I am not beating around the bush, I need your help. I am about to go into the studio to record new videos. Yes, I’ve listened to you about wanting me to put a bit more effort into the visuals. So I am. I’ve got an entire day at the fabulous Siren Studios in Hollywood. But, here is my problem, I am drawing a bit of a blank. Can you tell me what you would ask me if you had me for an hour lunch, just you and me talking about the photography business. What would it be?
You can ask me anything about the business aspect of photography from finding clients, to which social media outlets work, to how to get people on the phone – fire away. Your question may just be the lucky one that gets turned into a video.
Your help is greatly appreciated. Thank you! Your coach Beate
What I want to know about the Photography Business is….. (ask your question in the comment field below)
How to go back to clients who have used you in the past but then dropped out of touch. but then turn them back into viable leads
How do I handle criticism from other professional photographers ?
..and when is the right time to launch a website (does it have to be filled with photos from the beginning or can it start with a few good and grow steadily) ?
Thank you and good luck with the recordings !
C+
In a world where virtually everything is now bits in place of what were once atoms, how does the professional photographer justify price or assign value to those bits, equivalent to what was once the value of the atoms? Please restrict the answer to the “portrait and social” segment of the professional imaging market. It’s being hammered by a lack of respect for paper prints, copyright, and the demand for online, sharable images.
I don’t know where to even begin to figure out what to charge, like how much for different sizes, different packages, cd’s, etc? How do I know if I am charging too much or not enough?
I would like to know the best way to get a steady stream of potential clients contacting me about my business.
I would love to talk about how to define one’s target market as a photographer. This is especially pertinent to those of us who are still fairly new to the business and don’t have a deep client base to help us characterize that market. A second, perhaps related topic, is how to identify one’s niche, or specialization, based on personal strengths and interests.
How to sell when you hate sales! I hate being pushed into a sale. If I say no, and someone persists on trying to sell me something, I will walk out. Yet, I know I have to be persistent to get the photo sales. I need more than just being told “do it!”. I need to have my hand held through the whole darn process. I can’t seem to overcome the objections without feeling cowed and then feeling pushy. And when I get a customer who has one of those gruff personalities (usually these are males, but I’ve had a few women do it as well) I totally just give up. They seem to sense my weakness and just seem to tower over me and I cave every time.
Hi Beate-
How does one “move up the ladder” to a better class of clients, specifically agency work? Also, how, as a solopreneur, to set up a good system for managing marketing: scheduling, keeping track of prospects, etc. Thanks!
I’m about to move back to Hollywood from Perth, Western Australia. I want to:
a) get new clients in the entertainment industry
b) charge a fair price although I know it has changed a lot
c) get clients that understand that this is a business and like all businesses I need to get paid.
d) connect with other photogrphers in the area, and find out if there is a resource book or website to find out who carries what e.g. props, rentals, models, etc…
That should be okay to start.
The importance of defining your visual style and how easy that is to translate into effective marketing campaigns. Once defined it drives all your other decisions.
Perhaps a joint interview?
Hi Michael, I’d love to do a webinar with you about this? Let’s discuss.
Beate
very rarely answer these things but interesting topic. I guess for me it;s how to attract international – read USA – to my website and purchase stuff.
Cheers from Australia
Usage fees! How to determine the mysterious usage fee which no one seems to be able to explain how it is calculated. Or perhaps the bidding on jobs process… from finding the jobs to bid on to going through with the bid, step by step.