ASMP announces Strictly Business 3

The American Society of Media Photographers invites you to the Strictly Business 3 Conferences, the newest generation of this highly acclaimed series.

FULL CONFERENCE DETAILS

SB3 offers you a selection of topics to enhance your professionalism and build your business. From copyright registration to social media marketing, negotiating and sales, licensing and pricing, the business of video and much more — you can design the conference to fit your specific needs.

Your registration includes 4 meals, 2 receptions, 2 keynote presentations, 6 workshops and bonus evening sessions. This packed schedule will inspire you and direct your career!

REGISTER HERE

When and Where
January in Los Angeles
February in Philadelphia
April in Chicago

Conference Hotels
Take advantage of the excellent room rates and stay at a conference hotel. Book early as the room blocks are limited.

SB3 Roundtable Discussion
Have you embraced new business models successfully? Are you willing to candidly share details about your business? Apply now to be part of this Saturday late night session. 4 photographers per conference will be selected to participate. Winners will have their SB3 attendance fee waived. APPLY HERE

Target Marketing

[by Todd Joyce]

2500 printed mailers might cost around $1 per contact, depending on postage, printing and your contact list.

What if you took that same amount and spent $500 on your very top five prospects?   I bet you’d get results!  The hard part is figuring out your top five.   Marketing isn’t easy and neither is target shooting… that’s why some use a shotgun.   Try spending some time figuring out who your best prospects are and romance them.  You don’t have to spend $500 per, but maybe spending more than a dollar on them will get you noticed.

Todd Joyce is a recent Past President of ASMP and specializes in conceptual people photography for advertising. See Todd’s work at www.joycephotography.com and contact him at todd at joycephotography.com

Look Like a Million Bucks

[by Jenna Close]

The first step in creating an effective marketing plan is to make sure that you are putting your best face forward.  Some monetary investment should go into this, but it doesn’t have to cost you an arm and a leg.  Before contacting anyone, take the time to prepare a few things:
a) Create an online presence.  This is an area where having a limited marketing budget can be frustrating, but it can be done.  You may not end up with your dream website, but something with simple, solid design and striking images can work well.  If you can’t afford a designer, research companies that provide templates (such as http://www.bludomain.com/).  Or, use something like Lightroom to create an online portfolio that you can upload to your website address.

b) Create a brand.  You are selling your services as a professional, so you’d better look like one.  Do you have a logo?  Do you have a font that you will use consistently throughout your campaigns?  What colors will you use?  Do you have a design in mind for mailers that you can use again and again?  If you can, have someone design a logo and mailer template for you.  This will go a long way toward consistent branding.  If you can’t afford a designer, check with design schools to see if anyone needs work for their portfolio or would be willing to trade services.

c) Dress the part.  Showing up for a client meeting in sneakers and a t-shirt is questionable form.  And even if other people do it, why not stand apart and show up dressed well?  Invest in a simple, stylish outfit and good shoes.  Don’t forget to shave and brush your teeth and hair.  Seriously.  It doesn’t take a lot of cash and you will make a great first impression.

Marketing campaigns involve investments of money and time.  Even if you start out with a few 4×6 mailers and phone calls (the calls are basically free, mind you…), you will see a greater return if you are well prepared.
Jenna Close, along with partner Jon Held, run P2 Photography.  They specialize in imagery for the alternative energy market.  You can find Jenna at www.p2photography.net.

Marketing on a Budget

[by Rosh Sillars]

If you don’t have money for marketing, the next best thing is investing your time. This is not a bad thing. Most photographers will tell you referrals are one of their best sources of business.

Attend free and low-cost local events. Check the local listings for chamber of commerce, advertising club, and trade organization events. Get out there and shake hands, but don’t go empty-handed.

If cost is an issue, design a 4×6 portfolio photo card, which can be printed inexpensively. Tailor the cards specifically for the event. In other words, focus your work on the type of people attending the event rather than presenting your whole portfolio.

First, hand people your card and give a short elevator pitch, which is who you are, what your specialty is, and how they would benefit from using your service.

Next, listen. Then, ask questions about them. Find out who they know who could use your service. Listen some more. The more you let people talk, the more they will like you. You will be amazed at the opportunities that come your way just by asking questions and really listening to the answers.

Take the time to follow up. Send an “it was nice to meet you” card, or if someone offers you tip, lead or suggestion, send a thank you note. These gestures are some of the most powerful, low-cost marketing tools on the planet.

Rosh Sillars is a professional photographer, the co-author of the book Linked photographer, consultant, university instructor and host of newmediaphotographer.com

Help ASMP – Protest New 1099 Requirements!

