This next SB2 interview video installment (10 min, 30 sec) gives us a wide array of perspectives on our industry’s evolution and ideas on how we can make that work for business. Take a look and then share your thoughts. We have lots to learn from each other.
Part of preparing for any negotiation is preparing yourself. Knowing the market, both geographic and specialty, in which you’ll be competing is critically important.
A very handy tool right on your desktop is your computer. Mine is always on, always connected to the Internet, and I use it when a new client calls for a quote. As soon as the person identifies the company he or she works for, I can “Google” the company’s name, click on the link to their website, and see how they use photography, and their level of marketing sophistication. In general, you want to get a quick overview of what the company is all about.
During that initial telephone conversation, gather as much information as you can about the client’s needs and wants. Ask open ended questions that will help you to ascertain her level of authority, her motivation? You need to be an attentive listener; don’t interrupt. Like my dad told me, “you have two ears and one mouth, use them in proportion.”
It’s impossible to listen and speak at the same time. If you have to speak, ask open ended question. Again, your job is to get as much information (read: knowledge) as possible about the client to help you to put together an estimate. Remember, to understand you must hear and to hear you must listen.
And finally, don’t trust your memory. Take notes, I use a “telephone cheat sheet” that keeps me on track during that initial phone call. It’s just a list of questions that I know I want to have answered by the potential client. My cheat sheet is available in the ASMP Business Practices Book.
Good luck!
Nothing.
I know that sounds harsh, but anything you could do that might possibly bring in business now will, in the long run, hurt your business. Things like lowering your price, offering unlimited rights for the price of a year of web use, or shooting (heaven forbid!) on spec, might possibly get someone in your door today, but when the market turns for the better, you will be known as the place to go to get it cheap.
Thing is, the clients that might come to your door for such deals are going to be lousy clients usually. They will be demanding, difficult, show up late, want it yesterday, and pay slowly. Trust me on this, I’ve seen it too many times. They will not respect you, your skills, and certainly not your vision. You will be a camera with a heartbeat to these clients.
When they have better budgets, these cheap and difficult clients will go after “better” photographers. It happens in every downturn. It’s like the old story of the wife who puts her husband through med school only to get dumped for the trophy wife when the money comes in. Don’t let this happen to you.
A better way to spend this slow time is to market for the future. The economy will get better and clients will need great images. Work on your portfolio, explore your vision, play creatively, develop a long-term marketing plan–these steps will do you more good overall than some panic-driven photo fire sale.
And this doesn’t mean you can’t help out clients you have long relationships with. There is nothing wrong with working together where there is mutual respect. But going fishing by offering sales and deals to try to bring in new work is not a smart plan. Think long term and your business will the better for your efforts.
It is that tax time again. I just met my accountant for our semi annual cup of coffee to drop off my paperwork and financial records for him to use in preparing my taxes. I can’t tell you how much of a relief it is to know that I have someone on my team. Being a photographer is a business, and although it is important to be creative with the photographs we produce, it’s not a good idea to be creative with the record keeping or the financials.
So how do you build your own team? First you will want to identify your business strengths and weaknesses to determine what professionals you will need on your team. I am pretty good at organizing my receipts, invoicing and paying bills, so I don’t need a bookkeeper, but I don’t like the tax reporting and tax forms, so I was looking for an accountant to add to my team.
When looking for a new business team member, ask other ASMP members or other professionals in your creative community and ask for referrals for professionals that handle other small creative businesses. Do a meet and greet over coffee, my wife calls this the dating part, and just like a first date, find out a little about how they like to work and then tell them a bit about your business. Like all aspects of our business it comes down to chemistry and relationships.
I heart my accountant. Tax Day is April 15
Today we hear what our photographers have to say about paperwork. (8 min, 10 sec) Proper paperwork, from estimates to invoices, is critical to your business success. We have samples on ASMP.org that can get you started, but first listen to what these guys have to say …
Feeling creatively stuck? Faced with a problem you just can’t solve? Instead of hunkering down and focusing all your energies on finding the right solution, try getting away from it – mentally and physically. Experts tell us that people do their best thinking when they’re walking, driving or taking a shower.
As a green alternative, biking offers fast-paced scenery changes to stimulate your creativity. And if exercise doesn’t do it for you, meditation might. For some, even mowing the lawn, chopping wood, washing dishes or cleaning will do the trick.
All of these activities require just enough attention to allow your subconscious to wander freely while your conscious mind is otherwise occupied.
I know it works for me – the more I obsess over finding a solution, the harder it is to envision what’s possible and the less creative my thinking becomes. Personally, I seem to get my best ideas walking or driving. My Dad, though, swears by the shower (so THAT’s what he was doing in there…I always thought he was just trying to get away from us kids!)
It’s tough to do, especially when you’re under a deadline or with a client, but if you give yourself permission to get out of your head (and away from your computer), you’ll dramatically increase your chances of coming up with truly innovative and creative solutions.
Welcome to the ASMP Strictly Business Blog. We plan to bring you business tips, thought provoking ideas, useful resources, videos and podcasts all focused on professional photography. Our team of contributors are ASMP educators who will share posts you can enjoy with your morning coffee, on a break or a commute. Add the ASMP Strictly Business Blog to your daily routine and start focusing on your business now.
We start off with a bang by bringing you the first two chapters of the Strictly Business 2 Interview Series. These segments ran as lecture intros throughout the ASMP Strictly Business 2 weekends in 2008. We interviewed six successful and diverse photographers and came away with a wealth of information on what it takes to be a professional photographer today.
In this first video, our photographers tell us how they got started in the business. (5 min. 56 sec.)
Now hear what these photographers have to say about copyright. (5 min. 37 sec.) Don’t be surprised that the intro repeats, these videos are designed to also work as solo acts. Personally, I benefit by repeatedly hearing Chase Jarvis telling me, “… you don’t just drop your price or raise your price for no reason.” Enjoy.
