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This page brings you portrait or business related articles. If you would like to
publish a brief article here please fax it to the School Portrait Network at
1-800-241-9234 or e-mail us mmartin@advancedphoto.com.
You will be given credit for your article unless you tell us otherwise. It is
important to note that although most will be published not all articles can be. In
either case your submission is appreciated.
- By Rick Fontes
- Foto-Op
It has been said that Sigmund Freud's last words were, "in all my study and
learning I could never answer one question: What does woman want?" Since this was
spoken on his death bed, I assume he never got an answer to his question.
When calling on pre-schools we are constantly faced with the problem of trying to figure
out what the director wants. What will it take to get her to do business with us. Someone
once pointed out to me that no one ever buys a drill because he wants a drill. He buys a
drill because he wants a hole. The drill is merely the means to an end. In our business no
one wants a portrait. What they want is a memory. The portrait is a means to capture the
memory. This knowledge is useful when dealing with a parent of the child pictured but it
doesn't help in dealing with the pre-school director because the memories in question are
not her memories.
School directors all have certain basic needs in common. They are all attempting to
make their facility more attractive to potential clients than is the facility across the
street. They also want to demonstrate to their existing clients that they offer more
incentives to stay put rather than to move their children to a facility across the street.
Parents have come to regard photography as an expected amenity in the pre-school
environment. We, of course want to provide that photography. In order for us to beat out
our competition it is necessary to convince each director that the services we offer
better meet her needs than do the services provided by studio X. Most photographers
approach this situation by tailoring a package program that meets the needs of most
directors and, with minor variations, those programs are pretty much the same across the
industry.
The prevailing philosophy seems to be that, since there are only so many ways to can a
tomato, let's offer the industry standard to all our clients and try to be the first to
present it this season. As a whole we tend to lack flexibility. Unless you are in the
employ of some corporate giant you have no reason to offer the same old thing year in and
year out. In our base market, Houston, no one had ever offered outdoor portraits shot with
long roll equipment. We now do. It has proven to be very popular, especially in the
springtime when the well landscaped schools are all bright with color. Another thing we do
is build sets. The limiting factor is that they must be light weight, portable and cost
effective. These sets are keyed to seasonal events; beach in the summer, harvest scenes in
the fall and etc.. They offer a welcome departure from the standard backgrounds and they
really set us apart from our cookie cutter competitors.
These innovations did not come about by guess and by golly. We commissioned a
professional surveying company to canvas our primary marketing area and actually ask the
directors what they would like to see offered by their photographer. The results helped us
to tailor our basic packages but, beyond that, it taught us that to stay ahead of the
competition we had to adopt a can-do attitude, become more flexible, more creative and
venture outside of our corporate comfort zone.
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- By Rick Fontes
- Foto-Op
Once again the season is upon us. Most school photographers are back in the swing of
things. And, as always, most of us are again bravely attempting to take the good with the
bad.
In the school picture industry some of the bad we face has to do with things that we
have collectively done to ourselves. Chief among our constant concerns is how to secure
business without giving away the store. This is a prime example of a self-inflicted
injury. Somewhere, in the dim recesses of our past, a photographer decided that if he
couldn't compete by means of salesmanship, he would "buy" the business. That
started a never
ending round of give-aways which threatens everyone's ability to earn a reasonable profit.
Further compounding the situation is the realization that once the toothpaste is out of
the tube, there's no practical way to put it back. Short of collective bargaining, I see
no easy solution to the problem.
On a personal note, I solved this problem for myself nearly two decades ago. I simply
withdrew from the K-12 market and moved exclusively into pre-school. While I am not
suggesting that we all abandon the school systems until they come to their senses and
realize that we can't provide a service if there is no profit to be made, I do suggest
that we all look at pre-school as a means of adding to the bottom line.
Examine this basic set of numbers. In the USA the average pre-school facility has
between 40 and 50 students. All of the parents are employed or else they would have no
need for day care. A good average pre-school package contains six 8X10 sheets. Assuming
that you don't own a processing lab, this package can be put on the table for around ten
dollars. As a speculative offering, each package will bring in around thirty-five dollars.
