Play Leap-Frog When Starting Your Photography Business
Leap Frog - It's Not Just For Kid's
In Robert Ringer's book, Winning Through Intimidation, Ringer suggests the hardest part about getting to the top is fighting through the crowd at the bottom; he encourages people to simply "leap-frog" over them.
Climbing the invisible ladder.
One of the most challenging aspects of running your own show is moving up the corporate ladder - because there isn't one. If you've been a hard-working dedicated employee all your life you've probably come to respect, or at least accept, the management hierarchy. For most of us our salary and feeling of importance increase as we climb the invisible ladder.
Even in smaller companies with minimal management teams, everyone realizes those with more responsibility, more experience, and more skills are the employees who will receive the raises and promotions. If you're still of the mindset that, "I deserve to be paid more than him because I've been here longer," you have no place in business for yourself.
As the sole proprietor of a small portrait photography business no one else is going to appoint you manager or vice president or CEO. (You automatically assume those titles [and many more], along with their responsibilities, the second you open your doors for business.) If you wait around for someone to give you permission to be successful, to say, "Susie you've been doing a bang-up job on widget production we'd like to move you up a notch," you're going to be waiting a long time.
The old saying is true - "If it's to be it's up to me."
The same goes for your perceived value and success in the marketplace. If you wait around for the general public to declare you "the go-to photographer" you will probably be older and grayer than I before it happens. YOU must declare to the world that you are in fact "the go-to photographer" right NOW.
Give more than you get - Leap Frog on automatic.
You need to search for ways to give your clients more value. If you've read my "Seven Steps" report you understand my position on pricing your work - so no, I don't mean giving them cheaper prices. Price plays a relatively insignificant role in a buyer's decision to purchase.
Why not start by finding out what it is your competition is doing. Play prospect, call your competitors on the phone and ask questions. Ask for a price list, (if they know what they're doing they won't send you one) ask about their hours, if they go on location and if so, do they charge extra? Do they deliver, do they have "proofs", do they give you the images on CD or for Facebook?
Turn perceived disadvantages into your USP.
What's a USP? It's your "Unique Selling Proposition" grasshopper. What do you do, what do you provide, why should someone come to your studio instead of the 26 other places in town?
Do all your competitors have studios? Part of your USP could be, "I don't have a permanent studio which leaves me free to experiment. I utilize the entire city as my studio guaranteeing your images will never be the same as someone else's!"
Are you just starting out and doing photography at the end of your regular work day? "I only schedule my appointments during the "sweet light" hours of early evening. I also find that works best for most of my clients who work all day."
Do your competitors require the client to buy all their prints from them? "I can certainly have your images printed at my professional color lab - they're one of the best in the business. But I also offer the option of getting all your images on CD. One flat hourly fee gives you all the hi-res images for you to have prints made wherever you wish." (Be careful on this one - too many photographers do this and charge WAY, WAY too little)
The final take away.
Earl Nightingale, in his Lead the Field audio program suggests, "If each of us would spend one hour each day thinking of how we could be of more and better service to our clients we'd never worry again about success." So, if your primary concern, your dominant thought is, "What can I do to provide more value to my customers?" you'll have nothing to worry about. You will be successful.
Play Leap-Frog When Starting Your Photography Business
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