I need to draft a contract for a client. Do you have any recommendations about making sure I’m using the correct language so it doesn’t bite me in the end?
APA is a great resource for contracts and estimate forms. ASMP has advice about legal language too. APhotoEditor has great contributors, including an executive producer of Wonderful Machine, and they give sample estimates. Also refer to the ASR posts about what to include in your bid under the “job description.”
DO NOT send any promos to a client’s personal email, unless they have given you permission. Doing this crosses a professional boundary and could affect potential future work.
If you’re emailing a client and they have a professional, official work email, do not use their personal email if you have access to that. Don’t do it. It’s rude and you could really piss someone off. Use the work email if you have one. It draws a line that we shouldn’t assume we can cross. Some people might not get angry about it, but a lot will, so be really careful about the personal and professional email. Keep it as professional as you can if that’s your purpose and relationship with them.
Can you include buyers and reps in your email list or do you have to ask for their permission before sending out promos?
It’s usually better to ask for forgiveness than permission. It depends on the type of work you shoot, but in the commercial advertising world we send out promos regularly to client’s business email addresses. My theory for marketing is to throw the pasta against the wall and see what sticks. Personally, I receive lots of promos and emails that I didn’t sign up for and I don’t mind at all.
After putting together a realistic budget, how do you respond respectfully to a client who tells you that your budget is 10 times what they have to spend?
The way to respond is to not take it personally. This is not about you and any value assigned to your talent. Keep it professional and don’t do anything to damage your reputation. If the budget is not feasible then politely explain that you wouldn’t feel comfortable promising them a level of quality that would be required for the job, and wish them well.
I was always taught that quality over quantity was best for showcasing work. It seems that the current trend is on quantity. What is more important to a client? Should I focus on producing a large amount of content or fewer, more powerful images?
The question really depends on who your clients are. Most companies gravitate towards the Instagram look, but that shouldn’t mean you have to compromise on quality. Learn to adjust your style so you’re more nimble and able to shoot more by simplifying your shooting process. Content is key right now.
Where do buyers go to find photographers? Google? Online directories? If so, other than social media, where do you suggest photographers advertise?
This may be the hardest question to answer in our industry right now. I’d say all of the above. Try everything and see what works. My most sincere answer is that buyers often look at reps’ websites…so get a rep if you can. I also have heard feedback that art producers like Wonderful Machine, but then again, shop around, and also ask those who are already using those sites if they have been getting more work from them.
How do you organize your list of clients/contacts? Do you have a CRM or spreadsheet or use one of the list services? The lists get so big, I am wondering how you structure it to stay on top of who is who and what your history with them is?
Organizing our lists is a time consuming, yet mega important part of our marketing business. I pay for Agency Access and Yodelist and then I keep my own list on Direct Mail.
When a client emails and gives you a fee straight away (without asking for your rate), how much room do you think there actually is for negotiating?
When a client tells us their budget up front, most of the time they are telling the truth. If you are ready to potentially risk losing the job then you can test the waters and ask for more.
Be proactive on instagram: follow clients + potential clients. Like their posts. Write comments. Be aggressively friendly + keep in touch w/ people. Got a new art producer contact? Follow the company…and then follow the individual. Build personal relationships. Instagram is an amazing + free way to stay in front of your clients + show them what’s happening in your world.
When I started repping there was no Instagram, obviously. Now you’re all on it, so you know what it’s all about. This is such an opportunity today and it’s so much easier to connect with people than it used to me. We find clients that are correct for our photographers and connect with them on Instagram and it really works! We end up bidding with them. These people can be almost impossible to reach by normal means. We probably couldn’t call them or email them. This is how you can reach clients.
When calling a client, only call from the phone you want them to call you back on. We always want the easiest/fastest route.
(leaving a message with a different phone number is way too cumbersome)
I’ve gotten called and people leave a message, “but call me on this other number.” Well I’m driving or I have to find a pen or type in this new number. How are we supposed to do that these days. It takes too much work and we can’t do that. Quick, quick, quick.
