Photo Marketing Mentor

When I was kid there used to be a commercial that would air every night that asked the question “It’s 10 P.M. do you know where your children are?

I was thinking about that commercial recently and it got me thinking about your clients and customers.

Do we know where they are? More specifically do we know where the ideal ones are?

When I say I ideal, I’m talking about the people you absolutely love to work with.

In my opinion these are the characteristics of an ideal client: Read more »

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Before I go into the topic of this week’s article I want to share with you what inspired it.

It was my sister’s birthday last week and I called to give her my well wishes. During our conversation she informed me that our father was reading my new book, her exact words were that he was reading it cover to cover.

Without going into too much detail about my family’s history this was huge deal for me. Often times the ones we receive the least amount of support -or- the most criticism is from family and “close” friends.

This is not to say that those who love and care for us go out of their way to put us down. It’s just their way of attempting to protect us from disappointment or discomfort.

So when my sister shared this with me it had a greater impact than perhaps I realized in the moment. Immediately after our conversation I began thinking about all the things I was grateful for in my life and I decided to make a quick post on Facebook to share the news about my dad.

But before I do that I’ll tell you how this story ties into today’s article.

After I made my post to Facebook I immediately began receiving comments and “likes”. A couple dozen to be exact, definitely more than I’ve ever received for any of my previous posts.

Apparently parental support is a huge issue for a lot of us. So this got to me thinking about the power of sharing bits and pieces of our personal story with our followers.

I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t always feel comfortable sharing intimate details of my personal life on the web, especially in regards to my family.

But I’ll tell you that I learned something very valuable when I shared that tidbit about my dad on Facebook, the first being that our followers deeply desire to connect with us on a deeper level.

In general I believe we deeply desire real connection, we all want to know what connects us, what makes us relatable?

I have no doubt that some of you reading this have gotten flak from someone close to you who doesn’t understand your decision to turn your passion for photography into a livelihood.

Maybe it’s a close friend, a spouse, your parents or a sibling who’s suggested (perhaps numerous times:-) that you should forget about this “picture-taking thing” and go get a “proper job”.

If you’ve experienced this in your life then you can understand how having the support of the people closest to you can make a significant impact on your life. Just having someone tell you that they’re proud of you can totally shift your energy and make your journey less lonely.

I believe that one of the most important things you can do for yourself is to remember what you’re grateful for in your life.

It could be the clients you do have, having access to camera gear that works, definitely a supportive family member or friend.

Or it could be that at this stage you truly know what you want out of your life regardless if you’re living the outcome you initially envisioned at the moment.

Whatever it is, I suggest you write it down.

• Start your day and end your day in a state of gratitude.

• Share what you’re grateful on your Blog or Facebook like I did.

• Call someone, send an email or a hand written note to tell someone that you’re grateful for them being in your life.
• Stop going it alone and get support.  I offer a monthly support call for this very purpose.

The Benefits for Expressing Gratitude:

• Regular expression of gratitude is the key to having more opportunities show up in your life to be grateful for.
• Studies show that people who regularly express gratitude are less stressed and have better relationships.
• People love to connect with people who are real and transparent. Freely sharing what you’re grateful is the bridge towards genuine connection.

Your homework:

• Try expressing gratitude for what you have in your life presently. It could be anything or anyone. Try it for a week and notice how you feel.
• Tell someone one close to you that you’re grateful for them being there. Do this with no expectation.
• If you’re active on social media share one thing your grateful for this week. Alternatively you could post it to your blog.
• Check out a website called GratitudeLog.com.
• If you’d like to learn more about my monthly support community visit my website to learn more about my book. It includes FREE access to my monthly support calls.

I’m a member of the site and it’s a great forum to connect with others who have made a commitment to live a life dedicated to gratitude.

I’ll leave you with this quote:

“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order and confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.”
~Melody Beattie

There are many, many things in my life for which I am grateful. If I named everything I would be here all day, but for starters I tell you that:

I’m grateful that you inspire me to continue to do the work I do.