Pre-school facilities do not normally expect a commission. They are happy to be
providing their parents with a needed service.
Over the past twenty years I have watched the pre-school market become more and more
competitive but there is still plenty of room. The start up costs are reasonable and the
marketing approach is straight forward.
At Foto-Op, based in Houston, Texas, we have assisted several independent photographers
to begin servicing the pre-school market. We will be happy to answer any questions you may
have on the subject. Foto-Op can be contacted by email at foto_opstudio@yahoo.com.
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- By Robert Klepner
- President - School Photo Marketing
What makes a particular photographer more successful than the next? A question often
asked when when discussing marketing. Although there are market conditions that drive the
answer to this question, success often comes down to two components, 1, What is the
competition doing to satisfy customers 2, What are you willing to do to compete. Today's
marketplace, which is driven by the Lifetouchs of the world, requires independent
photographer to be creative in responding to the complicated needs of the customers.
All too often photographers look for the easy way out on their "Flyer" orders.
Waiting to the last moment, or not putting in their best efforts to create new, up-to-date
flyers. Flyers are advertising! Failure to view this often leads to mediocre results.
Whether used for Proofs, Pre-pay or Sports, Flyers serve many purposes. The obvious is
being that they provide your customer with an offer to purchase your products. Think of
them as a point of purchase display customized for each customer. If you are using black
and white, old designs or poor reproductions for your Pre-paid program then how can you
expect your customers to have the confidence or desire to choose top packages. In Sports
programs, a custom flyer generates large returns because they allow your customer to
understand what your add-on and service items look like. You can't expect robust trader
card package sales from a black and white 6 x 9 envelope. A proof program is generally the
same. The more you show the customer the more your results.
The most overlooked aspect of Flyers is that they represent what the photographer thinks
of his business. Never underestimate your customer, they are generally savvy buyers, if
you think that all they are worth is an inexpensive black and white flyer, then don't
expect outstanding results. When you spend the time to create an image for yourself and
give your customers the tools to buy more, then they will. In many communities the school
photographer follows the child from kindergarten to high school, poorly spent advertising
can have long term effects. Remember always spend your advertising dollars wisely. . .
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- By Bill Glover
- STRAWBRIDGE STUDIOS INC
Using one-hour machines in the school picture business is not a new idea. Many
companies have been using these compact, daylight operated units for years, especially in
the senior market. Up to now, I have been reluctant to have one in the lab I am
responsible for because of profitability. I had never seen anyone sell a single print that
came out of one. Service work, or "free stuff", is the sales tool that many lab
managers feel is an anchor slowing the operation down. One school lab I was in had two of
these budget busters running almost around the clock. It was not unusual to make four and
five prints each of everything from field hockey action shots to "candids" for
the school yearbook staff or photography club. Based on the tremendous volume I saw, it
seemed no one in any of these schools ever bought a single roll of film or went to
Wal-Mart to have it processed. I did not want a mini-lab in house just to do additional
"no charge" processing.
Let me say that I know the reality of our business includes keeping up with what your
competition can do for the customer. But the sales force can’t give away products you
don’t have. They have to use other ways to sell, like quality and customer service. A
great man in the business has often reminded me "there’s no limit to what you
can give away."
Then technology stepped in.
Last summer we were introduced to a machine that can handle multiple formats, including
the 220 "D" crop that is the short roll choice of our company. Using
conventional printing (a lens) it can produce up to 1700 prints per hour. The film we
brought to the demo was fed into an automatic film drive, and less than five minutes later
we had a very sellable set of prints. The strong point of Agfa’s MSC300 is the first
time color that its built in analyzer can produce. In addition, when equipped with the
optional digital engine, the machine has two different ways of doing package printing.
Every spring we produce over 100,000 class room group pictures. They are mostly 5x7s in
elementary schools. For years this has been done on a Kodak S printer involving wet
testing. We also have a small segment of the business dedicated to sports photography.
