s for you. Focus on helping this owner/manager, not on what you will get.
First make a list of places your portrait customers go during their regular travels: hardware, grocery, bank, doctor, fitness center, pet store, pet grooming salon, your styling salon or barber shop, clothing stores, etc. Keep in mind that these are ‘Family Businesses’. That is, a person who is a member of a family visits them.
Next start at the top of your list of potential display locations and make personal presentations until you get your display. Go in with a sincere, generous attitude of wanting to help this particular business solve one of their problems-mainly, getting recognition, attention and customer traffic. Remember, the people in your display have all paid for the privilege of being in this display. Your customers will come to see these prints and bring all their family and friends. Explain to the merchant the pride and pleasure these people will receive from this display. Since the print display is in their store, the people in the display will remember very favorably the store that ‘hosted’ the display. Remember, the person who has the authority to let you display your photography work is really interested in what this display will do for them and their business. Explain that everyone featured in the display receives five invitations to send to their friends. Let the merchant know that you could include something from their store in the invitation. This will get the store owner/manager to start considering the potential purchases from each family visiting the display. The stores coupon can also be used to increase traffic to the display (his store) during slower times. You could also offer to do a “Special” display of the stores customers, maybe using a theme. This would mean doing additional sittings, making even more $’s for you. Focus on helping this owner/manager, not on what you will get.
By the time you get to the end of your list someone will have said yes to a display of your portraits in their business location. Be certain this event is well attended by sending five invitations per portrait displayed. Call your customers to remind them of the display and thank them for participating. Make sure they are excited. Have them thank the hosting merchant. You want to be sure this merchant gets the idea that this is the best thing that has ever happened to him and his business. Now, go see the merchant, get him to talk about how great the print display was for him and have him mention attendance, increased sales, good will in the community, newspaper publicity, etc. Get this in his words on a video if possible. His store can be famous on YouTube, your blog and the internet.
Now go back to the first merchant on your list who did not participate in your print display program. Mention how you had been in before and how he was hesitant about a display. You understood his feelings, other merchants were also hesitant. But, fortunately someone stuck their neck out, took a chance, had some faith in you and helped you out. Be humble. If he could give you a minute you would like him to see how this one display helped someone just like himself-play the video. You should from now on be up to your ears in display locations. Keep getting video referrals, keep going through your list and adding to the list. With several recorded interviews you will be able to choose just the right one for each presentation. Try picking an interview that is a direct, major competitor of your current merchant. This merchant will have to go for the plan because he has to keep up with the big guys.
As you go through your list of merchants, keep a call history card on each person on your list. You want to remember (write it on a card) every pertinent piece of information: complete name, nickname, address, phone, title, store hours, hours they are available, date of call, description of person, hobbies, children, marital status, and anything you can find out. If you promise to return their call, put this on the card and file in a tickler file according to the return call date. Mark this on your calendar also. You must work these cards and this list. You must keep records to be successful. It may be a pain at first but believe me, you get used to it and it will save you much embarrassment someday.
Since you now have displays all over town, people will start to ask you, “How do I get my picture in one of your displays?” You of course will talk about your display-sessions packages. Display opportunities are coming to you now! These people need this satisfaction, the ego boost of being in a display and they will pay you for the privilege. Your business could evolve into a publicity (display) picture business. Wouldn’t that be an interesting twist of events?
Don’t forget to think of media coverage of your displays, especially if they have a special theme. Send a press release, call someone, send the release under the merchants name if it carries more weight (ask first), have the merchant make a call to someone influential they might know at the tv or radio station or newspaper.
Tags: Photo Prints, Professional Photo Lab, Professional Photo Printing, Professional Photographers
Very interesting and informative article. This is a very nice content for all those who are interested in photography in general.
I love taking photos. I need to spend more money and get a decent camera though. Anyways, nice and informative content and your blog in general looks very cool. Keep up the good work.
I Need some advice. I’m looking for a good flash for my Canon Rebel XS- a good flash (definitively not cheap!!) but preferably not too expensive either. I do mostly on location portrait photography. Any suggestions?
A canon 430EX II or metz 48 af-1 are both quality units that work well with canon rebel cameras. A more powerful, and more expensive unit if you need the extra features and light, would be the 580EX II or the Metz 58 af-1
Thank you for the great post – I had fun reading it! I always enjoy this blog.
This is some great photography related info. I really like the layout of your blog also. It makes it easy to read and follow the content of your blog.
I think this is a great post. One thing that I find the most helpful is number five. Sometimes when I write, I just let the flow of the words and information come out so much that I loose the purpose. It’s only after editing when I realize what I’ve done. There’s defiantly a lot of great tips here I’m going to try to be more aware of.