Is it appropriate to send a thank-you gift to an agency that hired me to shoot a campaign?
A:
This is a tricky one, as some agencies are fine with receiving a thank-you gift while others are not. I recommend asking them first, or even better, asking someone else at the agency you know, so you can still surprise your contact. Either way, it’s best to ask first, unless it’s something inexpensive like a basket of treats. A handwritten thank-you card is also a great way to show sincere appreciation.
How do you make initial contact with potential clients? Do you go straight for the phone or warm up through email? What do you talk about in that first conversation?
A:
This is the million-dollar question that has no definitive answer! Every person selling has a different method and every success story has different factors—sometimes simply good timing. Personally, I say never use the phone. I find phone calls intrusive since they require an immediate response at the caller’s chosen time. The best sales method, whether through email or conversation, is to follow the golden rule: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”
The question we are all dealing with is, WHAT’S GOING ON RIGHT NOW? Everything is changing, leaving us to question the status of our careers.
1. Accept that it is changing; thus, we must adapt.
2. Images are even more “Lofi” – imperfect production quality matching the social media realness.
3. What are you good at, and what can you bring to this situation?
4. Clients are getting more for their money and paying less.
5. Your role may need to fulfill other categories, and you can charge for those – like stylist, creative, storyboarding, pre-production, post-production, etc.
6.Keep yourself as fresh with testing as possible- be as NOW as ever!
If I think I would be a good fit for a certain client, what is the best way to approach them? Should I approach them directly or through their agency? If I should contact the agency, how can I best reach the right person there? Many companies have different agencies for various products or platforms.
A:
Yes, approach the client directly and also get in touch with their agency. Try as many ways as you can think of. Be creative and innovative; find ways to get their attention. To find the right person, ask around. I highly recommend LinkedIn, as people tend to respond to it. Go get ‘em!
How would you advise a photographer to reach out to new clients to ask for a face-to-face meeting to introduce oneself?
A:
The best way to ask for an in-person meeting is to entice them with an easy and fun excuse, like bringing them a treat or taking them for a coffee/lunch. I would not ask via phone, but I would warm up your potential client with regular outreach via email, IG, LinkedIn, etc. As long as your portfolio pertains to their client needs, you may have a good chance of seeing them in person.
What is the trick to Marketing? Quick answer: Relationships.
How to do this: Try everything, see what sticks, but only base some of your future marketing on what you learned in the past. I know this is tricky; we must try it all, keep experimenting, and DO NOT LIMIT OURSELVES only to what has worked in the past.
We all know how important marketing is in our business—it’s everything. Yet, there is no set plan for it; there is no absolute, definite “this must happen.” Of course, your website needs to be correct and up-to-date, but marketing as a whole has to be more experimental. I see it as throwing spaghetti against a wall and seeing what sticks. However, we can’t rely on just one approach over time; we have to continuously try new things.
Marketing is heavily based on relationships. I often get calls from clients I didn’t even know would remember my name, but we had a nice connection a year ago or even three years ago. When you get yourself on a list, clients remember you and want to stay in touch. The more we put ourselves out there, the better. We need to try everything, see what sticks, and not solely rely on what’s worked before. Do more of what works, but also explore every possible avenue to connect with clients.
Do you think it’s important for a photographer to spend time assisting professional photographers before launching their own career? And if so, what kind of photographer should someone assist?
A:
This really depends on the photographer and what they need to learn. Some photographers never assist and end up wildly successful. However, assisting can be extremely informative and build your confidence. If a photographer needs to learn what an editorial or commercial advertising job is like, then they can assist any type of photographer in that market. If they need to learn more about the technicalities of cars or people projects, then they should assist a photographer who does that kind of work. Figure out what you need to learn and assist in that. Or jump right in to build your own education. There is no absolute right answer here.
Take advantage of the spare time between jobs by getting all your prep work done. Be ready to pounce. Remember to distinguish off-shoot days from extra time, creating lower quality, frantic, and last-minute production stress. Get your checklist in order with all the necessary pieces like bid forms, dig tech and crew, retouchers, location scouts, stylists, producers, and TEMP REP (if needed).
I plan to visit the Palm Springs Photo Festival for a portfolio review – please share some insights on what kind of portfolios are still going on – the good old print or digital portfolios. Or mini photo books as leave-behind prints for marketing materials?
A:
Recently, I had the privilege of seeing a room of well-branded reps and how we all had different methods of showing off our talent’s work to potential clients. We each had a unique mix of screens, iPads, and printed portfolios on our own stylized table setup. We all had our own “take home” swag that resembled the feel of our rep agencies. What stands out to me most about this portfolio show was how we mostly had it all in our own memorable style – printed materials/books and motion screens, which sums up the state of our industry.