Most of this work has been printed on a Nord package printer with a graphics package
installed that requires custom lithos to create magazine covers and trader cards. A
separate analyzer and wet testing handled the color.
In the fall season that just ended with a 40% increase in sports packages, the MSC300
was able to handle every print up to 8x12. While the vast majority of our prints were made
conventionally, trader cards and magazine covers were created in PhotoShop, which is
included with the Pixtasy digital package. We’re also now doing titled groups, and
with the aid of PhotoLynx software, composites for the first time. These digital prints
compare favorably with any we’ve seen. The Sienna built digital array can produce an
8x10 unit in less than a minute. We would have had a problem though, if we didn’t
already have a trained PhotoShop technician on staff. Agfa can alleviate this need by
upgrading their Pixtasy software to include user created templates.
Basic operator training was provided by the Agfa service techs during the two-day
installation. We haven’t used the S printer or the Nord since. The off site training
made available in New Jersey covered advanced operating, set up, QC training, and basic
maintenance in three days. It was helpful, and extended the warranty from six months to
eighteen. A PhotoShop course certified by Adobe is recommended to utilize the digital
capabilities of the machine.
If we’re not careful, we could make a lot of money with this machine.
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- By Robert W. Kerr
- ROYAL PHOTOGRAPHICS INC
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- If your fall school portrait season is anything like ours (and I believe it is) we have
only about ten weeks to get all of our school portraits taken. To make maters worse very
few schools want to take portraits on a Monday even though parents seem to prefer this
date because they have more time to prepare their small children.
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- For several years I have had a difficult time booking school portrait dates on Mondays
and was looking for any solution to this problem I could get. I figured giving up 20% of
our school portrait capacity in an already short school portrait season was no way to
successfully operate our company.
Think about this! Lets assume you have two portrait photographers (cameras) in place
and that your portrait season is ten weeks. If you eliminate the requirement to fully book
each Monday you are limiting your ability to book 20 more school portrait sessions (10
Mondays x 2 Photographers = 20 portrait sessions) in the fall. This can amount to as much
as 8,000 or more students on these very useful days. This lost capacity problem is only
compounded as you grow to more photographers and cameras.
There will come a time when you will have to spend even more money to add additional
photography staff and expensive photography equipment just to grow beyond this limited
capacity.
So what is the solution to this problem. It could not be easier. Just give your schools
the financial incentive to select a Monday over any other day of the week. In our case it
is $100 for each portrait camera put into production payable to the school or PTA on July
1 each year. This is even before portraits are taken. We call this our Monday Bonus and
many schools are finding out now that Mondays can be a great day for portraits as well as
instantly rewarding financially.
Using the scenario above selling 20 new schools on a Monday can increase your sales by
as much as $100,000 and it will only cost you $2,000 in Monday Bonus awards. On the first
day we initiated this program we rebooked four of our long term school accounts and three
of them took a Monday as their portrait date even though they had never selected a Monday
in the past. Sounds like this is a solution we all could live with.
Making better use of your personnel and equipment will help improve your bottom line by
as much as 20% because you can now increase your business in the fall without adding to
the cost of staff and equipment.
This is a great solution to the problem because we have made it a win-win situation
for the school and the photographer.
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- By Ray Lutzo
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- This year we are adding a second pose to our regular "head shot" pose.
In our elementary proof program schools we are sending home a flyer offering to parents a
second pose for $3.00 (many other areas could get up to $5.00). The flyers shows examples
of both poses.
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- The second pose is nothing more then pulling the camera back and shooting a 1/2 or 3/4
length pose on the same background. They will either cross or raise a leg and lean
on their arm. On picture Day the student gives the photographer the envelope and
takes two pictures. We feel that many parents will pay this extra fee just to get another
proof of their child! Many will even order from both.
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- We figure the extra cost will be .50 for very little work and time. What it means most
is that we will be taking home "commission free" money that same day. I have
samples available if interested and the capability to print as many as you need. E-mail me
at lutzo4@juno.com if your interested.
