I came up with a take on these 7 productivity tips, sent to me by Robin Spencer, based on this article by the same name.
I shot this while down in Costa Rica on holidays…..
Productivity tips for photographers, and for anyone really…enjoy…:
A Place to Grow
I came up with a take on these 7 productivity tips, sent to me by Robin Spencer, based on this article by the same name.
I shot this while down in Costa Rica on holidays…..
Productivity tips for photographers, and for anyone really…enjoy…:
Two webinars, two photographers, two systems for dance photography sales and success. If you were around last month we had Nancy Tillberg join us with her take on dance school photography she calls “Boutique Volume…”
Her system is meticulous and tight, and it works. She goes against the grain on what many would think is the “right” way to do volume…let alone boutique volume. But then again, she’s a retired forensic photographer…she can see things the rest of us mere mortals can’t.
If you’re a member of noBs photosuccess™ you can watch the REPLAY HERE
And there’s Warne Noyce and Paula Moon who started their studio a few years ago in a town where no one knew them. They quickly grew because of smart and innovative marketing. AND, their dance school business sky-rocketed.
We had Warne on a webinar. REPLAY HERE for members.
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One of the most powerful photography marketing lessons I learned years ago I learned from the great Dan Kennedy.
Who learned it from Robert Ringer, best selling author of “Winning Through Intimidation” and “Looking Out For Number One” to name a few of big hits in the self-improvement and business world books he’s authored.
The idea is this….and it’s called the LeapFrop Theory, and it plays out:
I can’t even begin to tell you how profitable this strategy is.
But, I will say this:
When it comes down to two or more people battling it out for positioning, the one who’s often perceived as “best” is the often the one who claims the title.
The only caveat is, it has to be based in truth. You gotta bring the goods to the game. It ain’t braggin’ either, if you can do it.
You have to actually be prepared to be above the pack.
Assume the posture of someone at that new level. This introduces another of Ringer’s ideas, the posture theory. This theory states:
“It’s not what you say or do that counts, but what your posture is when you say or do it.”
Example from my photography studio marketing life. Decades ago I started mailing newsletters. And, I was also newly minted as the “official photographer for our local professional theatre AND our local symphony.
I didn’t get paid for these gigs, but no one knew that. I’m still working for them.
They bring credibility and positive affiliation. And free seasons tickets, ads in programs and the chance to put on gallery style displays in the lobby of these esteemed venues.
I would always make sure to add content into my newsletters, based on these affiliations. They made me look good. By affiliation.
I claimed these titles because they helped boost my studio brand. The power of affiliation dovetails nicely into the leapfrog theory. There’s almost a hidden, sub-conscious message.
It goes something like this:
“If they hired him to be their official photographer, he MUST be good.”
Know what I mean? But you gotta claim it. It’s a marketing thing.
Robert N. Provencher – Your Master Coach Marketer
“If you want to be a profitable and successful photographer, then study profitable and successful photographers.”
I don’t care how good you are, how solid your marketing is, how great your photography rocks…if you can’t SELL, if the till ain’t ringing up nice sums at the end of the day…you ain’t got a business. You got a hobby.
Do you want to RAMP UP your selling skills? Selling is NOT something you’re born with. It’s something you learn, get better at and master.
If there’s one skill you NEED in order to succeed in business, it’s selling. And I know few who have their selling game ramped up to the highest level like Maria does.
I use this exact same strategy that Maria has created. Make a low cost offer(not rock bottom, but low-ish) and make it irresistible. Then, sell. It’s that simple.
Keep reading what Maria sez:
“I see posts about not making money OR even worse, people saying that “these photographers are charging nothing how can they survive???” PLEASE understand that “low entry cost” DOES NOT MEAN – low cost at all! I had another photographer message me and say “how dare you offer a session and free 5×7 for $49!!!!!!” and I said, WHY??????
