Clients

Q:

How do I leverage this abundance of accolades and high end client work to get more exposure? My past mailers and hand curated marketing promos have yielded a 3% response rate, and I must say I’m a bit frustrated.

A:

Emails, in general, seem to be a dying breed pushing us to figure out new ways to be in touch. They are no longer the one dependable marketing tool as they now serve one piece of the promotional pie.

You know I’m all about Instagram, so that is my first suggestion, but of course, we still need to push those promos out.

Email promo material should go out in two separate ways, which will, in turn, support each other:

1. Mass email lists will have a lower response rate because they are a larger list of unknown clients but provide us with solid marketing open/click data.
2. Smaller fine-tuned lists built around those we know, and those who open/click the larger mass emails will get better traction.

Q:

Why can the best cinematographers serve the story and change their look for each script, depending on the requirements of the script, but if a photographer does that, they are condemned, overlooked and discarded for being a “generalist?”

A:

We get to choose two types of paths: technically savvy with a lot of variety or those who provide a more specific curated style, look and feel.  Both options can work, giving you a long-lasting accomplished career, usually depending on your situation, the size of your market, and your skillset. I’ve repped both of these and found the careers of generalists depend on the relationships they build, and the specialists get jobs for their portfolios.

What’s out there helping you run your photo business?

Let’s share our favorite resources.

Here are My Top Five:

1. www.pixsy.com – get paid when your images are being used without your permission.
2. www.hunter.io – valuable email formats for every company.
3. www.aphotoeditor.com – loaded with today’s industry info.
4. www.adweek.com/agencyspy – find the updates on the companies you want to work with.
5. www.adsoftheworld.com – know who has worked on which ad.

Q:

I was invited to bid for what developed into branding services for a white-labeling startup company. The company to whom I was “bidding” did not actually provide a specific scope, brief or RFP. Such is how it grew into a “branding” project. Their communication with me wasn’t very responsive. I interpreted it being more like an RFI, providing them with the following:

1. A list of typical deliverables.
2. A list of things not included.
3. A budget range with minimum & not-to-exceed amounts. 
4. An explanation of how scope development was needed to pinpoint the actual cost of services. 
5. Scope development was included in the minimum.

What is your opinion on my approach on the above mentioned project?

A:

This request sounds like the massive amount of undeveloped clients using social media mass photographer reachability to save them money. You’ll need to quickly assess if this is a reliable potential client or an “info for free” mass request.

They are asking you to be their creative development ad agency so you can:

1. Do that for free.
2. Give them your hourly rate for that type of branding work.
3. Tell them to contact you again when they have their shot list spec sheet prepared. 

Q:

What do I do if I’ve developed a solid synergistic relationship with a potential dream client (who found me!) over numerous emails working out the nitty gritty of a potential project they wanted a cost on, sent the estimate, then got ghosted? I’ve already followed up once (1 week after) now it’s another week after that and not a peep. So disappointing…

A:

Business is business, and as much as clients become our close contacts, we have to remember the ultimate truth that this is their job. We work in an overworked industry where no one has a lot of time. 

1. Don’t take it personally.
2. Your contact means well, but they are busy. 
3. Set a future date where you will email a kind and lightly humble email, understanding they are busy while blaming your curiosity for checking in on what became of that project.
4. Move on to what matters and how to bring your portfolio up to a level not to get passed up for jobs because the real issue is not that they didn’t respond but that you probably didn’t get that job. 

I get asked a lot about how photographers can get their first jobs. 

Let’s call this the INTRO stage as you are meeting the right people in the right places. 

Get experience finding opportunities in the areas you want to be working in, and with your confident demeanor, the people in your circles will know who to call when they are hiring. 

Q:

When first contacting a potential client, should I say something like, “Here is some new work I’ve done?” Or if you don’t have new work to show, is it too blunt to say you want to work together? Is there etiquette to follow up if you don’t hear from them? I don’t want to be that person that bombards them unsolicited over and over.

A:

I always say we should talk to people as we want to be talked to. When you sense someone is “selling” to you, don’t you want to delete, hand up or walk away? Clients know you want to work with them; that’s a given. The more you can sound like yourself, mentioning the fun location or an educational equipment reference gives them something to remember you by, The real stuff never gets old.

We can’t be spending our time doing estimates on information we don’t have. 

I’m hearing a ton of complaints from photographers wasting useless time on estimates that don’t turn out to be the real deal. I hear you! With no bid spec sheets, I get many of these requests that won’t reveal the budget upfront, so I focus on the points that help me see if this client is even ready for an estimate. Our goal is to quickly open up the communication doors, giving us a clearer sense of what we are dealing with.

My quick first step estimating questionnaire:

• What is the Usage?
• What is the specific Shotlist?
• Do you have a creative deck with the layouts + mood-boards?
• What are the talent rates?
• Do you have stylists you like to use?
• When is the creative call?

Q:

Hello! I’m a well established Swedish commercial lifestyle and outdoor photographer. I also shoot film and direct. My wife is American, and we are planning to move to Minneapolis soon. The transition from Sweden to the US is a pretty big step. I’ve been thinking of creating a second website that I can promote in the US for SEO and content. I want to meet with reps and, of course, brands and agencies. But as I’m not familiar with the market over there, I don’t know where to begin. What would be a good place to start?

A:

Welcome to the USA! One of the best parts of being a photographer is the barometer for good work is pretty much the same across the board. Moving from one location to another does not preclude you from getting jobs unless you want to work in one type of industry but show images from another sector. A wedding photographer has a more challenging time doing commercial advertising because that shows a different visual perception and aptitude scenario. Moving places won’t hold you back; it can even be a catchy conversation tool that will interest people. Rework your website to include the new location content/SEO/vibe based on the type of work you want to be getting, as that is the true focus.

Is this estimate request worth your time?

If only we could find out the budget, that would make it all so simple, but clients tend to keep that to themselves. 

3 ways I open up the conversation by presenting the question differently:

1. Name a high amount to question what they have in mind.
2. Under or over a certain amount can help to get a yes or no. 
3. A range amount $ between $ offers a safe and manageable option.