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- By John C. Pittman
SPORT STARS INC
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- Many amateur as well as aspiring photographers are looking today to the
sports photography market for a source of income that many people find hard to believe.
The average youth baseball league of 400 or so children can easily produce $1,600.00 to
$2,000.00 clear profit on a single Saturday morning. That is not to bad a reward for
getting out of bed at 6:00 a.m. on a Saturday morning.
There are however, some very real and unique challenges to being successful in this market
area.
Q: How and where do you find and contact the many youth sports
organizations in a community?
A: Most, you will find, are not listed in the phone directory and many
change officers from year to year making it difficult to track down the people in charge.
Sporting goods stores, fire companies, and service organizations often sponsor teams. The
township or borough municipal building is an excellent place to start. Families moving
into an area often inquire about where their children can sign-up for sports at these
offices. The elementary school secretary can be a wonderful source as well. Most of these
people will be happy to provide the name and phone number of the league officers. A simple
call will inform you of the date and time of the next meeting and your foot is in the
door.
Q: What is involved from the photography end?
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- A: Today's 35mm films and cameras are more than adequate
for the sports industry. Unless you are extremely familiar with auto focus, stick with a
manual focus zoom lens in the 35mm - 135mm range. This one lens will allow you to
photograph the individuals and the teams. Use a good quality high-end flash with a manual
setting at a distance of 10 feet. And a flash meter determine the power of your flash
using 100 asa film. If you get a reading of f8 or f11, that can then be your constant and
the shutter speed can control your ambient light. Consistency from one frame to the next
is paramount. You cannot get consistency with automatic settings on cameras or flash. This
consistency will allow your lab to produce your work in the shortest possible time and
with the best results.
Q: How do I pose for sports?
A: Remember those mothers want to see faces, not shoe laces. A
baseball-batting stance from the waist up is good. Soccer, football, basketball, kickball,
field hockey, volleyball, tennis, etc. Can all be posed down on one knee with the other
knee bent to form a right angle. Do not have subjects resting back on their heel, but have
them kneel
tall and straight. Crop the image with a little grass or floor showing and about 6 inches
above the head. Have them hold the prop that fits the sport.
For team photos: for 15 - 18 children or less. Place 5 children in the back row, five
kneeling in front of them and the remainder sitting cross legged in the front. Place
coaches on the left and right. Always start with the tallest child and alternate left and
then right for a uniform picture. Be sure to fill the frame with the team allowing for the
width of one person on either side. Large groups require risers or a bench for the back
row and try to make each row even.
Q: When do leagues expect their pictures?
A: Fortunately most sports teams do not require instant turn around. If
you can consistently deliver your photos back to the league in less than 21 days from the
date taken, you will probably enjoy a fine reputation. Unfortunately most labs are not
able to provide predictable turnaround as the season progresses and their labs become over
filled with sports work. Above all else, find a lab that is dedicated to sports only. A
school lab may be able to give fast turnaround in the spring when they are not producing
school photos but who do you think gets priority in the fall ..... The school
photographer, or the sports photographer?
Photographers dream about a studio sitting of an hour or so, with one subject, perfect
lighting and controlled environment, such is not the case on a baseball diamond or a
soccer field. Here you may find yourself photographing up to 80 children in one hour under
less than controlled studio conditions. Once photographed, the challenge of producing some
very unique and different products (trading cards, stickers, magnets etc.) become an
immediate
concern because of the short length of time the team participates in their sports season.
Is a fast paced market with high financial rewards, but to continue earning the high
rewards consistency is a key factor. Consistency starts with the very first league you
photograph. And if you are tentative or unsure of yourself from day one you may find it
difficult to proceed and grow with effectiveness.
Give John C. Pittman a call at 800-360-0967 if you have
further questions.
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- By Richard Shinnick Jr.
