Wednesday Wisdoms

BUSINESS ANALYTICS begins with researching your competition. 

Use your rival’s success as your master’s degree guidebook for potential improvements – what exactly sets them apart, and what do clients captivated by in their images? What are the high-line business standards seen on the top competitor’s website and Instagram that we need to use as a wake-up call?

Raising your creative level in this industry depends on understanding who the best of the best are—those you’re competing against or hope not to be competing against when triple bidding on a job. Knowing who these top competitors are and why they are successful is fundamental to improving your own work.

Researching your competitors is not just inspirational; it’s also crucial for understanding their business strategies. Look at their websites: is it their image flow, coloring, or production value that stands out? When they test, do they use wardrobe stylists, prop stylists, or experiment with different lighting?

Study what makes them appealing to clients and what sets them apart. Analyze their approach and think about what you can add to your own site and images based on your findings. Be your own analyst of that type of competition and use that knowledge to elevate your own creative and business practices.

Our bid is our last chance of having any control over getting the job. We may assume our numbers will be similar to other bidders, but I’m telling you those bid facts are often different for each bidder. Clients move quickly, speaking to each photographer/rep, sometimes unable to closely monitor the specifics of our bids. It’s our responsibility to call out the details of our pricing, making the particulars crystal clear and spelling out any potentially blurred categories. Don’t leave it to chance!

It is significant to include all essential information in a bid to prevent costly mistakes. Clients know their budget and don’t always share this information and they encourage bidders to provide comprehensive details in job descriptions. This includes mentioning props, stylists, and locations, rather than assuming the client will handle it. Take control of the bidding process as it may be the last chance to have any control over obtaining the job.

Don’t be too busy to focus on your long-term career intentions. Our freelance industry is distracting and zooms by quickly; we could wake up and feel shocked that we let time get away from us. Spend at least one-third of daily busyness aiming at the desired career path. 

Don’t be too busy for your career, especially for those in the freelancing industry. Freelancers may feel that they have the luxury of not working on days when they are not on set or in the office, but this is not true. Freelancers must be accountable and keep themselves on track by setting goals, scheduling their time, and mapping out how they will achieve their goals. They must make the most of their time, working towards their office goals every day, whether they are working or not. Be disciplined and stick to a schedule in order to succeed in this fast-paced industry.

Once your foot is in the triple bidding door, the creative call has the most impact on landing you the job. Listen for the moments to interject, not based on their inviting pause, but because you relate or understand the scene they are describing and know how to make it happen.

The most important way to stand out in a job interview, especially in the creative industry, is through the creative call. It is an opportunity for you to showcase your ideas and connect with the client on their story and concept. The portfolio and bid are important but the creative call is where you can have the most influence as you’re on the call with them and able to share your ideas and add to their story. Clients want to hear your ideas being added to their own and want to know that you will join them in bringing their vision to life. It’s important to speak up and share your thoughts and ideas, whether it’s through a question or a statement. This is where you can show how you think and stand out from other candidates.

Business problems require business responses.

Please do yourself a favor, and cut to the chase by pinpointing the issue you want to solve by addressing the facts, gains, and losses speaking directly to their business sensibility.

Business challenges will come up, and they are naturally going to tap into our emotions. How do we handle this? We shouldn’t respond emotionally, even though that’s our instinct and feeling. Instead, our reaction should be business-based if we want to solve the problem and address what’s really happening.

We need to focus on how the issue is affecting our business—whether it’s causing a gain or a loss. By tapping into their business mindset, we can ensure the discussion remains rational and professional, rather than personal.

Creative calls are the one bidding opportunity to be human to human. 

Clients want a sense of you; even if they already know you, they will want a clear grasp of how you perceive this project. An expression is not always through your comments, as you may be listening to the majority of the call. Be the active listener as they will hear your reactions of nodding in agreement and overall upbeat presence. 

