong. They take the “cheesy” and “smile at the camera” shots when they’re out and about. Or they put the focus entirely on their brand rather than showcasing their talents and what they can do. Instagram is simply another portfolio of who you are and what you can do. Yes, you could share some of your clients’ work. Yes, you could share interesting photos taken while you’re “in the field”. It is up to you, but the overall goal is to be interesting and get people to enjoy what you have to offer.

Rule #2 Post Like Clockwork

What makes social work? Consistency. If you post once in January, again in March, the following September, and maybe something in December, how many followers are going to follow you? Or maybe you haven’t posted in months, then share 25 images in 3 minutes? Unfollow. If your followers expect it, they accept it. And are far more interested in developing a relationship with you.

Rule #3 Post Often

Slightly different than rule #2, this rule makes sure you use Instagram in a way that gains attention. What would happen if you posted 1 image every day at 6am EST? While you may gain traction that way, you’re probably not gaining instant viewership – how many people around the world are looking at 6am EST? Consistency means posting 5 days of the week. Often means posting 10 times throughout each day. Together it means understanding your audience and giving them exactly what you promise them. Again and again.

Rule #4 Build Relationships

Like every other social site out there, it isn’t all about you. Yes, as a photographer you can post your images and move onto your other daily tasks. But if you want to create an active brand through Instagram, you have to engage your followers. Instagram uses hashtags as well – use them to connect with people and respond to their @replies. You can even create themed hashtags and have people submit things to match your ideas or contests. Instant engagement … and the more you do it, the bigger you’ll grow.

Rule #5 Create themes

Even though you post regularly, you can separate out your photographs into themes by using hashtags. And again, it doesn’t all have to be about your professional services. Yes, you can #babyportraits or something else related to your business. But what about #perfectsunrises if you are a morning person and spend 7 days of the week running as the sun rises? Or #Ilovebeaches if you travel a lot and always end up staking out your space on some of the best beaches in the world? Get creative. That’s what draws the attention to you.

I believe you can learn something from everyone. So if you want to make it big on Instagram, you shouldn’t just look at “professional photographers”. You should also look to some of the top accounts on Instagram and find things they are doing right. And when you do, use that to build up your own account. Take a look at these top 10.

Next lets look at some photographers on Instagram. They may not have the numbers of Victoria’s Secret or Starbucks, but their images speak for them.

Filed Under: Social Networking Tagged With: 20 Instagram Accounts That Will Help You Build Your Own, Instagram, Photography Business, social media

You Screwed Up. What’s Your Next Step?

by Virtual Photography Leave a Comment

Guess what? We’re human. And because we’re human, we’re going to make mistakes along the way. I wish there was a way to avoid it, but inevitably it will happen. You’ll make a mistake. Your customer will get angry. And you’ll have a big decision on your hands.

The good news is that almost all mistakes are fixable. You have to act quick and decisively. But when you do, not only can you fix the immediate problem, in some cases you can come through it with an even more loyal fan on your hands.

The biggest mistake companies make is ignoring the situation and not having a thought out plan in place for when the inevitable occurs. If its just you, you can make split decisions based on circumstances. But if employees are involved as well, its especially important for them to understand action steps and what they can do to fix the situation.

So what do you need to consider when creating a customer response strategy?

Start by assessing your customers’ feelings.

When someone is angry or disappointed, the first thing they want is a listening ear. They want to feel like they are being heard and that their feelings are recognized as acceptable for the situation. Don’t burst in with solutions or counterpoints. Instead, listen to their complaint all the way through. When they start repeating themselves or come to a lull in the conversation, only then should you break in and move things forward.

Choose your words carefully.

If you truly made the mistake, admit it. The first words out of your mouth should be “I’m sorry”. Your customer has been analyzing the situation for quite some time, and their biggest fears will be that they will have to live with the problem and that you won’t help fix it. “I’m sorry” can literally relieve 90 percent of the tension.

Even if you feel your customer shares in the responsibility of the problem, “I’m sorry” can change the dissatisfaction your customer is feeling, and put you on the road to making amends.

Dig Deeper – Are You Going to Ruin 2013 Too?

What’s next?

Every situation requires a slightly different outcome – think about these outcomes before hand. A customer unhappy with the final images will have different issues that someone you “forgot” to get their images to them on deadline. Will you reshoot the portrait? Provide the images as fast as possible? Offer a discount on the final bill?