ACTION PHOTOGRAPHIC
-
- “How can I make more money from my accounts?” It is a simple and often
asked question. I have spoken with hundreds of photographers over the years on this
topic. Many of these photographers have focused their attention on varying the photo
packages and trying to raise their prices. There is nothing wrong with this course
of action, however, there is another powerful method for increasing profits.
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- In youth sports, school and other types of group photography the photos are only half
the potential. There is huge profits to be made in selling plaques and frames to
parents and to the organizations directly. It has always been amazing to me that
photographers put so much effort in to producing their photos and then send their clients
home with a $.20 piece of cardboard to hold their photos.
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- Offering three or four add-on frame items to parents is a sure way to generate extra
sales on most accounts. In fact, I have photographed organizations where revenue
from frames and plaques was greater than the revenue for photos!
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- Also, organizations often purchase sponsor or coach plaques. Many photographers
provide the team photos and leave the organization to work with the local trophy shop for
plaques. Why not capture this profit directly? We offer a complete range of
slip-in sponsor plaques that can easily be marked up for significant extra profit. Custom
engraving is available at very low cost.
Give me a call for samples at 800-659-8248.
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- Lifetouch has a novel approach to filling the seasonal demands for help in their
Minnesota production lab. Using a local staffing agency HomeForce they are hiring
part-time on call workers for piecework they can do at home.
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- Lifetouch has been using the service for several years now. In 1997 Lifetouch used
as many as 71 people working from home to process 3.8 million photo ID cards. The pace of
these home based workers averaged over 1,600 pieces for each worker per day. All of the
jobs were turned around in 48 hours or less with most of them being delivered within 24
hours. HomeForce is working with Herff-Jones on a similar project.
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- According to a HomeForce representative close to 60 percent of the workers on the ID
card project that year were employed in the same job the previous year. It seems the
workers enjoy the flexibility of working at home.
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- By Brent Taylor
TOT SHOTS PHOTOGRAPHY
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- If some of you are like me you find December to be rather slow. After all, the
retakes are done and basketball has yet to start. If you run a studio also this is
not a problem but I found that I needed something to keep me going in December. I
decided to get into the Santa photo business. Not in the malls but with my current
day cares and preschools. Here's how I marketed it.
I would go to the preschool or daycare provider and make this offer. "I will
bring in Santa at no cost to you in return for the opportunity to sell reprints to those
interested." "Everyone gets to visit Santa regardless of weather or not
they are buying." "All you have to provide is the treat for him to hand
out to the kids."
In addition I bring out the point that my prints are photo quality and not Polaroid.
Therefor the quality is better and the price is about half of that in the mall.
We offer four packages with bonus add-ons and extra fun items like photo
snow globes and photo ornaments. You will have to make a small investment in a
Christmas type background. I usually spend no more than one hour at a school unless
it is really huge. This allows me to do a couple per day. You will have to
hire a Santa or buy a NICE suit and hire a large person to wear it.
Do we make a killing on this? No. However, for those of us who have salary
employees it's better then them sweeping the floor.
Give me a call at 801-399-0811.
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- By Robert W. Kerr
ROYAL PHOTOGRAPHICS INC
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- Many school photographers say that the main reason it is so difficulty to sell against
their competitors is because "THEY REBOOK THEIR SCHOOLS SO EARLY". This of
course doesn't give them enough of a chance to sign new schools of their own.
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- When you look at this, one begins to wonder why we are missing the obvious point here
and why we all don't get out and rebook our accounts early as well. By doing so you
will experience the best school portrait year ever and it will help you bring in the kind
of growth in sales you are striving sales.
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- Some of the advantages to rebooking early are...
- There is no better time to rebook then after a smooth portrait day.
- It will assure you of repeat business.
- It protects your profits in each subsequent year.
- This is also be a perfect time to present your spring portrait program.
- By signing your customers up early you will give them a great reason to avoid discussing
school portraits with your competitors.
- It will let you know early if there were problems with portrait day or if a school
account is in jeopardy.
