Archive for professional
How to answer the question, “How much is it?”
Posted by: | CommentsThere are more choices for finding a photographer these days so help your callers out. Help them get through the uncomfortable moments of opening a conversation they may not know how to do.
Last week I shared an experience I had as being a new customer myself that helped me understand what it must be like for a new person calling a studio for the first time. You can read that here:
http://barbgordonphotocoach.com/business/customer/five-tips-for-understanding-your-new-prospects
Even though they may start with the question of how much you charge, it is not necessarily the question they are really asking.
The salesman in the horse feed booth at the fair could have helped me out by asking some fact finding questions to get me talking. Since I did not know how to start shopping for new horse feed, I needed some help but I was unable to verbalize that at the time.
The salesman could have asked me questions like:
- What kind of horses do you have?
- How many do you have?
- Are they varied in ages and jobs that they do? As there are different feeds based on the amount of physical energy they exert.
- What are you currently feeding them and how is that working?
All of these conversation starters would have been more helpful to me.
So as a photographer your conversation starter questions for a new prospect can be very similar. But first, ask permission not to answer their question right away with a statement like: “I would be happy to answer that question [about pricing] for you. Before I do, may I ask you a few questions first to get an idea of what you are looking for?”
- How many people are in your family?
- What are the ages of your children?
- Do you have a family hobby? Something that we could use to tell a story about you as a group?
- Do you have a location or style in mind?
- Where are you going to display your portrait? (This question also sets you up for planting seeds of a wall portrait sale.)
All of this discussion delays the “how much is it” question. You have time to build some rapport and get to know your prospects needs without focusing on the cost first. They will quickly find out how much you care about them too. You will also get the information you need to more accurately answer their pricing question, which, as you are discovering, really isn’t the real question anyway.
In order to get the prospect to move from a being caller to an actual booking, I offer a consultation in the studio. This is a low pressure invitation for more information so they may discover that I am indeed the photographer for them. At the consultation we look at images, discuss clothing options, and pricing. Personally, if someone does not want to invest an hour of their time to take this step, they are not a good customer for me and I let them go.
© 2012 Barb Gordon Photo Coach | Gordon Photography & Gallery, Inc.
Five Tips for Understanding your New Prospects
Posted by: | CommentsIt can be very difficult to see our business from the customer’s perspective. After all, we know our business so well we take so much for granted. Or maybe, you are new to business and are still struggling with some of the common problems.
This past weekend I had an experience that might help you see your customers from their perspective. And once you see your customers from a fresh perspective, your frustrations with challenges can melt away.
This particular challenge is how do your first time callers feel and what might we do better to convert them into a customer?
Here’s a recent experience I had that might be a good example for you to get an idea how a prospect might feel. I was at a large horse fair trying to learn more about what feed to use for my horses. (I have only had horses three years and still find feeding them properly is complicated.)
I stopped at a booth that I thought would be the answer. I found myself tongue tied at how to start the conversation. (This is where a good salesperson or representative could have been a great help.) I was so unsure what to ask first that I almost left the booth.
Tip one: some prospects will not try very hard to get information.
The real question in my heart that I could not verbalize was, “How do I find out about horse feeding options and more importantly, is this the right feed for my horses?”
That is when it hit me! So that’s how our prospects might feel when they call our studios! They do not know how to say, “how do I select a photographer and are you the right photographer for me?”
So naturally our prospects start with “how much does it cost?” This question right out of the shoot makes most of us cringe. Most of us are unprepared on how to handle this smoothly.
We all know that cost is really irreverent when it is a product we want or need (within reason of course). Look at all the money you spend on your hobby. Answering the question of cost does not have to be the first topic addressed.
Tip two: help your prospect get the information they really need.
I was not going to start the process of learning about horse feed by asking the price first. Not only is that not my mindset, it would not tell me what I really needed to know. Your customers could be the same way.
So I, the introvert, struggled and felt weird until the other man in the booth, the nutritionist, took over the conversation from the untrained salesman who did not know how to interact with new people.
Tip three: learn how to interact with new people especially if they are more introverted and need a little help expressing themselves. Be careful who you put on the phone when new prospects call for information. An untrained person can loose many sales for you.
Once the nutritionist was helping me, things went great. He was friendly, an expert, and only looked at me while he talked. He did not try to get to the next person in the booth until he felt that I was completely done and understood on his product.
Tip four: pay attention to your prospect and listen carefully. You will have plenty of time to make suggestions and influence the sale later.
It made more sense for me to purchase feed in my local area. The nutritionist made sure I knew where to go and what type of feed I needed to get. He gave me his card in case I had any additional questions.
Tip five: be helpful and invite them to continue the conversation later if necessary.