The creative call is your chance to grab the client’s attention—it’s one of the three key ways to secure the job you’re bidding on. How do you make the most of it?

Create a strong presence, as if you’re sitting across from them at a table. React and respond actively, mirroring their cues to connect on a personal level. Tilt your head, smile, and maintain eye contact to show you’re engaged. Avoid looking bored, tired, or distracted. Use this opportunity to capture their attention and increase your chances of getting the job.

Photographers don’t have to be loners. Staying active with others in our business can tap into that business place in ourselves we all look to recharge. It’s there, at our fingertips, ready for us to relate to those who get the intricate subtleties that keep our business afloat. 

Why, oh why, do photographers feel they have to be so alone in our business? That’s a misconception. When you’re regularly connected with people—whether it’s on Clubhouse, Zoom, or in person with a group—you’re engaging with your business on a deeper level. It’s important to make your work communal; it’s about culture and community. You need to create this for yourself. We don’t have to keep our careers so isolated. Engaging with others brings excitement and is incredibly valuable. Trust me, it’s worth doing.

One benefit of having a rep bid on your job is this world of secret handshakes. It requires us to pick up on the right time to indirectly ask about pricing amounts + totals. I’m not sure why it goes down this way, but clients usually do not come out and tell us what needs to be changed to get the job. Reps get used to this negotiation system and can often find out information that is a bit hidden. I call it the “rep’s language.”

Having a rep on your side when bidding for a job can be incredibly helpful. I recently experienced this during a bidding situation on Zoom. Before speaking with the producer and photographer, they wanted to chat with me alone—almost like a secret language between us. They know that a rep will ask the right questions and uncover key details.

Clients often don’t feel comfortable directly saying, “We need you to be this much lower because we really want you to get the job,” especially in a triple-bid situation. The secrecy and indirect communication can be challenging. A rep understands this dynamic and can step in to ask the crucial questions, such as whether we need to adjust our bid by a specific amount.

Clients might not feel correct giving us all the information directly, but they are usually more open to a rep asking. It’s all about mastering this negotiation tactic—the “secret handshake” that a rep can expertly navigate. If you don’t have a rep, consider finding a temporary one. And if you do have one, make sure to appreciate their invaluable support.

You know when your business is not lining up and things are off track. Instead of throwing in the towel, look around for available support options. Reach out to those who can bring in a fresh new perspective, helping you see further beyond what you already know. 

When business gets tough—when you’re bidding on jobs but not winning them, writing treatments that aren’t hitting the mark, or facing slow times with few emails coming in—you might feel disconnected from your clients or uncertain about who your dream clients are. It’s time to shake things up. Keep your business active by reaching out and exploring new perspectives if you want to stay relevant and fresh.

Change things up by considering hiring a consultant; you can find listings on sites like AskSternRep.com. You might also look for a new mentor, do some research on websites, or explore new ways to improve. For example, consider hiring an intern or experimenting with new email promo strategies. Look at new design features and shake things up. Use the slower times as an opportunity to enhance your business and make it even better.

Requests for nondescript day rate fees from unknown clients can be tricky. We don’t want to waste our time, but of course, we don’t want to push away potential clients. 

My fast and easy way of handling this is to give them an immediate minimum to maximum price range, clarifying this is often our day rate range depending on shot count, usage, and types of shots. 

This rate spectrum allows them to continue the conversation if their budget is close to our prices. 

Day rate requests from unknown clients can be very tricky because we often lack crucial information about what they’re asking for. When they ask, “How much are you?” it can be challenging to provide a precise answer without knowing their needs.

Today, I responded by saying that the rate typically ranges from $5,000 to $12,000, but it really depends on factors like usage, the number of shots, and what we’re shooting. I made it clear that I’m available and invited them to let me know if they’re interested. This approach allows for further discussion without limiting the conversation. If their budget is, say, $4,000 or $4,500 and my photographer is interested in the project, we can still explore the possibility without being constrained by a fixed rate.