I'm sure you agree that this list can likely go on forever. If you still need
some convincing though the most important reason to get out there early is that it will
give you the opportunity to concentrate more on SELLING TO YOUR COMPETITORS SCHOOLS.
Rebooking early is one of the easiest and surest ways to increase your sales successes.
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- By Brent Taylor
TOT SHOTS PHOTOGRAPHY
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-
- I had a lot of e-mails from people interested in more information regarding the
preschool Cap 'N Gown promotion we do. Instead of responding to each one
individually I have decided to outline the entire program in the form of an article to be
shared with the entire group.
- The thought came to me one time when I was doing the traditional school memory mate type
program. That is the 3X5 individual and 5X7 class photograph in the school house
memory mate. We have been doing these for several years and find that they go over
real well in the spring. As I was doing this program the school director said that
she had talked to some of the parents and they wanted the kids photographed in this card
board cap she had created for there graduation program. I shot them for her and
started to think of a way to implement this program into our business.
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- We found a company in Champagne Illinois. called Collegiate Cap N Gown that sold
preschool size Cap N Gowns. I ordered a red, a white, and a blue one. We shot some
sample pictures and then when the next booking season came along we were ready. We
would sell it to the directors this way. As we would be there anyway to take the
school house memory pictures we would also like to photograph them in a Cap N Gown.
We will send home proofs (color contacts) for the parents to look at and if they like them
they can buy a package. After we have printed
the packages we donated the proofs to the school to be used on their diplomas.
About 75% of our schools go for this as they have nothing to loose. In our area
about 80% of the parents will buy a package. True they are not the biggest packages
but it's a way to make your day at a preschool much more profitable and extend you cash
flow.
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- A couple of tips to help you...
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- 1 - Make them irresistible. We have a background that looks like a giant note pad
with a giant ruler on it. We have them hold a giant pencil with the school name on
it. (see sample) It's a sure fire seller. Prior to this background I went to
the library and checked out about 25 really thick books with titles such as Mathematics,
Art, etc. I stacked them up (titles facing out) and had the preschooler use it as an
arm rest. This also was very cute and sold real well.
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- 2 - Have a strict deadline. If you have never done proofs before this is a very
important tip. Deadlines have to be real and have a late fee if not met. The
only way you can get your volume prices is to run them all together like you do your
prepay packages.
-
- 3 - Number your camera cards. We like to use twin tabs to number our camera card.
The photographer or assistant just puts a twin tab on the camera card and the
students are shot in numerical order. Then when the proofs come back it's just a
matter of entering the four digit number and package into your data base. Tell the
computer to sort by number and send the hard copy to the lab with the film. (we like to
use file maker pro)
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- 4 - Do them in addition to your prepay, not instead. Most parents still want the
traditional head and shoulder pose. The sales are very poor doing it as a
prepay. Parents have to be tempted for this to work.
-
- This year was our forth year of doing this program and we introduced personalized
Graduation Announcements. This went over fair in some area and really good in
others. Good luck! Let me know if you find anything else that works well for
you.
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- By Will Hewitt, CPP
BILL SMITH PHOTOGRAPHY INC
Advertised in the morning paper, a new community in the hills is being developed with lots
starting in the $500,000 range. Driving on the way to work you noticed the person ahead of
you was driving a new luxury car with all the whistles and bells. Where you live, a
new regional Shopping mall was just completed. It has all the latest shops, as well as
upscale restaurants and a 16-screen movie house. Life is good! And all of these things are
part of our everyday life in the nineties. You may not feel any competition from these
venues or products, after all they do not have anything to do with photography. Why should
you worry?-
- However, If the XYZ Studio down the street from you decides to have a Child Special this
month, you may feel differently. You probably think your fellow photographer is trying to
undercut your business and steal your clients away. You couldn't be further from the
truth! It is the new Mercedes parked in the lot across the street; it's every line of
fashion clothing; every high-end luxury item that is advertised everyday, 365 days a year.
This is your TRUE competition, NOT other photographers.