So, next we need to talk about how you specifically apply this experience to your studio. We’ll talk about that next week, come join me. Meanwhile, I encourage you to pay closer attention to interactions you have while you shop and see what you can learn.
(c) 2012 Barb Gordon Photo Coach
Another Milestone in my Career
Posted by: | CommentsI was one of eleven professional photographers who earned the Business Impact Zone Degree (BIZ) from Professional Photographers of Iowa (PPI) at this year’s PPI Winter Convention.
Earning the BIZ degree involves a four day training class and the submission of a business plan.
PPI is the first and only state offering a business program such as this.
Iowa photographer Aletha Speaker, also a 2012 BIZ degree recipient, is responsible for getting this business program into action. The program has also been supported by four sponsors: American Color Imaging, Christian Photo, Colormaster Inc., and JB Frames & Design.
Are you Letting Thousands of Dollars Walk Out the Door?
Posted by: | CommentsYou are if you are not selling frames in your portrait studio.
I have heard countless stories from people who have never gotten around to actually framing their portraits that they purchased from a photographer. Not only are photographers letting thousands of dollars walk out their door, think about all of the artwork just sitting around, unframed, and not hung in people’s homes.
I used to work at a studio that sent out 8×10 images in an envelope. Larger portraits were simply wrapped in paper and leaned up against the wall. It felt so cheap. Our best sales attempt was, “Do you want a frame with that?” People just took their photographs home this way, who knows how long these went unframed. Or worse yet, if the images were framed properly.
I frame at least 95% percent of my portraits that are 11×14 and larger.
I have a plan for making sales and therefore I can make sales. A last minute, “oh by the way, do you want a frame for that?” has not ever been very effective.
My plan includes a few of the following sales tips from my Photographer’s Complete Framing Guide, for fast and easy sales:
- Make sure you have great looking framed samples on the walls. Your
clients will want what they can see so hang your favorite frames up. - Point out your frame displays at key points of working with clients. Have a plan when you will plant the seeds for a sale. Mentioning your framing service more than once builds awareness.
- Suggest the frame that will look good on their final portrait. I like to pick out one or two combinations of frames and mats before my client arrives.
You can learn more about my comprehensive framing guide by clicking here. I explain my entire process step by step just as I do it at my studio everyday.
I feel it is our job as photographers to help our customers go home with a portrait ready to hang on their wall and enjoy. Who is better than you, the artist, to help your customers? Do you really want someone less skilled picking out the final presentation for your photography?
It is easy to have a small selection of frame corners to show, a few simple tools, and a sturdy surface to work on. It can also be easy to sell frames without sounding salesy if you have a process for planting the seeds for that sale. Don’t let all of those sales walk out your door.
© 2012 Barb Gordon Photo Coach
The Business of Photography
Posted by: | CommentsExciting, challenging, new, variety, creative, and fun are words I think of describing the world of photography. Your photography business can be anything you want to make it.
The photography business is similar to other industries in regard to business operating procedures. You must market, promote, and advertise your services.
You make sales, record your transactions, pay sales tax, pay income tax, pay overhead, be properly insured, train and pay staff, pay yourself, and other expenses.
What makes the photography business different, besides the fun factor, from other industries is that there is no licensing, no unions, and no special regulations. Doctors, hair stylists, and teachers, for example, have to be licensed, photographers do not.
At the bare minimum you do need a sales tax permit and a business trade name registered. But in general there are no other regulations to become a photographer. Be sure to check your local zoning laws.
I would also encourage you to research proper insurance for the type of work you do, the equipment you have, and for the location your rent or own.
Although there are terrific photography colleges, many photographers in business do not have a photography, art, or business degree. This is not a requirement but having the proper credentials will support your expert status.
If you are new to the photography business, my free report- Making Photography More Than a Hobby: Planning for Success Before You Take the Leap is a great place to start. There are many things for you to consider and do before you open your doors to customers.
It depends on your perspective if you think licensing photographers is a good idea or not. It is very easy to saturate the market with photographers when there is no licensing or testing required. Many full time professional photographers making their entire livelihood on providing photography services are feeling the pinch of the number of photographers that came onto the scene especially as digital photography was developed.
A great thing about the business of photography is how flexible the business model can be. You may choose to work strictly on location, have a studio in your home (if zoning laws permit), set up a retail location, or do a combination. You can even change from one form to another as your budget, personal preference, and customer base grows.
I like the flexibility of operating my studio the hours I please. Not all industries, like retail stores, have this luxury.
If you like change, the photography business is ever changing. In addition to improvements in technology, each photography assignment is different.
A photographer wanting to create a successful business should learn as much about business as possible. You can create pretty pictures all day long but if you can not write a business plan, market your services, or manage your money you will not stay in business for long.
