How do you find professional photography display locations? Make a list of everywhere your customers go during their regular travels: hardware, grocery, bank, doctor, fitness center, pet store, pet grooming salon, your styling salon/ 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. If they saw pictures of some ones family, they would get the idea that they could use a portrait for their family. The family portrait idea now goes home. You get a sitting.
How do you convince merchants to let you have a photography display? Start at the top of your list and keep going until you get your display. Go in with a sincere, generous attitude of wanting to help this particular business solve one of it’s problems – mainly, getting recognition, attention and customer traffic. Remember, the people in your portrait display have all paid for the privilege of being in the display. They will come to see these photo prints and bring all their family and friends. Explain to the merchant the pride and pleasure these people will receive from this display. Since it is in his/her 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 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 them know that you could include something from his store in the invitation. This would get the person to start considering a purchase while they are visiting the display. It can also be used to increase traffic to the display (his store) during their slower times. You could also offer to do a SPECIAL DISPLAY of THEIR Customers, maybe using a theme. This would mean doing additional sittings, making even more $’s for you. Focus on helping this person, not what you’re going to get. If you work to help others, eventually things come full cycle and you will be rewarded.
By the time you get to the end of your list someone will have said yes to displaying your portraits in their business location. Be certain this is well attended, by sending five invitations per portrait. Call people before they go see their pictures. Make sure they are excited. Have them thank the 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 this was for him and have him mention attendance, increased sales, good will in community, newspaper publicity, etc. Get this in his words in a mini video clip if possible.
Now go back to the first guy on your list. Mention how you had been in before and how he was hesitant about a display. (See**) You understood his feelings, others 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 hear 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 down (go through list 3-4 times) and adding to your list. With several taped 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 other 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.
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.
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