Business Building Tips and Strategies   

In This Issue:

• A Note From Doug
• Feature Article: You Are Sending Away More Business Than You Realize
• Productivity Tip Of The Week: Things to do when you only have 10 minutes
• About Doug

A Note From Doug

Hello Doug,

We are finally into April and hopefully Spring is here to stay! April also means we are into the 2nd Quarter of the year. I recommend that you sit down and spend about 30-45 minutes thinking about your goals for this quarter. What do you want to accomplish? How is your year going so far? What projects or photography campaign do you want to do over the next 3 months? How are you going to stay in touch with your existing clients? Is your website up to date or do you still have sections that are "Under Construction"?

Your success depends on doing the "little things" that are so important. Remember in order to be successful in today's competitive environment, you need to be putting more attention on MARKETING then you have ever done in the past. So spend some time planning out your calendar so you can get your business rolling! Remember, I am here as a resource for you and your business. Please send me an email or schedule a call with me if you would like to go deeper into thinking about your business.

Talk with you soon!

Doug Mattice

Onward to Excellence Coaching

Feature Article

Most of You in the Photography Industry Are 

Sending Away More Business than You Realize!

Do you realize as a professional photographer you have one of the most fantastic products in the world to offer your clients? If you are photographing people, you are offering them an expression of their love for each other!  They can’t get anything like that from any other profession. They can spend a lot more money to buy a car or go on a fancy vacation,but they cannot purchase the love, feelings, personalities and memories that will be in their family portrait for years and years. And yet, we send so many people away! What can we do to prevent sending someone away from us? Are there things we can do to increase our business without increasing the amounts of money we spend on advertising? 

Here are five areas that you should examine carefully in your business, no matter how large or small it is. Not doing these things regularly could be sending potential clients away! 

1. Your professional demeanor and dress – As a business owner in the community, you need to realize that people are always watching you and forming an opinion about you and your services. If you come across as unprofessional, rude or abrupt of manner and speech, or dressed poorly, you will actually be sending future clients away from you! If you feel because you are a professional photographer you can wear what you want in order to make an “artistic statement” about yourself you are killing your image!  This can be a huge turnoff and will never result in references or future business.
2. Advertising and Exhibits – Realize that many of your prospects are going to see your work in the community before they even meet you. Be sure you present your work and your image in the best light at all times! Frame your exhibit prints nicely. Have postcards (not business cards) near your exhibited images that prospects can take with them. When doing advertising on social media or in print, be sure your ads are perfectly designed and produced so they have professionalism and class. Make it easy for people to contact you and have a clean offer that is easy to understand.
3. Proper use of the Telephone – The telephone is still a very powerful tool even in today’s electronic world of apps and video. Spend time having an answer for prospect stalls and objections.  Know the right words to say in order to enhance your professional image. How you answer the telephone and how you treat your potential client will determine whether they select you or someone else to create their photographs. Not using the phone correctly will surely send business away! Also, if you have employees, make sure they are fully trained in your products and services before allowing them to answer the phone. Remember, this is usually the first impression a potential client has with your studio so make sure you have this down pat.
4. Your business is always doing well! – As you are growing your business, you will have good days as well as bad ones. But when a prospective client or friend asks you “So how’s business?” it is very important that you say that “Business Is Great!”  This portrays a positive attitude and tells the other person that you are confident about yourself as a businessperson. If you say “Things are really tough right now. You know everyone has a camera and the photography industry isn’t what it used to be.” You are sending a negative message and it also sends a message to that person that may cause them to go an find another photographer because they don’t know how long you will truly be there if things are so bad. No one wants to do business with a business that is going under. You can either attract business to you or send it away by how you respond to the question, “So, how’s business?”
5. What does your studio look like right now? – How much business are you sending away, simply by the appearance of your facility? Is you studio clutter-free? Do you have portraits on the floor or are they properly displayed on the wall? How does the studio smell when someone enters? Does the scent put them in a relaxed buying mood? How old are your sample prints and wedding albums? When was the last time the carpet was cleaned and the walls painted? Are your restrooms clean and inviting? All of these factors can play a huge role in whether the prospects books with you or walks away. 

Remember to constantly review these five areas in your studio and never underestimate the importance of each one, or you will be unconsciously turning away business!

Productivity Tip of the Week:

We all lose productivity every day because "we only have ten minutes before our next client." And while ten minutes here and there might not seem much, they really add up over weeks and months. Think about it: If you regained just ten minutes of productive time per workday, that would amount to 43 hours a year you'd get back. Wow! that is an amazing thought! 

Next time you have ten minutes to spare, here are 7 things you can do, no matter what your priorities:

1. Check your upcoming sessions or meetings for the week, and send any emails necessary to confirm them.

2. Send a thank you note to someone who just picked up an order or helped you out.

3. Pick up a stack of paper on your desk and throw out, recycle, or file anything you can.

4. Organize and clean up files on your computer's desktop. If you're on a Mac, this impacts your computer's speed, so it's definitely worth a few minutes!

5. Read an article out of the PPA or Rangefinder magazine to keep you motivated and up to date with happenings in our industry.

6. Look through you DOWNLOADS Folder and delete any files that you can.

7. Stretch or squeeze in a quick meditation (before that two year old arrives and goes crazy in your studio!)

About Doug    

If you think you can't make money and live life on your terms, I would like you to "think again". I specialize in teaching photographers how to make more money more easily while enjoying a business and lifestyle that they desire. 

I know all to well that too many photographers today are working themselves to death in order to achieve the business success that's going to allow them to have a comfortable life. That's why I have dedicated myself to helping my clients learn the fastest and most strategic methods in business building so they can Be Financially Profitable, Live Fully, and continue to Pursue the Passion they LOVE! 

I offer a variety of business development and coaching services to meet your needs. To learn more CLICK HERE to be taken to my website.