Archive for Customer
What to do with old negatives and files
Posted by: | CommentsTwo weeks ago I told you about why I was selling old files. There is money sitting on our storage shelves waiting for ….what?
This week I will share with you how am I tackling over fifteen years worth of old files. Where to start with all of those bankers boxes filled with negatives and CDs?
The first step is deciding what to charge for them. Consider the likelihood of getting a reorder like we talked about two weeks ago. Don’t be greedy but remember these are valuable. You might even adjust the price after a few sales attempts that may not go so easy. Remember to take into account the time that is involved in making the sales. Your time is not free.
The next step is how to position this idea to your clients. This generation, your actual client, may not think too much of it, they have the actual photographs on the wall or in albums. But what about the future? What about their legacy? Isn’t it a real treat and a blessing to stumble on some of your own family history that is well preserved? A photograph in good condition is great, but having the original negative or digital file would be even more exciting.
You might tell your clients, “It’s not for you, really, it is for your future generations.”
If you are anything like me, you don’t want to call all these people. Who knows how current their address and phone number are anymore. And who has time to do all of this? Break it down into manageable pieces.
Step One: From my accounting software I printed a list of all of my clients by job. This lets me makes notes on who did purchase files, who told me no, and helps me locate all of the jobs I have done for one family. (I file my jobs alphabetically by last name in each calendar year.)
Step Two: To make this task friendlier to me I pulled all the files for people I was currently working with this month. It was so easy to just ask them if they were interested because they were right there, no additional trips, phone calls, or mailings necessary.
Step Three: I also pulled all the files of clients that I really felt comfortable calling about this project. Keep in mind that contacting clients just might get you some bookings while you are interacting with them!
While doing the above, I threw away old event files like dances and commercial jobs that I was sure no one would care about anymore. That alone was two big trash bags!
A side note: Be sure to shred any old MasterCard/VISA slips. You know the old duplicate kind with complete account numbers listed.
Step Four: Design a simple postcard to mail to people that you don’t have time to call. If the number is too overwhelming just do a few at a time. Nothing says you have to complete this in a month.
Do have a deadline for purchase. You want to be confident that you can throw away old files, move on, and not worry about someone changing their mind. If you are doing this in stages, just do a fill in the blank on your postcard for the deadline for them to respond. This will help you spread out the project and not make your mailing obsolete.
If you have some images that are your favorites, make a high quality scan of the negatives before you sell them. Digital images, of course, make a copy of those as well. You never know if you want to produce a book of your work someday.
When I am aware of it, one thing that I have always done is to give the files to the parents who have lost a child I have photographed. They appreciate the gesture.
Of course we photographers are control freaks and don’t want our clients to monkey with the images and make strange graphics, off color prints and then say who the photographer is! That is why we are so controlling of our raw data in the first place. But we are going to have to stop worrying and obsessing if we want fewer things to store and create some cash flow in the process.
I am going to preface all of my sales with educating the client about keeping the integrity of the images. I will also tell them that I will be happy to print any further images they may need, professionally.
Better Business with Scripts!
Posted by: | CommentsI used to think that only large companies would benefit from having phone or presentation scripts. I have come to appreciate the value in scripts for all sizes of companies.
Why should you consider using scripts?
- You can be prepared with answers to questions before the questions come up. You will sound smooth and professional.
- These responses help create your company culture, your feel, your style.
- Scripts give you a consistent message.
- When training a new employee a script gives them somewhere to start.
If you have any staff at all be it an intern, part time, full time, or temporary help you will want to consider what they say to your customers, after all they are representing you. Just have them sound natural in how they say it.
Part of building a top notch customer experience is the consistency of the experience they get. Training a new employee? Scripts will help.
Today is a great example of a great script I heard. The fellow absolutely did not sound as if he was using a script at all. I just know that he did because I know the company that I called very well (E-Myth Worldwide) and I know they systematize everything to perfection – because teaching others how to systematize their business is their business. Anyway, I had a very strange phone bill for over twelve hours of long distance charges when it should have been only sixty minutes! His response was, “Thanks for giving me the opportunity to learn something.”
Stop for a moment and think about how you would respond if you had been him or in any similar situation. What would you be saying? I would have been fumbling for words like, “oh wow, that is bizarre”, “um how did that happen?” or “I don’t know.” How many people would be apologizing all over the place for a mistake they did not even make. (A pet peeve of mine.)
“Thanks for giving me the opportunity to learn something, let’s figure this out together” sounds so much better. Personally, I am not even mildly concerned about this over charge getting resolved, but imagine if you had a customer that was a bit upset or even angry. Having your responses prepared ahead of time can help you keep your cool and make the final outcome of a challenge turn out for the best.
What kind of scripts can you write for yourself and small staff that would make your customer service questions and issues sound polished and positive?
