Archive for Networking
The Photography Industry is Business Friendly
Posted by: | CommentsPhotographers are blessed in more ways than one.
One way you may not be aware of is that the group of professionals that make up the photography industry is quite special. Unless you have been in other fields you may not really appreciate or experienced otherwise. If you have not found this out yet, I just want to share some thoughts today.
Many years ago, I was in the gift basket industry for a short while. I found the vendors to be unpredictable and unreliable. It made it hard to be able to count on getting product. Sales people would not stay with their companies for any length of time which made contacting them obviously difficult. Many of the companies had such high minimum orders that I, as a small start up, could not work with them.
Contrast that with the professional photography industry. I have found during my twenty-five plus years that the vendors are very stable and reliable companies. Many of them have sales representatives that will call on your studio and give you assistance, answer questions, and offer advice. I believe they do care about our success.
We also have the convenience of having little to no requirements in minimum orders. It is especially helpful that framing vendors can ship us one custom frame at a time.
We have a very strong national association, Professional Photographers of America (www.PPA.com). And the state affiliates of PPA are equally as impressive. If you are not a member as yet, at the very least in your state organization, I encourage you to join. Not only will you learn a lot, have a chance to network with your peers, they are very supportive organizations.
Lately I have been attempting to go to a horse clinic as a participant only to find how unorganized, unprepared, and unprofessionally these clinics are operated. One would think these trainers would go out of business without paying closer attention to their business systems. It is a good thing that as much as I love horses that I am not interested in that drastic of a career change.
Considering what an industry’s reputation was like before picking it as a career was not something I was savvy enough to do. I suppose most of us don’t. We just go with our heart. I am just blessed, like you are, to be in a profession that is this amazing.
And of course the best part of all is capturing those beautiful, priceless moments only a storyteller with a camera can do.
Tip to market your business
Posted by: | CommentsHave you stepped out of your comfort zone lately?
This week has been a stretch for me on two levels, business and personal.
First, I gave a talk at our local hospital to a cancer support group. I started a blog for cancer survivors in which I photograph them and they write blog posts on different aspects of the cancer experience. The support group chairperson asked me to share with others about the project and how it is going. It is called www.PortraitsAndStories.com if you are interested in seeing it.
As if public speaking in general wasn’t enough, the local television station was there doing a feature piece. So before my talk, I was interviewed in front of a very scary big camera.
Second, I loped (or cantered) on my new horse that I have only known for five weeks. You would have to know my background and timid personality to understand how big of a deal this was for me. It might be equal to someone else’s jumping out of an airplane. Well, sort of.
It is difficult to set yourself up for uncomfortable things on purpose. To call someone up and say, “I want to give a speech,” if you are nervous, or terrified of public speaking is highly unlikely.
The key is, for me I guess, is not to automatically say no to an opportunity just because I am not confident. Say yes and then figure out how to pull it off. You will grow from the experience and gain so much more self confidence. I know I learned a lot about how to prepare for my next television interview.
And the best part? I survived both experiences. I didn’t pass out, sweat through my jacket, or fall off my horse. It was a good week. God Bless.
About Barb
Barb Gordon, of www.BarbGordonPhotoCoach.com, is a Master Photographer, Photographic Craftsman, and Certified Professional Photographer with the Professional Photographers of America (PPA) to which she has belonged since 1984. She is a nationally published and award winning photographer, entrepreneur, speaker, and author including being published in the prestigious PPA Loan Collection 2006, PPA Showcase 2003, twice named Iowa’s Top Ten Photographer of the Year, 2010 Iowa’s Master Photographer of the Year, and 2010 PPA’s Photographer of the Year, Silver Level.
About Barb
Barb Gordon, of www.BarbGordonPhotoCoach.com, is a Master Photographer, Photographic Craftsman, and Certified Professional Photographer with the Professional Photographers of America (PPA) to which she has belonged since 1984. She is a nationally published and award winning photographer, entrepreneur, speaker, and author including being published in the prestigious PPA Loan Collection 2006, PPA Showcase 2003, twice named Iowa’s Top Ten Photographer of the Year, 2010 Iowa’s Master Photographer of the Year, and 2010 PPA’s Photographer of the Year, Silver Level.
About Barb
Barb Gordon, of www.BarbGordonPhotoCoach.com, is a Master Photographer, Photographic Craftsman, and Certified Professional Photographer with the Professional Photographers of America (PPA) to which she has belonged since 1984. She is a nationally published and award winning photographer, entrepreneur, speaker, and author including being published in the prestigious PPA Loan Collection 2006, PPA Showcase 2003, twice named Iowa’s Top Ten Photographer of the Year, 2010 Iowa’s Master Photographer of the Year, and 2010 PPA’s Photographer of the Year, Silver Level.
About Barb
Barb Gordon, of www.BarbGordonPhotoCoach.com, is a Master Photographer, Photographic Craftsman, and Certified Professional Photographer with the Professional Photographers of America (PPA) to which she has belonged since 1984. She is a nationally published and award winning photographer, entrepreneur, speaker, and author including being published in the prestigious PPA Loan Collection 2006, PPA Showcase 2003, twice named Iowa’s Top Ten Photographer of the Year, 2010 Iowa’s Master Photographer of the Year, and 2010 PPA’s Photographer of the Year, Silver Level.
Consider Every Opportunity
Posted by: | Comments
Tradeshow Booth at national convention
Sometimes you may not think a networking event or trade show we invested time, energy, and money into was a very good investment. That may be true to an extent but I believe each thing you try is not a total waste.
Look at it each marketing attempt as a learning experience even if the only lesson is not to do that again.
Keep in mind that not everyone is ready for your service all the time. Our business is very special occasion driven. People get photographs mostly for weddings, big anniversaries, high school senior graduation, and Christmas. So your job is to be in their mind when they are ready, so they call you.
Being seen at many events and networking opportunities many not seem to pay off right away, but it will over time.
Don’t overlook the fact that many customers find you by referral. Sometimes the referral is from someone that is not even a customer yet but still knows about you from somewhere.
Also consider that people may remember where they have seen you or how they first met you and you can not remember that. Don’t forget the impact you can make and the impression you make at even the smallest of an event.
For example, I photographed at a dogs in the park event once. Someone saved the flyer or business card for seven years and looked me up when they were (finally) ready to have photographs taken.
We have a local small town parade called Swamp Fox. I tried a table display there one year for $20. At the time it seemed like a waste of a perfectly good Saturday. Again, many years later someone contacted me and told me that is where they met me.
So do not be too disappointed at something that feels like a bust. That one person, even years later, is a fan of yours. And that fan has friends!
Shoot for Success,
Barb
