Understanding the Numbers Game in Photography: A Breakdown.
If you want to be successful as a photographer, you have to master the numbers game
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It’s A Numbers Game
This little book is a guide for photographers on how to succeed in this competitive industry. It emphasizes the importance of marketing and building relationships with potential clients, using a "numbers game" approach. It takes multiple interactions with clients to build trust and eventually close a deal. This involves regular follow-ups and persistence even when facing rejection. The guide also offers specific strategies, like sending postcards, emails, and follow-up thank-you notes, to increase the chances of being top-of-mind when a potential client is looking for a photographer.
This book is free for you to download and put to use right away.
There are no shortcuts, no secret method, no special tricks… There is only doing the hard work that pays off.
(This audio is AI-generated through NotebookLM. The podcast setting does allow for a strong informational source. I do not know how I feel about this stuff, but doing some research on my own, lots of folks thought that it was much better than the author reading it. I dunno, what do you all think? Again, this is totally, 100% AI created from MY source material, the PDF that you can download here.)
Professional Photography: Playing the Numbers Game
I. Introduction: The Importance of a Numbers Game
This section introduces the concept of a "numbers game" in photography, emphasizing the need for consistent and persistent marketing efforts.
It highlights the correlation between limited marketing and lower revenue, urging photographers to overcome procrastination and actively promote their work.
II. Setting the Stage: Establishing a Marketing Routine
This section outlines a practical plan for making a minimum of 15 contacts per week, divided into email outreach and physical interactions.
It stresses the importance of setting a dedicated time for marketing and developing a consistent habit.
III. Doubling Down: Increasing Contact for Greater Impact
This section encourages photographers to double their marketing efforts to 60 contacts per month (6 emails and 6 physical contacts per day).
It underscores the potential impact of consistent, high-volume marketing on business growth and income.
IV. The Power of Follow-Up: Building Trust and Securing Sales
This section dives into the crucial role of follow-up in photography sales, emphasizing the low conversion rate of first meetings (only 2%).
It advocates for relationship-building over aggressive sales tactics, highlighting the importance of understanding prospects' needs and building trust over time.
V. Persistence Pays Off: The Five No’s Strategy
This section introduces the "Five No’s" strategy, encouraging photographers to persist in their follow-up efforts until receiving at least five negative responses.
It emphasizes the need to stay top-of-mind with prospects, as they often take months or even years to make a decision.
VI. Adapting Sales Principles to Photography: Building Relationships and Top-of-Mind Awareness
This section clarifies the unique nature of "selling" in photography, focusing on self-promotion, relationship building, and showcasing work rather than traditional sales tactics.
It emphasizes the importance of repeated portfolio showings and consistent communication to become the photographer clients think of when a relevant project arises.
VII. Defining Touches: Quantifying Interactions with Potential Clients
This section defines specific actions that count as "touches" in photographer-client interactions, including portfolio reviews, thank-you notes, direct mail, emails, phone calls, and promotional items.
It clarifies that social media engagement may not hold the same weight as personalized interactions.
VIII. Creating a Follow-Up Process: Building a System for Consistent Engagement
This section provides a sample process for following up with potential clients after an initial contact, including specific timelines and communication methods.
It emphasizes the importance of consistently creating new work to provide fresh material for ongoing interactions.
IX. Conclusion: Embracing the Challenge and Reaping the Rewards
This section reiterates the challenging nature of the photography profession and emphasizes the need for hard work and persistence.
It concludes by encouraging photographers to embrace the "numbers game" and become part of the successful minority who consistently market their work and secure new clients.
This TOC was generated via NotebookLM.
From top left across: Anders Eriksson, Carol Rioux, Gloria McDonald
From bottom left across: Sarah Rickard, Jame
FOOD AS ART PORTFOLIO CLASS
I have taught many classes online. Some are subject oriented, and some are business or systems oriented.
One of my favorite workshops is the “Thirty Day Portfolio Slam” where we build an entire portfolio in a month. Yes, we need another week or two to assemble it, but the heavy lifting is done in thirty days.
It is not magic, it is a system that I developed for building a strong portfolio in a short amount of time. It doesn’t work for some genres like adventure, sports, lifestyle for instance. But it works for food, product, and still life very well.
I have taken that approach and melded it into this food workshop.
An 8-week time frame to build a food portfolio: Food as Art: A Portfolio Class.
Using the portfolio-building system, we take on the subject of food.
Assignment List:
Assignment One: Farm Fresh
Assignment Two: Fungus Amongus
Assignment Three: Food on the Run
Assignment Four: Dandy Candy
Assignment Five: The Tools of Food
Assignment Six: Color as a Design Element
Assignment Seven: POV for Maximum Impact
Assignment Eight: Liquid Delight
I want you to have 24 - 30 food shots at the end of this workshop. And not just food shots; good, solid, well-created food shots that can build the basis of your food portfolio.
The workshop has 9 LIVE meetings and takes eight weeks to complete. You will be shooting each week, and we do live reviews on Saturday mornings.
All classes are recorded, a workbook for you to use is included, and there is a private Facebook group for students to use to discuss ideas, share images, and meet other photographers building their portfolios.
More info found at this link: FOOD AS ART PORTFOLIO CLASS PAGE
There are additional resources and perks for those who enroll. We start at the end of the month, and you will have a food portfolio to start the new year on the right path.
If you have any questions, drop me a note.
So let me know what you think about the little AI audio thing. And spend some time making photos this week. Color in the leaves in many places, and Fall is my favorite time of year. Planning my AZ color road trip now.
See y’all next time.
(Almost forgot… after a 6-month delay, they have started construction on my new house and it is very exciting here. Building up the slab so it sits farther above the wash is a massive undertaking. Maybe I can learn how to use a bulldozer… heh.)
When you are ready, here is how I can help you succeed.
Group Mentorship: a small group of photographers who meet to show images, work on their portfolio, and build their businesses with help from a wonderful group. Lifetime membership for one fee.
One-on-one Mentorship: You and me - working together in an intense 6-month push to get you on the way to over $30K in additional revenue. The work we lay down will help you increase and scale your business for years ahead.
Thank you for supporting my work.