Photo Jewelry – Profit or Loss?
Posted by: | CommentsDoes selling photo jewelry cut into your profits? Does it bring down your perceived value to have photos on items like mugs and mouse pads? Does your studio get more exposure to new clients if your portraits are printed on purses and bags your clients are carrying?
Let’s toss some ideas around about selling accessories and see what happens.
What I do know for sure is that I would rather have the profit of an equivalent portrait sale over the profit of a jewelry sale. The cost of goods is much higher with jewelry items than a photograph. I also found that ordering jewelry was a longer, harder process so the hassle factor was high for me.
I did carry a nice jewelry line for a while and only sold two pieces. Were my sales so small because I am not a big jewelry enthusiast? Was the price point just too expensive? Did I not carry the jewelry line long enough to give my customers time to get hooked on it? Did I pick the wrong line? Or was it because I would rather make more profit on portrait sales than a smaller profit on a jewelry sale?
I also discourage clients from wanting to put my work such things as mugs, mouse pads, and other trinkets. For me it felt like an insult to my work and the art form. It felt devalued and cheap. I know that is not how the client looks at it but I was uncomfortable with it. Maybe I am a portrait snob, but in a nice sort of way of course.
Jewelry, purses, and bags can function as advertising, but does it work? Does someone hire a photographer because they saw an image they did on a purse? These items are definite conversation starters and are visible to all the client’s friends to see and comment on for sure.
I would like your opinions on what you think about offering wearable fashions and totes. How are these items affecting your bottom line?
Color Shifts on Black and White Images
Posted by: | CommentsIt’s 1998, we are shooting film, and we are putting specially designed black and white paper through the color processing machines. It is cool looking, fast, and cheaper to do this than hand processing large black and white prints in the darkroom. The look was as nice as most black and white images.
Now it’s 2011 and these pseudo black and white images are now coming back to haunt us with visible color shifting in certain tones of the print. Little did we know thirteen years ago that there was going to be a stability issue with this process.
I had my first (and hopefully only) client call to ask about her strange looking portrait. I was so worried because I had no idea what was going on. I thought I had goofed in some way – until I saw the image. I found out that this was not really uncommon with images printed with that process and a few other photographers were having the same experience. My images had been printed in a professional, high end color lab too!
In case this happens to you, don’t panic. Just find your negative, get it scanned on a high quality film scanner, and have a new print remade for your customer. I was very pleased to see the new image was actually nicer than the original and my customer was happy with the customer service I was able to provide. (It was a good thing that I keep files for a long time.)
And by the way, I would advise doing this as a service and not charging your customer. If you can work something out with your printer to defer the cost to you, even better.
The color shifting showed up best on a close up I took of the print that was returned. I hope that you can see the orange looking cast in this section of the image. It will help you identify this problem if you come across it.
Keep them coming back. Speak your customer’s love language-Part Three
Posted by: | CommentsYou will probably not come right out and ask someone what their “love language” is. But you can pick up some clues by listening to their unconscious choice of words.
An auditory person will generally say “that sounds good to me”. What do you feel like for lunch? The more verbal affirmation style person responds, “pizza sounds good to me.”
I was selling some art images from Hawaii to a friend of mine for her office. I found it interesting how she voluntarily described herself saying “I have to see the images and find what feels right to me.” When I tell you she is a massage therapist and a kinesthetic learner, it makes sense.
A more visual person would use the word “look” more often. They would look at a menu and say “pizza looks good to me.”
What do you do with this type of information? A good salesperson would tune into a customer’s words and style and respond in a similar language. This is bound to make the customer more comfortable. It is subtle, I know, but when people feel more connected and comfortable with you they will like you and buy from you.
In the example of my massage therapist friend, I would respond to her by saying, “here is great flower image, how does that feel?” “What size image would feel right above your desk?” would probably feel better to her than “what size image would look right above your desk?”
You may find it interesting to note what your customers say. It could help you know how to communicate with them in their preferred style. This is great for thanking them for their business in their language as well as how to make better sales.
You may find out that showing that you appreciate your customer is more powerful than only saying so.
If you have your own experience to share please post it here. Sound good?
Keep them Coming Back Speak Your Customer’s Love Language-Part Two
Posted by: | CommentsIf you just joined us this week or missed last week’s issue, I would suggest reading part one as background material for today’s feature information.
By taking the time and effort to reach out to your customers in a way that is meaningful to them it will distinguish you as being unique. It may not be the most convenient for you but it is how they feel about your business which becomes part of your brand that counts. Speaking their language will impress them for sure.
Here are some ways you may consider to say thank you, show your care, and appreciate your client.
- A hand written thank you note on your branded postcard, stationary, or greeting card is a nice old fashioned courtesy.
