Archive for Sales
Agreement
Posted: October 14th, 2011
[by Barry Schwartz] “When you create something out of nothing, the first rule is to agree.” ~ Tina Fey talking about the process of improv at Google headquarters with chairman Eric Schmitdt. What else is it that photographers do, but exactly this? The first part: creating something out of nothing. The second part: getting your [...]
No Small Decisions
Posted: October 12th, 2011
[by Richard Kelly] “There are no small decisions in moviemaking.” – Sidney Lument , Director (pg 112 MAKING MOVIES by SIDNEY LUMENT Vintage Books) If you change “moviemaking” to photography, well you get the picture. This to me summarizes all my decisions from art, to craft to commerce. Every action has a consequence, or a [...]
Quotes that Moved Us Each to Action
Posted: October 10th, 2011
[by Susan Carr] This week five of our blog contributors, including myself, will share quotes that have been meaningful to each of us in the course of developing our careers. “Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; [...]
How to Collect on Every Invoice
Posted: September 16th, 2011
[by Judy Herrmann] I feel like I’m about to jinx us but in 22 years of business, my studio has collected on virtually every invoice we’ve written without ever once going to court. We do a lot of the same stuff already mentioned this week and a few things that weren’t: We ask new clients [...]
Collections
Posted: September 15th, 2011
[by Kevin Lock] Are they really clients if they refuse to pay up? I don’t think so. I have another word for them. Let’s call them what the court calls them: Defendants. I am not litigious, but I refuse to be taken advantage of. I’d rather not sue, but I have had to. As a [...]
Building Relationships as a Cash Flow Tool
Posted: September 14th, 2011
[by Selina Maitreya] Initiating a relationship with the accounts payable contact at each company hiring you, immediately after a job is confirmed, is a wonderful cash flow tool. When you reach your new “partner” introduce yourself, and in a friendly way inform your contact that will soon be working with their company and that you [...]
Know Your Enemy
Posted: September 13th, 2011
[by Richard Harrington] There are several reasons you might not be paid by a client (and most have little to do with a dissatisfied client, aggressive behavior, or conspiracy). Here are a few practical strategies I employ at my office. Use s systems of deposits. We will bill incrementally for work. An initial deposit, another [...]
Past Due Accounts and Collections
Posted: September 12th, 2011
[by Steve Whittaker] Timely payments are important in any business. Your reputation and credit depends on being able to pay your assistants, employees, vendors, loan payments and any outstanding balances. A clear contractual agreement on both sides in the beginning is important. Our terms require a 50% retainer in advance before assignment date. With the [...]
Who’s on First….?
Posted: September 2nd, 2011
[by Kevin Lock] We all have our own reason for getting into this business. For me it just kind of happened. It was something I always did and to be honest I didn’t plan on making a living doing it. Perhaps you had a similar experience and find yourself in business struggling to make a [...]
Are You Really the Buyer?
Posted: September 1st, 2011
[by Blake Discher] Of course, you can’t ask the person on the other end of the phone that question; at least I’d advise against that sort of blunt questioning. But when a prospective client calls on the telephone to ask about your rates for an upcoming project she has, it’s imperative to know you are [...]
Clarity & Audacity
Posted: August 31st, 2011
[by Judy Herrmann] In Googled:the end of the world as we know it, New Yorker Magazine columnist, Ken Auletta, describes Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin’s first pitch for substantial funding. They were asking for $25,000,000.00 (yup that’s 25 million dollars). Auletta writes: …[they] made a brief PowerPoint presentation to establish the most telling [...]
Determination
Posted: August 30th, 2011
[by Rosh Sillars] Determination is an important part of sales. You need to do what it takes to connect to and build quality relationships with decision makers. While sitting in my office, I overheard one of my sales representatives talking with a prospect. The prospect wondered how my sales rep found his number and knew [...]
The Power of Differentiation -or- What’s Your Hedgehog?
Posted: August 29th, 2011
[by Charles Gupton] One of the most important components of the sales process is differentiation. Establishing what makes you different in the eyes of a potential client can go a long way in shortening the time it takes for you to land a prospective client . I can’t even estimate the number of times I’ve [...]
Your Favorite Bookmarks…
Posted: August 18th, 2011
[by Judy Herrmann] This week, we are focusing on our contributors’ favorite bookmarks. The places we go when we’re looking for information, inspiration, insights, training, time-saving tools and more; the bookmarks we find more valuable than the millions of other potential bookmarks that populate cyberspace. And there are millions. Now that the vast majority of [...]
The Tire Salesman
Posted: August 1st, 2011
[by Jay Kinghorn] I have a tire I’d like to sell you. It’s just one, but boy is it a beauty—dual-channel treads for wicking away the water on rainy roads, knobby tread for traction and gravel, plus, it’s won numerous awards for its handling. How much would you pay for this tire? Probably nothing. No [...]
