Recognizing a Good Rep

Q:

How do you recognize a good rep? What are the signs of an agency that genuinely wants to speak in your best interests?

A:

I’m going to answer this question in a big way since it’s such a significant decision. A “good rep” for you may not be the right rep for another photographer. You have some work to do before you jump into anything.

What support qualities would help you grow and shine? What type of people resonate with you, what size rep agency feels really right for you?

After checking out rep’s sites + social media, which have the look/feel/brand that your work fits with? Do you prefer a small or larger rep agency and is their location significant to your type of clients? Does the rep you are interested in charge a fee? Some reps do your production and billing which may or may not work for you. What are the terms of the rep’s contract? Do you already have house accounts that could benefit from a reps support or do you need a rep to agree with not taking a commission (or a lower commission) on those for a certain amount of time? Know your terms and requirements which can help you choose a rep. 

The most important factor in your search is to know your own questions to ask reps and then truly listen to their responses. 

And most of all, do you like who they are? Do they have a good reputation with clients and other photographers?

In literal terms, you want someone who will REPRESENT who you are. If all of this feels right, then I’d think they genuinely will be speaking in your best interests.