Here are some quick tips to stay on target and to stay sharp:
– Monitor your time in photographer forums, LinkedIn Groups and other relevant outlets. Cut this time down in half.
– Double the time you are investing on the phone, networking events and in LinkedIn Groups and forums where your potential clients go.
– Practice your elevator pitch. You are not just a photographer specialized in doing x and y. You are capturing something else (emotion, feeling, special moments, products etc. Unless you make what you do sound interesting they won’t bite.
– Know your numbers. Are you on target for the month of January? What is the number you want to reach for February? If you are there, celebrate, if not – get on the phone or hit the pavement.
– Every time you read a piece of negative literature about our industry ask yourself: Is this article helping or hurting me? If it is the later do the following: ignore or delete.
– Do something that makes you feel good every single day. Even a 10 minute tea or coffee break, baking or cooking something, going for a quick walk around the corner or reading a novel might get you there. Clients like working with happy photographers, so become one.
Please share with other readers what you do that keeps your spirits uplifted or focused on what’s ahead. I’d love to hear your positive thoughts and ideas.
PhotoBizCoach Beate
Great article, I love that you discuss halving your time in photographer forums and using that extra time to explore forums where you can actually market yourself! The advice about keeping happy rings so true as well – who wants to smile for a crabby shooter anyway?
Its so hard to not to fall into old habits after the first few weeks of the year! To help me keep my momentum I adopted a staggered approach to business change and growth this coming year. I have weekly, monthly and yearly goals.
My January goal was to update my blog weekly and to take a course to improve my skills so that I can provide a better product for my clients. February’s goal includes that I maintain the blog update schedule, complete the course I’m taking and finally that I do a full update on the Captive Eye website (www.captive-eye.com). March will look similar with the updates continuing but with more frequency, keeping the website current and increasing my marketing saturation through various means… I think you all get the picture. 😉
I find that with gradually building to my annual goal that I don’t loose pace as easily and I’m able to handle my work load more efficiently and effectively.