Wednesday Wisdoms

Overages can be tricky. If you are on set or prepping on production, they ask for more, and you’d like to say yes, wait for that exact overage cost to be approved – preferably in a traceable email, signed estimate, or even their overage PO. The magic word is APPROVED. Get your overage cost approved BEFORE you begin spending that extra amount. 

It is important to account for overages in estimating project costs. Overages refer to additional charges that may be incurred when changes are made to the original project specifications. We advise that overages should be approved by the client before they are incurred. For instance, if new props or backgrounds are added to a project, the client should be informed that additional fees will be incurred.

Marketing Outreach:

15-20% of our time and budget should be spent reaching out to BRING IN clients. Have a point, giving your outreach a purpose. The outreach cornerstone is about having something to say to make it work. New images/website/feed, new ideas, or recent experience brings a relatable interest point to reaching out.

Marketing outreach should account for 15 to 20 percent of our time and budget. This effort should be directed at both current clients, with whom we have a relationship and need to stay in touch, and potential clients we don’t yet know.

How do we do this effectively? I bet every rep out there would agree that we need to have a clear point, a relevant question, or a meaningful statement tailored to their work, their location, or their industry. Whether we’re commenting on Instagram, engaging on LinkedIn, emailing, or inviting someone to lunch, we should always have a clear objective.

Think about what you’re up to—how you’re growing your business, any new equipment you have, what you’re learning, or your recent experiences. Have something substantial to say and make sure to convey it to the person you’re reaching out to.

Success in the photo business does not happen by sitting around waiting for the phone to ring. 

Step 1: Research ‘Marketing Strategy Planner’ options. (asksternrep.com/downloads)

Step 2: Construct your personalized skillset kit. 

Step 3: Put it into action with no holds barred.

Step 4: Rejection implies it’s time to maneuver your particular way in. 

Conclusion: not one required way to do this; find your way. 

Tenacity is important when it comes to achieving success. There is no rulebook or guidebook to follow, and the only guidebook that exists is what each individual has to offer. Each photographer should do things their own way and find their own paths to success. We provide a marketing strategy planner on www.asksternrep.com, but we emphasize that individuals should find their own ways and not be discouraged by closed doors or rejection.

– Tenacity is important for success in the photography industry

– There is no concrete rulebook or guidebook to follow

– Each individual must find their own path to success

– Don’t be discouraged by closed doors or rejection

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.