Want to Find New Clients? Follow Me
[by Kevin Lock]
Start with A, ASMP that is. Your first step in getting more work is working on your Find A Photographer listing (FAP). FAP… get it up, add to it, keep it updated, and buy more portfolios. (They are cheap.) That is what I did and it has bumped me up in the FAP search. I had three calls in January simply by expanding my presence on FAP. One turned into a job, one is still a potential job, and one got away… (but I connected, and now they know who I am.) When potential clients look for your specialty in your market, FAP will work for you as well.
Ask existing clients for referrals. When referred by that client, someone that respects your work, a potential client will give you extra consideration. Don’t stop there. Take your client to lunch. Remind them of how important they are to you and how you appreciate them recommending your service. Nurture that relationship. It can become a great relationship. If that contact gets a job elsewhere, you have the opportunity of developing another client. This has worked for me time and time again.
Advertise. Have you been putting off your marketing? I have. Been in business 19 years and have relied heavily on word of mouth. I finally purchased a subscription to Agency Access (AdBase is another option) and have set about a new marketing campaign. I suggest you do the same, and more important… use it.
Allocate some time to thinking outside your backyard. Don’t be afraid to pick up the phone and do some out of town marketing. Plan a trip to a new city with book in hand. You will be surprised how easy it is to get an appointment in a city that you do not live in. They will make time to see you.
That brings us to B, SB3. If you want to find new clients and are looking for some inspiration, a place to begin, please attend SB3.
Kevin Lock is a current member of the National Board for the ASMP. When Kevin is not making words with his alphabet soup he can be found out shooting for new clients.