LISTEN: I ran a mermaid and fairy event on the same day. I opened 10 appts. It was an easy fun day. EASY.
Beautiful little girls and fun. I set up sales appts for all 10 and finished the last one just now. I set a goal of a $1200 sales average on all 10, knowing there would be a low and a high and a bunch in between. I have GREAT sales skills. . . so I did my thing.
It’s about HOW YOU ADVERTISE< HOW YOU PHOTOGRAPH< WHAT YOU SHOW< HOW YOU TALK, HOW YOU SELL AND HOW YOU TREAT YOUR CLIENTS. THE END RESULT?
Better than I expected. Sales Average on all 10 appts? $1926.02 – and by the way do you know how many images I retouch before they see them? ZERO. 🙂 AND THERE IS NO MINIMUM ORDER. They can choose to walk away with a 5×7 and NO they do not see a pricelist before hand either.
I decided I am going to offer a class at my studio….. Show up and you will learn EXACTLY how to sell out an event at low cost and get results like this. Everything from SET UP of the set, HOW to shoot it, HOW to show it, HOW to sell it, how to retouch it FAST and HOW TO MAKE MONEY. Interested? PM me your info and email and I will send out information. You will get your money back from this class 10 fold in one event. My set ups are easy and cheap. I do mermaids, fairies and more.
You want to make money??? Contact me :)….”
HERE: studiom@studiom.ms
Yours in sales success,
Robert Provencher
Did you know that when you first meet someone they know more about you in 45 seconds than what you say, wear or how you act?
True…all true….and this idea applies directly to your photography marketing. Keep reading…
We project more about ourselves, about our confidence, about our “success” barometer than anything else.
Try as you might, you can’t escape this.
When you meet a new client for the first time, the first questions that pop into their little ‘ol pea brains are questions like:
*How much do they make?
*How old are they?
*Should I trust this person?
And the big ONE!
“Should I respect them.”
You can’t control this any other way, other than by having a deeply ingrained success foundation. This will, in turn, emit success rays, and they pick it up like a radar picks up a lighthouse in thick fog.
No one emits success better than Maggie. She “radiates” success and magnanimous radiance form her every pore.
If anyone’s walking on sunshine, it’s her.
She happens to run a high end studio in one of the wealthiest areas in North America…Oakville, Ontario.
Good match. I’m not saying we all need to be in a high end photography studio situation.
I don’t care if you’re shooting sports, dance schools, fairies, families, weddings or whatever.
It matters not.
What matters is what you believe DEEP, WAY DEEP down inside.
Maggie lets it shine through in her studio, her marketing, her publicity and every piece that she shares with her clients.
And it comes through in pricing. Her basic session fees start at $800.00. And she doesn’t sell small prints. Only large art piece one-of-a-kind canvases. Starting at around $5,000.00.
What does this radiate? Quality. Everything she says, acts, moves, and radiates says quality. Through and through.
Maggie and I created a four part series HERE. She’s very, very open and passionate about
sharing her information with other photographers.
All I can say is: “mind blown”. Success is truly an inside job. It ALL starts inside each and everyone of us.
Check it out HERE and see how Maggie achieves high success and is known as the very best in her area. We can all learn.
Learn from the best, see you on the inside.
Robert N. Provencher – Your Master Coach Marketer
“If you want to be a profitable and successful photographer, then study profitable and successful photographers.”
Some of the best photography lighting is also some of the most basic lighting.
Two lights, one on either side, both with the same, or near same output. Wash the subject with light.
Kinda flat, kinda boring….
We used to call this idiot lighting. Maybe we still do, as offensive as that sounds.
The truth is, there’s a time and place for it. And I use it often enough.
The key is to know when and where. For me, I use it when I need properly exposed images and I have very little time, and the lighting and scene available is tricky. A wedding is a great example. Or, in a small location shooting families at a house.
Likewise, when I’m shooting a large family, I don’t want to fuss, just get the job done, done right, I will use this lighting.
