Thomas Gardner
Veteran Member
Differentiation. Being able to answer the question, "Why should I use your services over the next guys?" If you can't answer the question, then you don't consider yourself special, useable or different. I can tell a customer why they should use my services over the next guy. I can tell the customer what is different about my services. I can easily show a customer why I'm so special and why they need my services.
Sales. Always be ethical but remember, the phone rang because they need somebody to provide them with services, never answer the phone unless you're willing to give it your all to close the deal. How you choose to close a deal is up to you but if you don't close the deal, you don't eat. It really is that simple.
Keep tract. Keep track of how many calls you get and how many of those calls you close. If I fall below 70%, during the season, I look at myself as the problem, 80% close is my benchmark. Look to yourself as the reason you don't have business as you're the reason your in business. When my closing numbers fall, I know I'm in a foul mood and it's time for a six martini dinner and a trip to the comedy store for live entertainment. Keeping a level keel is important and stress will ruin the "Chi".
"Chi". Learn what this is and do everything you can to keep it. Learn when you lose your Chi and learn what you can do to get it back. It's your greatest personal asset.
Monies. Always keep your equipment up to snuff and plenty of it. You're a professional and the customer should not hear why it is you can't perform. That's why you're being paid the big bucks. So use you money to keep yourself up to the task and make sure you keep your horizons expandable as the moment requires. If a job requires $500.00/1,500.00 for a piece of equipment, no matter what that piece of equipment is and you see more then one job using this equipment over the next year, buy it. Use money to keep you and your equipment at the ready and this will make you more money.
Spares. Always keep backup equipment so you can reach up on the shelf and get what ever it is you need. I keep a couple thousand dollars of equipment and chemicals on the shelf, just so they are there when I need them. I keep turn around times in my head, when I hit a reorder level, I order. Professional equipment is expensive and it's our job to keep lots of it around, not to make excuses why we don't have the equipment. So make sure you have plenty of filters, batteries, lenses, equipment bags, studio lights, sensor bodies, flash units, tripods/heads and what ever else it is a professional photographer is suppose to have lots of.
Knowledge. You're suppose to have the answers all the time and the customer doesn't hire you to make mistakes, they hire you to get the job done right the first time and that's the way you have to approch an assignment; omniscent. If you can't approach a situation from that viewpoint, then you need more education. Always work to increase your professional knowledge. Subscribe to professional trade magazines, two or three, at least. Leaf through them religiously to keep you abreast of what's happening in the industry, professional wise.
Insurance. Be sure to keep your equipment insured as much as reasonably possible. If ten k worth of equipment disappears, so might you ability to make a living. This is not good.
Confidence. You're there not because this is a lark but because you "can do". The customer doesn't want to hear that you'll figure it out, they want to hear that you can get the job done, for this amount here and you'll have the results on this day here. No excuses. "I can be out there on this day here and when I come out, I'll explain to you what it is I'm going to do."
The list of wisdom and insight is a very long list. There's no way to put it all down, so I threw the basics on the table and cut my list short.
I hope the above is helpful and truly wish you the best.
Thomas
Sales. Always be ethical but remember, the phone rang because they need somebody to provide them with services, never answer the phone unless you're willing to give it your all to close the deal. How you choose to close a deal is up to you but if you don't close the deal, you don't eat. It really is that simple.
Keep tract. Keep track of how many calls you get and how many of those calls you close. If I fall below 70%, during the season, I look at myself as the problem, 80% close is my benchmark. Look to yourself as the reason you don't have business as you're the reason your in business. When my closing numbers fall, I know I'm in a foul mood and it's time for a six martini dinner and a trip to the comedy store for live entertainment. Keeping a level keel is important and stress will ruin the "Chi".
"Chi". Learn what this is and do everything you can to keep it. Learn when you lose your Chi and learn what you can do to get it back. It's your greatest personal asset.
Monies. Always keep your equipment up to snuff and plenty of it. You're a professional and the customer should not hear why it is you can't perform. That's why you're being paid the big bucks. So use you money to keep yourself up to the task and make sure you keep your horizons expandable as the moment requires. If a job requires $500.00/1,500.00 for a piece of equipment, no matter what that piece of equipment is and you see more then one job using this equipment over the next year, buy it. Use money to keep you and your equipment at the ready and this will make you more money.
Spares. Always keep backup equipment so you can reach up on the shelf and get what ever it is you need. I keep a couple thousand dollars of equipment and chemicals on the shelf, just so they are there when I need them. I keep turn around times in my head, when I hit a reorder level, I order. Professional equipment is expensive and it's our job to keep lots of it around, not to make excuses why we don't have the equipment. So make sure you have plenty of filters, batteries, lenses, equipment bags, studio lights, sensor bodies, flash units, tripods/heads and what ever else it is a professional photographer is suppose to have lots of.
Knowledge. You're suppose to have the answers all the time and the customer doesn't hire you to make mistakes, they hire you to get the job done right the first time and that's the way you have to approch an assignment; omniscent. If you can't approach a situation from that viewpoint, then you need more education. Always work to increase your professional knowledge. Subscribe to professional trade magazines, two or three, at least. Leaf through them religiously to keep you abreast of what's happening in the industry, professional wise.
Insurance. Be sure to keep your equipment insured as much as reasonably possible. If ten k worth of equipment disappears, so might you ability to make a living. This is not good.
Confidence. You're there not because this is a lark but because you "can do". The customer doesn't want to hear that you'll figure it out, they want to hear that you can get the job done, for this amount here and you'll have the results on this day here. No excuses. "I can be out there on this day here and when I come out, I'll explain to you what it is I'm going to do."
The list of wisdom and insight is a very long list. There's no way to put it all down, so I threw the basics on the table and cut my list short.
I hope the above is helpful and truly wish you the best.
Thomas