Use accounting software and create a budget or spending plan. It is quite easy to go overboard on purchasing props, backgrounds, and other fun stuff. Be careful to know how much you can afford your overhead and other expenses to be. You will also want an accountant you can rely on at tax time even if you learn to handle monthly and quarterly tax filings.
As a professional photographer you would also make sure that all of the products and services you use are of the best quality.
Buy the best equipment you can afford and learn how to use the manual settings for professional results. A serious photographer creates images using depth of field and shutter speed in addition to seeing and recording light accurately.
Use quality vendors to produce your products. I would insist that you use a professional color lab for the printing of your images. Do not print images on your own printer or go to a cheap big box store for printing and call yourself a professional. Printing lasting images with the correct color profiles is a huge part of the process.
Use a real digital artist not a computer program for your retouching and enhancements. A good digital artist knows where to stop for a natural look. Most clients do not want to be over retouched like a fashion model.
You can increase your sales by offering quality framing and matting services. You already have the customer in your studio, so these additional sales are not going to cost you any more money in marketing. My Photographer’s Complete Framing Guide will show you how, if you are interested in getting started in a matter of weeks, for less than a hundred dollars in tools and supplies.
I would also suggest evaluating how you spend your time. It is easy to waste time or spend too much time on tasks like e-mail or Facebook for example. Track your time and see where it goes. Find out how much time you spend on everything from being on the phone, to cleaning your restroom, to how long you chat when a customer picks up their order.
Find out what are the most profitable jobs in the studio you do yourself. You will find that you make the most money when you are photographing, selling, or marketing. This is where your time is best spent. For the other jobs like cleaning, order assembly, making back ups, and other routine activities consider hiring or contracting someone at an hourly rate. With someone handling the minimum wage activities you can work on generating more income with active income producing activities.
Don’t assume you are getting the most out of your product offerings. Test your packages, sessions, and other products you offer for maximum profitability.
One example from my portrait studio is the difference in the final sales results from the orders I have gotten from my “Deluxe” vs. my “Elite” sessions. I found that the “Elite” session, that is twice the price, takes three times longer, and has some material costs does not produce any larger of a portrait sale than the “Deluxe” session. I thought I was doing great, until I tested this and found that it was not more profitable.
I also tested some different collage products. I showed different sizes, styles, and a different number of photographs in each one. I was surprised to find that people were willing to spend more on one product than others. So I was able to simplify and eliminate some of the not so profitable ones.
When you pay attention to the business of photography you can remain a photographer with a business.
© 2012 Barb Gordon Photo Coach
Action Steps to Sell Photography Confidently
Posted by: | CommentsThe past couple of weeks we have talked about your attitude toward money that affects your ability to sell your work. Here are some action steps that might help you improve your profits.
Do not discount or renegotiate your prices when pressured.
Study your business. Know all of your expenses, overhead, and goals. With accurate information you will be able to arrive at prices you know are correct for your studio. You do not have to justify your prices to your customers but you will have confidence behind the numbers and will less likely to feel pressured.
Selling is a numbers game. Ask any good marketing person and you will learn that a postcard mailing, for example, has a typical response rate of three percent. By tracking each step of your process and looking at the results, you can develop a formula for success. You might also find that 20% of your clients account for 80% of your income, so spoil those clients and keep them!
Write a sales script. One way to overcome your own hang ups or programs about money and sales is to write out scripts that are the message you really need to say. We all get ideas, or programs, about money and sales as we grow up. If your parents had issues, you may carry those issues on or behave in the extreme opposite. Well, these programs that might say “that art is too expensive,” “you are not worth it,” or “you can not afford it” need reprogrammed. Writing a sales script is a good way to prepare yourself for discussions about money and prices.
I found once I wrote out responses, or scripts, to difficult questions or unreasonable requests, the questions and requests stopped coming.
Practice with clients you are more comfortable with. If something is scary, who wants to start with strangers?
This is a great strategy I use when I am making any kind of change. For example, when I wanted to start having clients sign an agreement that they had place an order and will pay for it, I simply said to them, “thank you, I know you would not break this contract, but it helps me practice and build my confidence for when I have someone new that I am unsure of here.” There is no reason you can’t say this to everyone indefinitely either, no one will know who is who.
Remain calm. It is easy to get emotional whether it is excited or scared. Keep your cool and act as if you get huge orders every day. Stay optimistic as your thoughts and body language can give you away and influence the outcome of the sale.
Set a sales goal and assume you will make it. Again, your assumptions can influence the outcome. If you remain optimistic you will do much better than starting out negative and with no idea what the sale should be.
If you are anything like me, it is easy to be overwhelmed. You want to do it all and you want to do it well. The advice I go back to again and again is to start with one. Pick the most important step that will make the most positive difference the fasted and start with that. As time allows, go to the next.
