the times they are a changing!

The photographic industry has been on a roller coaster ride since the late 90s with the advent of digital.  When desktop publishing arrived in the mid eighties, it was hailed as the end of graphic design – now everyone could create professional design work!  Of course, in hindsight, there are more graphic designers now than could have been imagined at the time.  Having the software and being able to produce something both creative and professional are now understood as being separate!

We have the same issue now in the photography industry – Uncle Kevin has the same camera as the professional hired to photograph the wedding.  Now more than ever we need to define professionalism.  The challenge is to present ourselves to the consumer as providing something that is unique – the consumer who now  has access to similar equipment, and via a quick web search they can find printing facilities, coffee book presentations, image manipulation software, canvas wall art – the list goes on.

So what now defines the retail photographic studio?  The only true distinction is professionalism.  In their art, in their ethical approach, in their business structure, customer service and belief in their product.   As the years pass and the technology settles down, photographers will find themselves in the same category as those graphic designers – someone who can provide a complete service to meet the needs and satisfaction of their clients.
Art  – using your experience, technical understanding and creativity to produce stunning images
Ethical approach – introducing your customer to a professional and ethical business
Business structure – understanding the difference between running a business and running a studio. How can you ensure that you, your staff and your customers have the best possible opportunity to work together?
Customer service  – put yourself in your customers shoes and track their progress through your business – review your message through your branding; the welcome on arrival; experience through the shoot;  the viewing and the delivery of their finished goods, plus any follow up after sales service.  There are plenty of opportunities to expose them to your brand, and build up loyalty for your products and services.

And remember – as a consumer yourself, while you may be able to cook at home, you are happy to pay for a restaurant meal.  You understand that you are paying for more than just the ingredients – you are paying for the ambience, the service and the experience itself. Your clients will do the same for you.

Few photographers starting out have the funds to move into a custom built space with all the bells and whistles they need.  So how do you prioritise what you do need and what you will have to wait for? I have a simple condition – how will this purchase generate income for my business?  I have spoken to many emerging photographers recently who lust after the latest $0000 lenses.  While these lenses are desirable, will they actually generate more image sales?  These same photographers will then balk at spending a few hundred dollars on a piece of software specifically designed for the purpose of selling photography, with features that facilitate a great sales process.

There are a growing number of photographers selling their images online. For sports and schools photographers this method may work well.   I firmly believe that for wedding and portrait photographers who sell a custom art product, a large part of the sales process revolves around ‘educating the client on the images and building desire for the finished products’.  Having spent years working with clients in the viewing room, I can’t imagine how uploading images to a website would generate anything like the volume and $value of sales that you can achieve in a face to face sales process using a piece of software specifically designed for the purpose of selling photography.

So, how are you going to solve the problem of not having a viewing room that you can invite clients to where they will see your work on display in various presentations – wall art, albums, collections?

1. Onsite visits – arrange to visit your client at their home. If you have a laptop with an hdmi cable you can connect to their TV and view from there. The advantage of this method is that you get to suggest places where the clients may want to hang their portraits. The disadvantage is that it is difficult to display your full range of products – sizes, finishes and add on options.  Similary, if you have a projector to present the images, the issue can be finding a blank wall or toting a projector screen too. The advantage of projector is that with the appropriate software, the client can see the actual size of the portrait on the wall.

2. Room hire – much like a virtual office, you may be able to hire a room in your local office suites which you can use for your viewings.  Some studios for hire have viewing rooms for hire too.  The advantage here is that you can display more samples of your finished work. You could even offer to ‘decorate’ a board room with your portraits, or do a special offer for the other residents of the office suites.

Our recommendation for viewing software is ProSelect from www.timeexposure.com  Think of the software purchase as an investment in the future success of your business. If you want some assistance in creating a sales process, contact us today.

The Emotional Sale is about educating your clients – not making them cry!

What has been interesting over the last few Focus on Business sessions is hearing from photographers who have had bad experiences at the hands of other professional photographers. Turning up to be photographed for a session they have ‘won’ to discover that other people have won too! Made them feel ‘not special’. Loving the images but being shocked to hear the prices quoted for the first time in the viewing room. Made them leave without purchasing. Being put under pressure to purchase. Made them feel uncomfortable and mistrustful. So how can you avoid these negative outcomes? The Emotional Sale is designed to ensure that your clients are educated at every stage of their customer journey with you. Everything you do from the very first contact will impact on how much your clients will be willing to spend with you.  If you work on building your client’s desire by asking them for their input they will feel valued and able to justify the expense of professional photography.

If you are going to make your clients feel special because they have ‘won’ something from you be clear about exactly what they have won, and how many other people have won too – “You are one of only 5 lucky winners of this promotion”.

At the stage you are making a booking for a client be sure to give them an indication of your prices – you don’t need to provide a full price list, just a starting price for the different product ranges and an average sale. It would also be a good idea to reinforce the notion that they are under no obligation to purchase. If you do your job correctly they will be happy to make an informed decision to purchase.

Not everyone is happy to confirm an order at the first viewing – our industry in particular does have a reputation for high pressure sales and clients are very resilient to being put under pressure. The Emotional Sale process has been designed specifically for the photography industry and ensures that at every stage you are able to build desire for your images in a non pressure environment enabling your clients to make informed decisions. If they are unhappy to confirm the order on the day, set the terms for confirmation – “I will hold the order open for you until x date x at the price I have quoted you today, otherwise the order will revert to full studio pricing and any discounts will be void.”

Think about retail environments where you make purchases and identify what you do and don’t like in terms of your customer experience and mirror the aspects you do like in your own business. Remember – when you go out for dinner and the waiting staff do a great job of looking after you – this generally means you will pay more (because they have been attentive and seen when the wine bottle was empty or simply gave you options for desserts and coffee/liqueurs). Funnily enough, you are more likely to leave a tip (pay even more!) if they have looked after you well.  Look after your clients, make no assumptions and give them all the options. In this way they will be happy clients who feel justified to reward you.

Thursday February 16, 2012 – Thursday February 16, 2012

89 Main Road

Map and Directions | Register

Description:

If you are considering a career in photography, this introductory 3 hour seminar gives you the insight into what it takes to run your own photography business. You’ve learned how to use a camera, now learn how to profit from it. The seminar will ensure you can make effective decisions about your photography business. Bookings essential – pay now or call 03 8842 1234.

What type of photography will you focus on?
Who will your customers be?
What styles will you offer?
What is your USP?
What will you sell and for how much?
How will you market?

The full one year course is available through Instinctive Desires focusing on every aspect of photography business management.

AIPP Accredited course – CPD points available.

RRP $220/$199 AIPP members
Special Introductory offer price $75!

To book call 03 8842 1234

Register

We are back in Melbourne after 5 amazing days in Adelaide. It is so refreshing to get in the thick of your industry and meet like minded people with great ideas. The enthusiasm, emotion and entertainment provided by The Event were extremely energising and I will be booking for next year in the Hunter Valley as soon as the announcement is made. I strongly advise you to do the same! Work together, be collaborative, share everything and you will find yourself richer for it. (Lorna)

This is the last interview we shot at this year’s PMA event – people were packing up round about us! I love John’s ‘big picture’ vision of photography. He also discusses the professional -v- the amateur photographer.   His optimism about the future of photography is contagious. Enjoy.

Peter Cocklin from Kodak Australia shares his thoughts on the future of photography in this penultimate interview from the Imaging & Entertainment expo in Sydney this year.