- Send them a gift. A certificate for a cup of coffee at a local café is a warm and affordable. A money saving idea is to make arrangements to pay for only the certificates that actually were redeemed which is better than buying gift certificates for everyone. If you partner with a local coffee shop and check in with them weekly to pay your tab, this can be a win-win marketing effort too. You can put the gift card you design in a Christmas card or send as a solo mailing as an unexpected gift.
- Carrying client’s bags to and from the car is an easy to do act of service that women appreciate but will not usually ask for help with. If acts of service is her language this will make a big impact.
- Send a Valentine
- Send a “Thank you for business” at Christmas or anytime of the year.
- Make a set of greeting cards as a gift for your top 20% spenders. Based on the 80-20 principle that 20% of your customers are 80% of your income, treat the top 20% special.
- Slip a special surprise their bag when they pick up their order. A little candy maybe?
- Clip news articles that may be of interest to a client. Or send an email link to a topic of special interest.
- Call a client and congratulate them on a promotion, new baby, or other occasion you hear about. This verbal affirmation of a job well done will brighten their day.
- Some people really get into birthdays, send your clients a card.
- An act of service can be as simple as offering refreshments.
- Quality time with a client can be a brief personal conversation, a book recommendation, a coffee break, or lunch date. I personally love to learn so when my chiropractor or massage therapist shares information with me from their profession that I would not have come across, I feel valued.
- A verbal sincere thank you goes a very long way!
Do you have suggestions you can add to my list? Please post them and Thank You!
Keep them coming back. Speak Your Customer’s Love Language-Part One
Posted by: | CommentsMost people appreciate, and expect, a common courtesy of a verbal thank you at the appropriate times. It is after all it is the polite thing to do especially if someone just handed you money for your services! Want to keep her coming back? Learn to speak her language.
What you may not have thought about though is that each of us has our own “love language”, our preferred way of feeling special. We actually like a combination of them but we tend to have a primary language. Dr. Gary Chapman wrote a book for couples called “The Five Love Languages”. Although the book is discussing relationships between couples I apply the concepts to my customers, friends, and other family members as well. Dr. Chapman’s book is on my personal recommended reading list and I buy copies as gifts.
For more in-depth information I would recommend getting the book. But I need to share with you some of the basic concepts now before I give you the ideas I have for your business so you will understand why I suggest what I do.
In a nut shell we tend to prefer verbal affirmation, quality time, gifts, acts of service, or touch. And yes, we also may like a little of each one and we may be oblivious to one or more styles too.
Verbal affirmation is telling someone you appreciate them with words.
Quality time is simply spending time together doing something they enjoy. Even people’s definition of quality time will vary. For example, my husband’s idea of quality time is me sitting in the same room while he watches TV. My idea of quality time is the two of us talking about my favorite topics.
Gift giving is another way of saying you care. You know the jewelry stores love people with the gift giving language!
Acts of service is demonstrating you care by doing something for them. This could range from washing their car to having their favorite beverage on hand.
Touch is another language. Of course, in the business world, you can’t go around hugging everyone. But a simple touch on the elbow or shoulder or a warm hand shake can still communicate that you value them.
Now that you have the basic concept, next week I will give you some ideas on how you might consider impressing your customers in various ways. Hopefully one of them will touch the client in a way that she notices and does feel appreciated by you so that your business is always her first choice.
Improve the Customer Experience
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My client actually decorated her shoes!
Step into your Client’s Shoes
Do you know what it feels like to be posed like you ask your subjects to pose? Do you remember how you felt in front of a camera? Have you been shopping lately for the perfect outfit that will photograph just right and look fabulous on you?
If not, it is time to experience your studio for yourself, as a customer. The best way to understand your customers is to become one yourself. Put yourself through the process you ask your clients to go through. You will be amazed at the insight you glean from this exercise.
I learned a lot when I needed more head shots for updating my website and business cards. I set up the lights and tried to do self portraits. That did not work. I figured my husband could push the button, he knows me well. That did not work. I let my intern give it a try. That did not work either.
I do not particularly like getting my portrait taken in the first place so I am a tough subject. Think about that a moment, how many of our clients are naturals in front of the camera and not need any coaching from us? Not very many!
I realized that my personality behind the camera was really, really valuable. I kind of took that for granted because I have been doing this for so long. I quickly remembered how important the confidence, skill, and energy of the photographer makes the session go well, especially for those who don’t love the camera.
I also now had an experience I could relate to my clients with, a story I could share with them about me. They felt okay with feeling awkward because I just told them about my photo updating process.
If you can afford to go to another professional studio and get the full experience, that is a great learning experience. Many of us could not invest in that type of education but I bet you know someone you could trade with. Find a photographer friend who is willing to photograph you and you can photograph them too, you will have fun. You will get an updated photo that you probably need anyway, and you will discover new ways to relate to your clients.