Other studios may feel like competition, but in reality our business is based on
disposable income from customers, not from other photographers drawing people away from
you. The mass merchants have all this down to a science and with so many products
available to clients, it's no wonder why many studios go out of business today. Gone are
the days of families placing a strong value on recording a piece of their family history.
This is one area where we must re-educate the consumer of today. We should be working
together to create a positive environment for all photographers to make a living. Sadly,
many talented photographers do not do so! The School Portrait Network is one area we
can all use to promote professional photography. Other professional groups, such as
attorneys and physicians work together regularly to keep their profession at a certain
level of professionals and to keep their incomes at a level they desire and deserve.
Shouldn't we as professional photographers also make the practice of referring to our
fellow professional, just like other associations do? Your clients would also value the
service you can offer them by having this great network of photographers available, if for
some reason you could not handle the assignment yourself. By recommending your
fellow photographers you show your client that you are a true professional, helping your
client whenever possible to get the best possible service.
Other photographers can also be one of your greatest assets. How many times did you
need advice on a special job, help with photographic an assignment, or maybe a loan of
some equipment if yours is suddenly out of service? Hopefully your fellow photographers
have come to your aid on more than just one occasion. We have all needed each other
at one time or another. By supporting each other with educational, we will create the
quality skills and customer service techniques needed to serve our clients better, now and
in the future. Now that we have the team spirit as a group of photography professionals,
how do we go about getting new clients and most importantly, keep them coming back.
It's not all about the information on the latest camera techniques, equipment or how to
create the latest background. IT'S CUSTOMER SERVICE! This one important
aspect of your business is going to make or break you. More photographers go out of
business from failing in this one area, than any other. Superior customer service does not
just happen; it takes careful planning and diligence on your part, or your employees. If
we spend more time working on giving excellent customer service to our clients, then
trying to tell them how great our photography is, we would not have to worry about the
sale; it would come to us many times over.
When was the last time you sent a note of thanks to your clients for using your
services. Remembering personal information about them as you handle their photography
needs makes them feel you truly care about them. Without the customer, there would be no
reason to be in the business of selling photography. You must begin now to develop CUSTOMERS
FOR LIFE. By doing this you will raise your profits through better customer
service.
Also, by giving good customer service, you will have an edge on other photographers who
may not do so. Sometimes the smallest things will bring clients to your door. A note, a
word of thanks, a pleasant experience in dealing with you. Just showing you care about
them. you will find that the customers who do not purchase from you, fail to do so because
of poor customer service or finding something was missing that you did not offer. Knowing
the customer's needs is a major part of good customer service and is the first step in
pleasing them.
However, it may not be what YOU may want! You may have a certain
"style" of photography, but this may not be what the customer wants. Are you
willing to change your personal style to meet THE NEEDS OF YOUR CUSTOMERS?
If you are, they you will be using the right attitude in achieving your goals. I
know sometimes it's hard to deal with people, but we must learn to deal with them
effectively. By doing so we will not only grow professionally but also have a new friend
for life, our CUSTOMER. Remember to have good relationships with your
fellow professionals and treat any competition from them as a positive, not a negative.
Without healthy competition we would not raise our level of photography or bring our
customer service to its highest point possible. Remember that today is the day to start
giving great customer service! In closing I have written down a few thoughts on what the
meaning of "CUSTOMER" should mean to all of us. Enjoy!
- Central to our business.
- Understanding your customers' needs.
- Superior products to our clients.
- Thanking them for using your products.
- Outstanding service, it's always
expected!
- Money follows good customer service.
- Employers, are you praising your
employees for a job well done?
- Good service starts with them
- Referrals, a key part to business
growth.
-
- BE DEPENDABLE. Always do what you say you will.
- STAY MOTIVATED. Keep moving toward your goals.
- BE TECHNOLOGICALLY COMPETENT. Keep up with what's new to maintain productivity and
stay current.
- BE HONEST. No sale is worth risking your reputation.
- BE DIPLOMATIC. Form long-term partnerships with customers and vendors.
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