Dear ASMP Members:

One of the provisions of the new healthcare reform legislation will significantly impact the administrative burdens of your business unless the IRS changes it. As of now, starting next year, if you pay any person or corporation more than $600 in a year for goods or services, you must report that to both the IRS and the entity or person whom you paid. For example, if you bought a new camera or lens for $1,000, you would have to report that on your income tax returns and issue a 1099 to the company from which you made the purchase. Fortunately, there is now an exemption for credit card transactions, but that doesn’t apply if you paid by cash or check.

The good news is that the IRS has asked for comments from the public. Please copy and paste the sample letter below, edit it as you choose, and email it to Notice.Comments@irscounsel.treas.gov. Please be sure that the subject line of your email says Notice 2010-51. Please note that the emails must be sent by Sept. 29, 2010.

We understand the government’s desire to track cash transactions, but the current system would impose an unacceptable record-keeping and reporting burden on small businesses like yours.

Thank you for your support and your membership in ASMP,

Vic

Victor S. Perlman

General Counsel & Managing Director

(SAMPLE EMAIL)

TO: Notice.comments@irscounsel.treas.gov

RE: Notice 2010-51

Dear Sir or Madam:

I am a professional photographer and a small business person. I have virtually no administrative staff to handle my record-keeping and reporting responsibilities. The new requirement under Section 6041 of the Internal Revenue Code would place impossible burdens on me. The exemption for credit card transactions was a great step toward reducing the impact of this change in the tax code. Unfortunately, it does not go far enough.

I often pay for computer and camera equipment, studio and equipment rentals, catering services, and other items by check or cash. Those expenditures often total more than $600 per vendor in any given year. Having to keep separate track of each of these items — and then to issue Form 1099’s to each vendor — would simply take more time than I have as the owner of a very small business operation, and it would require back office support that I do not have and cannot afford.

Please change the requirements so that they apply only to larger business entities, such as persons or entities that employ more than 25 people.

Thank you for your time and understanding.

Backing Up is (Not) Hard to Do

[by Barry Schwartz]

The same old song: it’s not a matter of if there will be a problem; it’s a matter of when.

Backing up is not just for data, though.

How about this: you talk to a potential client, you agree on what you’re supposed to deliver, what you’re supposed to be paid, and how they will use the photos.

You send your client your contract.  Your client signs it and sends it back.

You shoot the job.  You deliver the job.  You send an invoice.  You wait for your money.  And wait.  And wait.

You call your client, who responds with variations on the following:

“I didn’t get all the images I was promised.”

“I didn’t think I owed you that much.”

“I don’t understand why you’re upset I gave the pictures to all my vendors and my friend at Time Magazine.”

Here’s the backup-thing:  Did you put in your contract exactly how many images your client would get, exactly what you would be paid, and restrict the use of the photos just to your original client?

If you did not put those things exactly in your contract, you have a problem.

Even if you did, you have the same problem: a confused client.  However.  At least you have something concrete to help resolve the problem, right there in black-and-white.  A back-up.

Now it’s up to you (and your people skills) to get your client’s happiness-quotient up to speed so they’ll pay you what you’re owed – and hire you again.

Barry Schwartz is a photographer in Los Angeles who once had a singing voice with a three-octave range.  It’s all phrasing, now.  Further proof it’s not about the equipment.

Small Victories and Big Goals

[by Jay Kinghorn]

This summer, I completed my first XTERRA off-road triathlon. It was exhilarating and downright exhausting. Happily, I crossed the finish line muddy, tired and satisfied with my accomplishment.

The key to being able to complete the race was a 12-week, self-paced training program to prepare me physically as well as mentally for the big day. The plan gave me six detailed workouts per week with swim distances, running sprints and biking hills. Each workout was, in itself, a small victory on the way to the larger goal of finishing this tough off-road challenge.

Believe it or not, training for a triathlon and starting business as a professional photographer are not all that much different. They both take a great amount of dedication, drive and staying power. And, just like there were many paths for me to train for my race, the photography business also offers myriad ways to reach your goal. The hard part is sifting through those options and separating the paths that just put food on the table from the paths that actually advance you toward your ultimate business goal.

My best advice to anyone starting out is to first establish, as clearly as possible, your ultimate goal (to become the leading architectural photographer in Miami, to feel comfortable lighting portraits, to have a mastery of Photoshop, for examples), then break the path down into individual, manageable goals. If I had looked at my training plan at one huge plan and not a series of small victories, I may have given up just from the sheer number of hours it would take. Make sure you celebrate the small victories along the way. The momentum created by completing these individual steps will propel you onward toward photography success.

Jay Kinghorn is currently training for a far more grueling and difficult endurance sport than the XTERRA, parenting.