All of the articles and books I continue to write, the tele-classes I conduct, your comments and feedback, to my affiliations, partnerships and colleagues I am grateful for it all.

I’m grateful to all the people who continue to inspire me with their courage and tenacity for that I am most grateful.

And finally if you’re reading this I can easily tell you one thing I’m truly grateful for… YOU!

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Let’s speak candidly for a moment. Are you tired of struggling to find new prospects and then struggling to get them to become paying clients?

When you ask a prospective client about their budget for a job you’re bidding on do you often hear the following statements, “We don’t have one” or “We don’t have a lot of money” or the always frustrating, “Oh, I have a brother or a friend whose just graduated from art school, maybe I’ll get them to shoot it for their portfolio”.

Let me ask you another question? How do you respond? Read more »

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It’s been said that is easier to get business from someone whose already hired you than it is to find a new client.

Think about how much it costs you in terms of time (and money) to acquire a new client.

As it becomes increasingly more challenging to acquire new clients (especially in this current economic climate) it is far easier to go back to former & current clients and ask for new business.

Unfortunately many photographers tend to be on the side of the fence where they are constantly prospecting and searching for new accounts. Nothing wrong with it, but it can be an awful time consuming process.

If find yourself in this situation one-way to break free of it is to ask yourself: “How can I serve my existing clients or former clients in new and better ways?”

Use The 9 Steps Provided In This Article To Get Ideas & Jump Start Your Process:

1. Create a list of all of the duties you currently perform for your existing clients

2. Make note of any functions that could be delegated to a third party vendor i.e. web or graphic design, copywriting etc.

3. If  your client don’t require photography services presently consider offering some of the services listed from the list you made in step 2.  These are things that could be supplied by a 3rd party vendor. You arrange the service for your client and handle the billing, deducting your percentage of course.

4. When hired by a new client, give them a “Getting Acquainted” questionnaire supplied in your welcome packet.

5. On the worksheet, ask what other needs they have besides the work that you’re hired to perform. Refer to your 3rd party vendor list when you bid for new assignments or offer additional services. You could also acquire the skill yourself and keep all of the profits.

6. Consider dropping a “I’m just checking in” note in the physical mail, preferably hand written on personal stationary to let former clients know that you’re available should they need additional services.

7. Include any recent articles, press clips, testimonials from previous clients or highlight any achievement or acknowledgement you’ve received to remind former clients why they hired you and why they should consider working with you again.

8. Another option: drop a ‘let’s do coffee’ card in the envelope along with (or in lieu of your handwritten note)

9. Always be developing relationships with potential 3rd party partners so when you have referral your team will be in place.

Bonus Tip:

Take a look at your most recent accounts. Refer to the list you created from tip number one and to start to think of ways you could provide a six month or a year long “Whenever You Need Me Service” program or package to your current roster of services.

Some additional steps to consider:

• First get clear about all of the services you currently provide your clients.
• Uncover what your client actually needs and wants
• Make sure that these are services that could be performed over a pre-contracted (6 months to a year is my suggestion) period of time.
• Line up all of your vendor partners that could perform some of these services (remember you handle the billing and oversee the fulfillment)
• Give it a substantial price tag.  *It should be at least 4 figures and higher.
• Give your package a benefit rich title (clients love exclusivity and special treatment)
• Emphasize the value of the package for example: (save time, save money, peace of mind, added value, etc.)
• Offer it only to your best clients.
• Make it easy for your client to yes.

I personally believe that packages are one of the best ways to support your clients as well as even out your cash flow.

As photography services become harder to sell as a stand alone product/service it’s become increasingly important to expand what you offer and how you service your clients.

With that said I’d love to help you mind the resources you currently have at your disposable. Helping you develop profitable packages and programs designed to increase your value is my speciality.

If you’re confused as to what to offer your clients or how to package them for a higher fees than what you’re currently charging I’d love to support you.

If you want to learn how to design, package, price and present profitable your packages to your clients then it’s time to contact me for a complimentary Focus On Sales Discovery Session

Visit my blog to learn more and to secure an Easy Six Question Application. Either click on the image below or following the link.

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