In some cases, it is best to hear what your client expects before you make suggestions. In one case, we were prepared to knock several hundred dollars off the final bill for a mistake we had made. But when we asked the client what we could do to make amends, she stated she would be happy with the 11×14 image she really wanted but couldn’t afford at the time. That saved us a lot of profit – and she was much happier with her final solution.

Don’t make excuses.

Your customer doesn’t care if your car died or your son was sick. If there is a problem, the only thing they focus on is how it impacts them. If you truly had a misunderstanding, make sure you clarify your policies so the same situation isn’t repeated in the future. Then move on, and avoid the blame game.

Increase communication.

Once a problem exists, its better to give 110 percent throughout the rest of the process. Call or email with updates. No matter how long it takes, make sure your customer understands the process along the way, and is brought into the loop if anything affects it.

A memorable gesture.

Now is the time to go above and beyond with your customer service skills. This is the critical step because this is where you can turn lemons into lemonade. Do something above and beyond what they expect as a small token of your regret. It may be a frame for the wall portrait they purchased. Or a few extra prints they held off buying. Or even a basket of flowers sent to their home. Make them feel like you not only said you were sorry, you meant it too.

Nope, your customers aren’t perfect. But neither are you. Just letting them know they will be taken care of and that you think enough about who they are to make things right even when things go wrong.

Filed Under: Customer Service Tagged With: customer service, Photography Business, You Screwed Up

What Is A Photographer’s True Competitive Edge?

by Virtual Photography Leave a Comment

Digital cameras of today are sophisticated, easy to use … and everywhere. Whether you use an iPhone and an app, or your Canon EOS 5D with a full array of lenses, anyone with a digital camera and a computer can establish themselves as a photographer willing to be hired to shoot for a fee.

Yes, these wannabes may lack classical training in lighting and posing, but clients trying to stretch their budgets often see them as a viable option.

And so the pricing wars begin.

The reality of it is photography isn’t a product based industry; it is and always will be a service based industry.

Someone may tell you a photograph is a photograph – and the pricing should be comparable from place to place. But if you hear that from a potential customer, they don’t understand the nuances of photography. That isn’t his or her fault. It’s ours as photographers. And in order to create a full fledged, full time, six figure business, you must understand this and build your business into the service business it should be.

What Is A Photographer’s True Competitive Edge

Start with your photography

The problem does arise from the photography itself. What makes you different from the wannabes? Does your work stand apart? Or is it easy to confuse your work with everyone else out there?

If you want to make this your true profession and you are wanting to grow into a six figure photography business, your work has to stand apart. You have to understand posing and lighting. You must create truly professional images. Practice, practice, practice. Attend seminars by people that are already making six figures in their prospective fields. Head to judging contests to learn what master photographers are looking for in images.

Then use this to make your photography stand apart from the competition. You can also use your knowledge to make others aware of what they should be looking for. Point to an image with a telephone pole coming out of a clients head once, and a potential client will know exactly how to look for composition as she heads off to visit other prospective photographers.

Change your marketing and sales

A potential client doesn’t know what to look for until you tell her. Arm her with questions.

Does the photographer have liability insurance?

Does the photographer have backup equipment?

How many images does the photographer take at the wedding?

Whatever questions you present, explain your answers in detail and why it matters to her. If she’s armed with the knowledge you have something that other photographers don’t, chances are she’ll be back with a check in hand when she can’t find the customer service level anywhere else out there.

Use stories to teach

Doesn’t the idea of a general photographer sound great? You can visit them for your wedding, have your baby’s portrait created, and have them photograph the new earrings you’ve fashioned for the brochure you’re designing for your new business.

That’s how many people view the photography world. Flip that around and make them think differently.

Would you really want a cardiologist answering a question about a mole on your back? Or a plastic surgeon helping you with a sore throat?

People specialize to become good at what they do. And as a photographer, there is an extreme difference between shooting a pair of earrings for a brochure, and following a bride and groom around for the day of their wedding.

Yet many consumers don’t understand that. Use a story – just like the one I described about the medical field – to get your prospects to understand the differences.

Maintain your pricing

Finally, don’t be seduced into lowering your pricing in order to get jobs. If something isn’t in your arena, or a client wants you but “can’t” afford you, the decision should be on them – not you. Your time is too valuable to spend accommodating the penny pinchers that don’t realize your true potential.

Let them head out and go with the wannabes to save money. Let them be disappointed in the overall service they received. And allow them to help you by providing stories to their friends – stories that will push them towards you with the lessons they learned.

Filed Under: Get Clients Tagged With: Competitive Edge, get clients, Photographer, Photography Business