A New Path

[by Suzanne Sease and Amanda Sosa-Stone]

Starting out in any new business is filled with excitement and the unknown.  Here are some tips we recommend to finding your path.

1.    Know where you want to go in your business (consumer: portraits, weddings, commercial: still life, architecture, fashion, editorial: portraits, etc…)
2.    Make sure you have images to support this direction (minimum of 15-20  strong images)
3.     Find someone to guide you on along this path: a seasoned photographer, a potential person who works in that industry (i.e. if you were architectural photographer – find an architect to possibly guide you)
4.    Pull together your personal resources – who do you know and how can you ask them to personally invest in your business (ask them to make referrals for you).
5.    Make sure you have the website and portfolio available to show someone if asked.
6.    Present yourself and your work in the best light.

Your life and work go hand and hand – so merge what you know from both and ask for help for what you don’t.  This industry is not an easy path to take – but if you find the right road for you, it can be a really interesting and fulfilled career – filled with lots of stories to share and hopefully some great imagery.

Amanda Sosa Stone and Suzanne Sease consult with photographers around the world assisting in marketing and presentation efforts.

You Can’t Rush Experience

[by Paul Bartholomew]

I often get emails and calls about my work from emerging photographers. I’m always open to sharing what I know and feel it helps educate those who may affect the future of our profession.

Some of the most asked questions are about the camera or lens I use and if I use some special technique in Photoshop. Some think that buying the same equipment will achieve the same results.  These are just plain technical questions that are easy to address because they tend to have straightforward answers. However, I can talk all I want about techie stuff but it all comes down to experience and the intangible aspects of what a photographer does to get the results.

So what are the intangibles? Intuition, creativity and sensitivity to the subject come to mind. This all takes time and requires dedication and talent to nurture.  My advice for those starting out is to ask questions no matter how simple or odd they seem.  Finding a mentor who is comfortable and open will help you find the right path.  Even after 13 years in business I’m still finding new mentors.  We all have our own personal journey but we often need some company along the way.

Paul S. Bartholomew is an architectural photographer based in the Philadelphia & New York region. His work can be seen at www.psbphotography.com

Taking Care of Business

[by Jenna Close]

If you are just starting out in the business of photography, do yourself a big favor right from the get go.  Find software like Quickbooks or Quicken and keep track of all your expenses and income from Day 1.  Set up a company bank account that is separate from your personal account.  Figure out what type of business you will be (LLC, Sole Proprietor, Partnership, etc), and how to properly pay yourself through your new company.  That way you can easily follow every aspect of your business as you grow.  You will be able to look at your marketing investments and see which ones are working and which aren’t.  You will be able to compare your income year to year or even track which months are consistently your slowest (and then you’ll know when to do an extra marketing push).  Set everything up correctly from the beginning and your life will be easier down the road (and at tax time). 

Jenna Close, along with partner Jon Held, run P2 Photography.  They specialize in imagery for the alternative energy market.  You can find Jenna at www.p2photography.net.

Exploring New Features

[by Paul Bartholomew]

Have you ever worked in Photoshop and see a feature you’re unfamiliar with? Look it up and see what it’s about. It may become very important to your work. Don’t have time to look things up? Write it down for when you do.

Paul S. Bartholomew is an architectural photographer based in the Philadelphia & New York region. His work can be seen at www.psbphotography.com

Extending Battery Life of Mac Laptop

[by Peter Krogh]

If you need to get the maximum run time out of a battery charge on your Mac laptop, you’l want to be aware what is running in the background. If I have a long airplane flight, for instance, it can be annoying to run out of battery while I’m still in the air. You can open the Activity Monitor and check what’s running.  One of the surprising culprits – the Finder.  If you have your view options set to “Calculate all sizes”, anytime a finder window is open the computer is constantly recalculating the size of all files.

You can either close all finder windows, or uncheck “calculate all sizes” and get up to 30% more run time from the laptop.

Peter Krogh, author, The DAM Book, Digital Asset Management for Photographers
Second Edition May, 2009. www.theDAMbook.com

Rediscover

[by Leslie Burns]

Rediscover the joy in what you do. If you aren’t loving making images, just for the sake of making images, you may need at least a vacation or perhaps a change in career.

Leslie Burns is a creative/marketing consultant and not a lawyer (yet). She is taking the summer off from law school to work on a 2nd ed. of her photo biz book. Follow her at burnsautoparts.com/blog, facebook.com/burnsautoparts, and twitter.com/LeslieBAP.

Stay in Touch?

