Make sure to use your words wisely and get into good routines to share your ideas on client calls. If you find yourself needing a transitional phrase to finish your zoned-in thoughts, get them ready and mix them up. Saying a phrase more than once will weaken your “director” presentation, and remember, this is a presentation.
What do potential clients want to know from our “Marketing?”
I was told: “What we are capable of.”
Simple. It’s helpful to understand the client’s perspective on what they want to achieve from our well-thought-out marketing strategies.
I feel like I’ve hit a wall with my business. I’m bidding on some jobs, but I’m not getting them. Clients want to get a crazy amount of images per day, and the budgets have shrunk. I’m struggling to stay on top of my game. Advice?
As business owners, we all must expect highs and lows. I have seen this happen with ALL photographers.
1. You aren’t alone, and this is normal.
2. What will make it or break it is your response to this.
We chose to get into an industry built on ever-changing creativity, requiring our business plan to proceed in the same growth pattern. Instead of reading this as a bad sign, take this lull as an invitation to change it up.
Our outreach marketing efforts should target all potential clients, including advertising agencies, production companies, and direct clients/brands. Cover a mix of the best potential job stability by exploring various options, as they can offer different types of jobs with varying levels of consistency.
What would I put as a line item on my invoice for hourly random admin things? This came up recently when I had a client send me so many pages of documents to fill out; they’re also calling me and winding up in calls for hours, and having me send proofs in multiple different ways. I want to bill for that time since it’s excessive, but I don’t know what to call it. I would love any insight you have!
Every bid I do has prep days to cover admin organizational time. I’ve even put an in-person pre-production meeting line item in the bid with a $0 amount to show that our prep time is not free.
It’s good to spell out your terms with all the specifics, as far as which tasks are covered by your prep days, so if they want to add more, it’s clear they will pay more.
Admit it; you are SELLING a product. Approach the conversations with a potential client as a LISTENER, ready to open the pathway to let your true purpose be heard. Choose your words wisely instead of filling any space. Trust me; there won’t be much empty space.
Let’s face it, we are in the business of needing from others. We need their assistance to get in the mix for a job. One style that I sincerely believe in is being a give-and-take human, simply by being my genuine self. Ask clients questions and treat them with respect and dignity as human beings. We find ways to give to them, which will warm up the situation by softening up the balance and create a more genuine connection.
How do you negotiate licensing or ask a client to stop using your photos when there was no contract in place at booking and/or during delivery of images?
Step one is to find the appropriate contact at the company who is using your images illegally. Step two is to educate the client, as this usually occurs because they don’t understand copyright ownership. The photographer owns the copyright with or without a contract. Instead of asking the client to stop using your images, you can explain how they need to pay you to continue using them, and a penalty fee for when they have already used them. Handle this yourself with legal copyright documentation or use a temp rep or lawyer on your team.
I quoted a project, but didn’t get it after 1 round of quote revisions, with the explanation they are going with someone cheaper. I asked if this was based solely on cost or also on creative style, and whether they would share who they chose, but they didn’t say who they hired. I think I didn’t scope the job properly, misunderstanding the importance of their tight budget. How do we ask for feedback on a job we didn’t land? How do we get the answers we need to quote better next time?
Ways I’ve gotten the most INFO back from clients after not getting the job:
• Asking during a one-on-one in-person meeting or on the old-school telephone.
• Putting forth a close-ended, fully loaded question, allowing them to answer “yes or no.”
• Sharing new, inspired ideas, new thoughts for next time, to intrigue them to use you, like how you will do this with a lower budget.
• Don’t ask right away; give them at least a week or two for it to become official.
• Explain truthfully why you are asking and what you want to learn from it.
Bring the client’s BRANDING into your bidding approach as much as possible. Do your RESEARCH, ask the questions, as the ultimate purpose of receiving the job is to achieve your client’s branding goals.
