Wednesday Wisdoms

What do you do if you are in a SLUMP? In a creative slump, take the pressure off by knowing it’s really normal. You can’t be your artistically motivated self every day. Learn or experience something new to get the inspiration back. Delegate something that you don’t want to do yourself. Ask yourself why you became a photographer and do what feeds that same interest you had back then.

I had a Clubhouse room discussing what to do if you feel like you’re in a slump. There are two types of slumps: when work is slow and when creativity feels blocked. Today, we’ll focus on creativity.

First, take off the pressure. It’s normal to not feel motivated every day; it’s part of the job. Reducing this pressure can really help. Next, try something new. Step out of your routine—go to a movie, book time at a café, or read a book at a theater. Doing something different might spark artistic inspiration.

If you have tasks hanging over you that you dislike, such as bookkeeping, organizing files, or managing hard drives, consider delegating them. Hire an assistant, enlist an intern, or ask for help. You don’t have to do everything yourself.

Remember why you became a photographer. Reflect on who you were back then and what fueled your passion. Find activities or experiences that remind you of that initial excitement and passion. Even if it’s hard to see right now, reconnecting with that true, passionate place can enrich your life. Go find it.

Throughout the bidding process consistently put your ideas on the table and take the lead. Be the director the whole way through!

When you’re bidding on a job, it’s not just about figuring out what the client wants; it’s also about stepping up as the director and leading the project. You need to explain your solutions and ideas. Even after you’ve submitted your bid, continue to reinforce your value by coming back with more ideas. Show them that you’re the professional who can provide creative solutions and help them make informed decisions.

It reminds me of the Seinfeld episode where he’s getting his kitchen built, and the builder offers no opinions of his own. It’s frustrating because clients need to know that having more opinions and ideas demonstrates your capability as a director. That’s what they’re hiring you for.

Quick sales tip that you may not have thought of is to wait and spread out your communication with a client. If it’s not a pressing production matter, use your response/question/personal note as a way of staying on their mind for a longer period of time.

Here’s a sales and marketing tip you might not have considered: I often don’t respond to clients immediately. While sometimes prompt responses are necessary, if it’s a personal matter or if you have a question for them and you’ve just been in touch, try to delay your response as long as possible. The goal is to stay on their mind and remain visible. Use your email communication strategically to keep yourself in their thoughts for a longer period.

Clients don’t always have all the facts when we are bidding a job, leading us to under-bid certain areas. If more responsibility falls into your lap than expected, don’t hold back in stating your case to request more $. Clients know that some gray areas may result in an overage, but they need us to be the ones to ask for it.

Sometimes we bid on projects where we don’t have all the information yet, and the client may not have all the details either, leading to many assumptions. We should include “TBD” (to be determined) on those line items in our bid to protect ourselves. Even if we don’t include them, once the job is awarded and more responsibilities shift to us that were initially thought to be handled by the client, don’t hesitate to ask for additional funds. Address any new needs or changes directly with the client—don’t get frustrated. Often, they will understand because the situation was unknown at the time. Request more prep days, additional tech scout days if needed, extra post time, or anything else necessary. Remember, just because the bid is awarded doesn’t mean you have to absorb these changes without discussing them.

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.

Make an educated choice when choosing a producer to help you bid a job. Be aware that some charge a 10% production fee on the expenses and some don’t.  Some do waive that fee if you ask, so know that you do have options.

When you are bidding for a job you have to ask yourself if you need a producer and if so, which producer do you need? There’s a new element to our decision, it’s called a production fee. It used to be called a markup fee and then ad agencies did not want to pay that fee. Now it’s called a production fee. What we’re paying for is 10% of the production expenses that gets paid to the producer. They want to be covered for giving their employees health insurance and other expenses to keep their business going. It’s a new concept and some producers don’t charge it, but some do. Think about that and ask that question when you are choosing your producer.

What you need to deliver in the creative video call to get the job:

• Enthusiasm
• Unexpected Bonus Ideas
• Throw in a relevant comment or two to reinforce your specialty, which has you on their shortlist for this project

When asked to bid on a job you’ll probably have a creative call. This is more important than ever because it’s video. It used to be a phone call and it wasn’t as personable. They didn’t really get a sense of you as much. Now it really weighs in on their decision who they are going to choose for the job. You have to have your enthusiasm to show your excitement for this job because they’re handing it over to you. They want to know who you are going to be on their set. Once you get the creative deck which is the mood board and the shot list, think about technical ideas because that’s your place in this. What are you going to bring to the job? They want to hear from you. Why exactly did they choose you for this bid? Think about that one thing that separates you and is unique to you for this job. Fit it into the conversation and have a question in mind or a thought, something you’re going to say about a shot that you can relate to and you know that is why they brought you in on this.

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.

When we’re in the process of getting a job, there’s a lot of times where we can focus on the branding for the client. We need to make sure a lot of what we are working around is their branding because that is what’s most important to them. Do your research to find out what their brand is. Check out their website. If they don’t make it clear what the feeling/color/ tone is then ask about it and make sure you mention it in your treatment. Because that’s what they want to hear. They want to know that you’re a part of it. You’re not just a part of this one shoot, you’re part of their long term vision.

The creative call is the time to give your technical examples of how you will be bringing this project to life. It may seem like the time to listen, but it’s really the time to talk. 

The creative call feels like you’re just getting their information so you can do the bid. That’s really not what’s happening. They want to hear from you. Make sure you give examples of what you’re going to do so they can achieve that look they’re going for. Be really specific. Give examples. It’s your time to step forward. That’s really what these calls are about. Be the one on the call giving the information vs just receiving.

Let’s break the mold of what we call “traditional marketing” to put ourselves out there in a way that is our own individual style of genuinely being ourselves. Put it out there and call it MARKETING.

I have a marketing homework assignment for you. I want you to find the thing that just feels right to you. You enjoy it and you put yourself out there in a way that is very unique to you and doesn’t even sound like marketing. It’s not directly correlated to bringing in money or new clients but you’re putting yourself out there just the way I’m doing with AskSternRep. It feels right. You need to find your way, maybe it’s joining a club, kind of like the apa thing. I want you to find the things that are really unique to you. Find new ways to put yourself out there and call it marketing.