[by Thomas Werner]

When an art buyer, editor, gallerist, says, “Stay in touch”, they are asking you to send them updates on your new projects or work. They are not asking to you to be part of their fab five, or go to lunch on a regular basis. It is a just friendly way of letting you know they are interested in you and your work professionally.

Thomas Werner; Educator, Lecturer, Curator. Please see Thomas Werner Projects on Facebook for more information.

Quick Tip Week

[by Leslie Burns]

Shooting for yourself is one of the best things you can do for your business. Schedule time each month to work on personal projects.

Leslie Burns is a creative/marketing consultant and not a lawyer (yet). She is taking the summer off from law school to work on a 2nd ed. of her photo biz book. Follow her at burnsautoparts.com/blog, facebook.com/burnsautoparts, and twitter.com/LeslieBAP.

Sweet Dreams

[by Blake Discher]

Suddenly you’re wide awake in the middle of the night. The nightmare was horrible, worse that that monster you thought was under your bed when you were six years old.

In the dream, you received a call from a potential client, all they said was, “Good morning, we need a photographer for a project. Please answer this one question: why should we hire you instead of one of your competitors?”

Still dreaming, you’re stammering a bit, your blood pressure rises, you’re scrambling to compose your thoughts, perspiring.  In a defensive attempt to slow the conversation and wrestle back control, you blurt out the question you always ask: “Tell me a bit more about the project so I can better answer that question.”

The person on the other end of the phone said: “No. All I want is that single question answered. Our decision on whether or not to hire you will be based solely on your response.”

That’s when the dream became unbearable and you force yourself awake.  But staring into the darkness, you’re asking yourself, “How would I answer that question?”

You’re not selling a commodity unless you want to be.  In what ways is doing business with you different?

We complain constantly about customers beating us up on price.  But imagine for a minute that they didn’t care about price.  Have we so conditioned ourselves into believing that every call will eventually become a negotiation on price that we are somewhat unprepared to demonstrate our value instead?

So what is your value?  How are you different?  Your value could perhaps be reputation, ease of doing business with you, or the speed at which you work, resulting in less interruption of the client’s business.  Maybe it’s your grasp of the latest technology, the ease of ordering prints from your studio, or your people skills, meaning you’re experience helps you to be comfortable with any CEO of any company.  Or perhaps even something as basic as talking about the awards you’ve received from high-end competitions that the client might be aware of.

Whatever your differentiation is, talk about it during the call.  Sell your value.  If you focus that sales conversation on price, the price will likely fall.  If instead you focus the conversation on value and how you are different (read: better) than your competitors, the price will likely rise.

There’s an old saying in sales:  Sell the sizzle, not the steak.  The reality in our changing industry is that the sizzle is your value.  Not your photography.

Sweet dreams.

Blake J. Discher does a lot of stuff, the most satisfying of which is being the father of a six year old who is quite convinced there is a monster under his bed.  To see what Blake does, have a look at his lifestream at www.blakedischer.com.

Find a Photographer

[by Todd Joyce]

Membership has it’s privileges and one of the benefits of being and ASMP General Member is being listed in findaphotographer.org. For what I do, I don’t get a lot of calls, but every so often I do get a call that is a result of FAP.

Over the years, I’ve gotten about ten jobs from FAP.  Some have been editorial and some industrial.  This past December, I got a call from an industrial client that needed about four shots in one of their client’s facilities for a limited use.  They wanted me to shoot about eight for choice, but were willing to ultimately choose four.  They were interested in an estimate, so as a regular practice, I first asked if they had a budget.  They assured me they didn’t so I worked up an cost and sent it to them. I always try to follow up with a call to get a client’s reaction to my estimates, so when I called they said the price was way too much and they only had $1500 in their budget. Ah, now they HAVE a budget…   I’ve heard it before. So we worked up a way that I would only shoot four shots, not eight, so that I could do it for closer to their “budget.”

Come the day of the shoot, everything was flowing well on site, so I shot more than the four I had promised.   I shot about ten set ups.  When I sent the jpegs for choice, they loved what they were seeing and wanted to use them all for a few other purposes. “Sure,” I replied. “Let me work up a cost for the additional use and get back to you.”  I’ve learned through talking with fellow members over the years that when a budget is smaller, I back out what I’m required to do so that the client sees that there is value in my time or what is used.  I also negotiated a maximum number of images so that the client understands that they don’t just “get” everything.  By the time the negotiation was finished, the total for the shoot and usage was $5600.  A far cry from the budgeted $1500 and the client was very happy to get what they did for the money.   Thanks FAP and to ASMP and fellow members for the experience in negotiating. It pays to be a member.