Hanging with Winners
Posted: April 13th, 2011
[by Jenna Close] On the last day of SB3 in Chicago, I was standing in the back of the ballroom watching 200+ photographers practice their sales and negotiation skills. I was enjoying the energy and camaraderie that filled the room when I heard Blake Discher mention ‘hanging with winners’. The concept should be a familiar [...]
Just Five a Day
Posted: April 4th, 2011
[by Jim Cavanaugh] If you set aside a half-hour aside every business day to call just five new client contacts, at the end of the year you will have made contact with over 1,250 new potential clients. Jim Cavanaugh is an architectural and aerial photographer based in Buffalo, NY. He is President of ASMP.
Who is My Competition?
Posted: March 25th, 2011
[by Kevin Lock] I am my only competition. That is a fact. I consider working as a photographer to be similar to being an athlete, say a sprinter, in the Olympics. Some would call that sprinter a competitive athlete. To back up this claim some might argue that the sprinter was in a competition and [...]
Amateur Photography & Home Improvement
Posted: March 23rd, 2011
[by Jay Kinghorn] Last week my wife and I began renovating our master bedroom. We hired a professional flooring expert to install the floors and a finish carpenter to complete the baseboards. We prepped the room for the flooring and painted the walls and trim. Hiring professionals to do the important detail work like the [...]
Reduce your Competition Through Loyalty
Posted: March 21st, 2011
[by Charles Gupton] There are usually a couple of reasons why a client initiates working with a photographer for the first time. It’s often our style of shooting, our approach, or our expertise that distinguishes us from our competitors in the mind of a client. But it’s usually a different set of values that builds [...]
LinkedIn – A Powerful Client Research Tool
Posted: March 16th, 2011
[by Jim Cavanaugh] LinkedIn has become my most important tool for identifying new clients. While not as popular or user friendly as facebook, LinkedIn has a different culture and is much more about business. Every time I have a new person “link in” with me in LinkedIn, I will add their e-mail address to my [...]
The Business of Facebook
Posted: March 15th, 2011
[by Jim Cavanaugh] Facebook has grown to be one of my most important business resources. Once you move beyond Farmville, horoscopes and what your long lost high school friend had for lunch, there can be a wealth of information and the ability to reach out to and build relationships with current and prospective clients. If [...]
Selling Your Price
Posted: March 11th, 2011
[by Susan Carr] As photographers we are confident skilled visual communicators. When it comes to pricing our work we may lack, in equal measure, the skill necessary to articulate our pricing structure in a clear and concise manner. Talking about price can be uncomfortable for us. However, when we are confident in how we determine [...]
Do You Overuse Email?
Posted: February 15th, 2011
[by Thomas Werner] Overly frequent e-mail promotions and updates can have an effect opposite of what you have intended. It may only be e-mail, but if you are not sending a new project, or have another relevant update, stick to a once every two, three or four month mailing. You don’t want a simple e-mail [...]
Will Your Likability Help You Succeed?
Posted: February 11th, 2011
[by Charles Gupton] At the start of a new year, many photographers focus on building their revenue by focusing on finding new clients for their services. Those prospective clients, like all of us, solve their daily challenges by selecting people and services that add the most value to their lives. Most photographers define “providing value” [...]
New Clients: Get Creative and Go For Quality
Posted: February 10th, 2011
[by Jenna Close] My client base can be loosely put into two categories: those that help pay the bills and those that push my boundaries, bolster my brand AND help pay the bills. I think this is an important distinction when considering how to find new clients. What do you REALLY want to shoot? Once [...]
Searching for Synergies
Posted: February 9th, 2011
[by Judy Herrmann] As I was finishing breakfast at a diner in Miami yesterday morning, a stunning visual caught my eye. The flat screen TV across the room was showing a commercial I’d never seen before and it looked like my studio’s still work come to life in motion. “Oh my God” I said to [...]
The Quickest Way to Find New Clients
Posted: February 8th, 2011
[by Rosh Sillars] The best place to find new clients is through old clients. Pick up the phone and say hello. You have clients out there ripe with new opportunities. If you don’t know that, it’s because you haven’t followed up in a while. Never assume anything. Maybe your client was a one-time assignment, maybe [...]
Want to Find New Clients? Follow Me
Posted: February 7th, 2011
[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 [...]
Are People Really Still Making Calls?
Posted: November 5th, 2010
[by Suzanne Sease and Amanda Sosa-Stone] A mutual client of ours recently worked on her brand, portfolio and marketing strategy (with Suzanne). Then she came to Agency Access to work on implementing her marketing through Campaign Manager (with Amanda – a year long plan to make sure marketing is being done). After getting her beautiful [...]