To rely on this lighting and only this lighting is very limiting however. I suppose this is where and when “idiot” applies. Being able to create portraits using a main and good use of shadows is key to being diverse and creative.
Here’s an example I will be showing in an upcoming Lighting Mastermind
(LIGHTING MASTERMIND REPLAYS ARE HERE FOR MEMBERS)….from a fall in-home session:
I will also use this lighting outdoors, during a wedding, especially for the formal portraits with the family.
These shots are there to document the family, and I often have little time.
Same exact lighting as above. We’re in open shade, but there was not enough area to light everyone evenly so I set up my two softboxes.
Sony A7Rii 85MM Batis lens at f4 ISO 100. Weak fill flash on camera to fire the two softboxes.
You can see the two main lights showing up in the specular catch lights.
Knowing when to use this lighting for your photography and best results is key. When I am on location I always bring enough, more than enough gear, to make sure if I need to set up this lighting I can do it. I need to stress the importance of not relying on this lighting exclusively for your photography. You risk creating images that are stale and predictable.
To be fair, there are some photo industries and photography markets where this lighting will work all the time, say for example, sporting tournament and the like or similar higher volume demands.
Yours in lighting,
Rob
Have you ever snored so loud you woke yourself up?
Admit it, it happened to you. Happened to me once. Happens to my wife all the time.
I know, because I sleep with her.
Funniest thing, she’s demure, barely 100 pounds soaking wet, five foot nothing and snores like a grizzly bear. Go figure.
She’s like that in business too. Unassuming and classy. Maybe some think she’s a pushover, soft, easy going.
Wrong.
They find out she’s tough, focused and all business. Soft and sweet on the outside. Grizzly bear vicious on the inside, when she needs it.
Making assumptions can cost you big.
For instance, you might have what you think is the greatest product or invention.
It solves some huge problem and you figure it’s so brain dead obvious people cannot wait to line up and buy it.
Except you find out the hard way they don’t really want that problem solved. They’d rather live with the pain that problem brings VS the pain of parting with their cash for a solution.
Never make assumptions about the buying public. It ain’t a bidness until someone steps up and gives you cash.
Here’s Tina in action from a previous Inferno, speaking on all thing studio management.
And there’s my favorite, the Selling and Upselling webinar with Tina….priceless info for anyone wanting to book tons of fairy sessions…and make some moolah…..
Don’t let her soft spoken ways fool you. There’s a dragon under there.
Robert N. Provencher – Your Master Coach Marketer
Join us…Content, Coaching & Community
True story. I know it’s true because my wife and I heard the screams coming from the bedroom upstairs.
“There’s a frog in the toilet!” our daughter Danielle belted out.
We ran upstairs. And all had a big laugh. I never heard of such a thing. And been coming here, to Costa Rica, for over ten years and this is first.
I get frogs in toilets is a thing down here. Who knew.
Life goes on, even though every time we use the can, we approach the lid with some trepidation.
Life goes on back home too…. our studio orders still get done. Our lab receives files, prints them up, and ships to our studio so when we return in two weeks we hit the ground running.
And while having a blast here in Costa Rica I still promote the studio back home with daily posts on all social media.
Last week we had a webinar with Scott Crosby on SEO strategies. It was a huge hit and many SEO myths debunked. Same strategies I use to this day.
I also work on my local SEO for our Costa Rica site…in case, just in case we end up running a photography business down here.
All things are looking good. You can see that site here.
Speaking about debunking, if you haven’t watched the lighting mastermind with James Hodgins, you’re in for some serious debunking.
This 1.5 hour presentation is jammed with hard knowledge on all things lighting, in the trenches, from real legit paid gigs. Your eyes won’t believe your eyes.
Stay frosty my friend….more to come.
Robert N. Provencher – Your Master Coach Marketer
“If you want to be a profitable and successful photographer, then study profitable and successful photographers.”