Todd Joyce is a recent Past President of ASMP and specializes in conceptual people photography for advertising. See Todd’s work at joycephotography.com and contact him at todd@joycephotography.com

Telephone Tips

[by Charles Gupton]

With the rise of on-line social media and texting as means of communication, there seems to be a breakdown in the awareness of proper and effective use of telephone skills in the business environment. After witnessing and experiencing a number of breaches, I thought I’d offer some observations that may offer some insight in this area.

• Smile into your conversation. You’ve probably heard that you should smile when you answer the phone. I’d suggest starting pleasant then smiling with great enthusiasm after you find out who it is or how you can be of service to them. A gushing “hello” followed by continued gushing can sound insincere. But who do you know who doesn’t want to believe that their call brings delight to the listener.

• Translate your excitement into sound. Studies have revealed that people lose 30 percent of their energy level when talking on the phone because they don’t have the face-to-face interaction. So exaggerate your enthusiasm so that your listener knows you’re interested in serving him or her.

• Speak your listener’s name. Although it may be quite contrived to repeat a person’s name a number of times when you’re together, it’s different over the phone. Saying a person’s name by phone is like verbal eye contact when you can’t look them in the eye. Just as good eye contact can help maintain attention in person, speaking the caller’s name keeps his/her attention when numerous interruptions can draw the caller away on the other end of the line.

• Always make friends with anyone who may be the gatekeeper for the person you may be trying to reach. Anyone who has the power to watch your VIP’s back probably has the influence to allow you through. Or not.

• Every time you call someone, always, always, always ask if it’s an acceptable time to talk. People are inclined to answer their phone in all kinds of circumstances. They may have chosen to answer, but they may not choose to give you their attention. If you need their focus, ask for the best time to follow up. It’s your responsibility to set the best environment to communicate your message. Respecting someone’s time is one of the best means of getting more of it.

• Make your voice-mail message professional. It can be creative and fun. Just make sure it represents what you want your clients to visualize about you. A client told me about an artist she found through the Web whose work rather impressed her. When she called, she slammed into a wall of heavy rock and a message laced with “hey dude’s.” Great work. Bad impression. No assignment.

In a business environment in which the smallest of details can have an impact on whether a project gets assigned to you — or not — make sure all of your telephone skills are as sharply focused as your photographs are.

Charles Gupton photographs real people, really well, by understanding and telling the stories of his subjects and clients. Find his photographs at www.charlesguptonphoto.com and his writing at www.charlesgupton.com.

Selling What Makes You Different

[by Jenna Close]

My partner Jon and I shoot photos mainly for the alternative energy market.  This is our niche, and we spend a lot of time following the industry and thinking about how we can better serve the people we want to work for.  Often we are asked to price aerial photography, and often the logistics and cost deter the client in the end.  So we started thinking…how can we help our clients in this area (and by doing that, better help ourselves and our prospects of landing the job)?  Last year we started working on our ability offer aerial images in-house using a remote controlled helicopter with a DSLR attached.  The RC Heli also allows us to offer aerial photography for urban rooftop installations and other areas where flying space might be restricted.  Not only is this a good sell to these companies, but it also creates a spectacle that excites our clients and generates word of mouth.  The questions at the heart of this story are…how can you sell added value to your clients?  What can you offer that the other photographer in your field can’t?  Look for current challenges and future trends…how can you solve these problems in a unique way?  In this day and age, simply having good images is not enough…think outside the box.  It could make those sales a lot more effective.

Jenna Close, along with partner Jon Held, run P2 Photography.  They specialize in imagery for the alternative energy market.  You can find Jenna at www.p2photography.net.

Connect and Reconnect

[by Kevin Lock]

Want to boost your sales.  Connect.  Reconnect.  Build a relationship.

Connect with your clients.  Really connect. Then reconnect. It is not rocket science. Be yourself. You are much more than your art, your imagery or your next possible job. You have to sell yourself. The sales will follow.

If your client likes you, they will recommend you to their peers and their friends. They will introduce you to new opportunities and as the years pass, your connections will most likely move up and eventually on …relocating and changing their own career path. If you have spent the time to connect and build that relationship, well…. that phone will ring.  If you have done your job, they will take you with them.  And since you are already well liked at the job they are leaving… your existing client will continue to hire you. After all isn’t it is much easier to keep the clients you have than to obtain new ones that do not yet know you.

So be yourself.  Sell yourself.  Send them postcards when you travel.  Invite them into your personal world.  Remind them that relationships are the most important thing.  I guarantee you will boost your sales in the long term, and you might just make a few friends along the way.

Kevin Lock is a photographer based in southern California.  He is a national board member of The American Society of Media Photographers.  Contact Kevin at kevin@lockphoto.com

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