‘Stop telephonin’ Me
Posted: November 4th, 2010
[by Ellen Boughn] Lady Gaga has it right when it comes to the interrupting phone call: ‘Stop telephonin’, me. Stop telephonin’, me. (I’m busy). (I’m busy)’, she sings. When you pick up the phone to call a client, it had better be about something they want to hear. And cold calls? If the reception on [...]
Getting and Using Referrals
Posted: November 3rd, 2010
[by Todd Joyce] “Nice day we’re having” “How about those cubs” yeah, it’s hard to start the conversation, but I still make calls to new ADs etc to get to know them. I like to mention a person who referred me to get things started. “Hi (AD), (Other person at agency) mentioned I should call [...]
Just Pick Up the Phone!
Posted: November 2nd, 2010
[by Judy Herrmann] I love e-mail – it’s efficient, it’s fast, it’s effective. It’s great for just about everything, except when it’s not. Dealing with a conflict? Pick up the phone. Chances are that e-mail’s going to make a bad situation worse. People can’t hear tone and most people (myself included) are scanning through a [...]
Cold-calling Doesn’t Have to Leave You Cold
Posted: November 1st, 2010
[by Barry Schwartz] You’re starting out. That means you probably have more time than money, and fewer clients than you’d like. (This can happen to established pros, as well, but that’s another post…). What to do to pass the time? Got internet? Got phone? Got voice? Like a good photo shoot, do some prep. Once [...]
I am a Salesperson
Posted: September 24th, 2010
[by Blake Discher] Repeating my mantra “photographers are salespeople first, image creators second”, I thought I’d share two of my favorite blogs on the topic of sales. The first, written by S. Anthony Iannarino of Columbus, Ohio, offers straightforward suggestions and tips to help you with just about every aspect of the sales process including [...]
Hmmmm
Posted: September 15th, 2010
[by Todd Joyce] The power of Hmmm. When I’ve asked a client if they have a budget, when they tell me, I usually just say “hmmmm.” It’s amazing how many times they’ll then say, “I may be able to get you XX more.”hmmm” has made me more money than any other sound or word. Todd [...]
Going Up?
Posted: September 3rd, 2010
[by Judy Herrmann] In a bad economy, helping people understand exactly what you do, why they should trust you and how you can help them matters more than ever. So take a few minutes to hone one of the most important (and cheapest) marketing tools there is: Your Elevator Speech. Laura Allen, co-founder of 15secondpitch.com, [...]
Sweet Dreams
Posted: August 13th, 2010
[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 [...]
Find a Photographer
Posted: August 12th, 2010
[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 [...]
Telephone Tips
Posted: August 11th, 2010
[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 [...]
Selling What Makes You Different
Posted: August 10th, 2010
[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 [...]
Connect and Reconnect
Posted: August 9th, 2010
[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 [...]
Are You a Good Listener?
Posted: May 6th, 2010
[by Blake Discher] When you’re on that call talking to a potential new client, remember to count to two before you answer any questions or ask new ones. This two-second buffer will help you to be a better listener because you won’t need to be thinking about what you’re going to say next while the [...]
5 Recession-Proof Sales Strategies
Posted: April 9th, 2010
[by Judy Herrmann] 1) Ask for Referrals – Let your clients know you’re looking to grow your business or take it to the next level. Even if they don’t have names for you immediately, planting the seed will pay off in the long run. If they do give you names, there’s no better way to [...]
You Need to be a Salesperson First
Posted: April 8th, 2010
[by Blake Discher] Even in these stressful economic times, your business will be more successful if you are willing to recognize one fact: you need to be a salesperson first, and a photographer second. Many photographers take great photographs, but far fewer excel at sales. When I speak to audiences about negotiating, I’m always quick [...]
What Is Your Leverage?
Posted: April 7th, 2010
[by Paul Barholomew] We can be cheap, we can be talented and we can offer something unique. These are just a few examples from a long list of features and abilities we can offer to our clients. Ask yourself, how do you wish to sell your services and how will you be portrayed? What makes [...]
An Old Salesman’s Secret
Posted: April 6th, 2010
[by Rosh Sillars] Early in my career I worked at a furniture store to earn extra money. One day an older salesman came in to buy a chair. We began talking and before long I sensed that he had taken a liking to me. Naturally we talked sales. He asked me if I wanted to [...]
The Salesperson Called You
Posted: April 5th, 2010
[by Judy Herrmann] I hate sales. I hate cold calling. I hate closing. I hate the artificiality of it and I hate how it makes me feel. For years, I’ve arranged my life so I didn’t have to engage in sales. In 1992, we hired our first in-house salesperson. Since then, we’ve had two other [...]
