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Yes, I’m a slow learner…and here’s why that’s the best thing about me…

February 25, 2020 By Robert Provencher Leave a Comment

I was always a late bloomer. Some might have said I was slow.   But slow I wasn’t, nor am I slow today.  
Growing up most of my teachers knew this about me. They would tell my parents that I was capable, smart even, but I simply just didn’t “try” or apply myself.   My grades were atrocious.  

The truth is, I was naive, clueless and ignorant in many ways. I was clueless and scared to death.  

This all changed eventually and I kicked into high gear when I turned 31. For most of my 20’s I pursued knowledge. I had eagerly attended business building events and read many, many self help and business book.  

I knew deep in my heart there was something in these events and books. I couldn’t apply it yet until, unbeknownst to me at the time, I  faced my inner demons, my shadow so to speak, and sobered up.  

Which I did when I turned 31. I learned to dance. (Here’s a Ten Minute video where I tell this story at a local TedTalk style event)  

This changed everything in my life. Looking back I connect the many dots.   Here’s a short list of some of the characteristics about me:

–Zen. I was clueless.
As in, duh…. but that’s me. This characteristic is still a part of my identity. But now it’s evolved to being an asset. Some think I am still ‘on the moon.’  
Truth is, I am often in a Zen like state, taking things in. Storing what’s valuable, waiting, like the tortoise. One of my super powers is the recognition that playing the long game, taking it all “one day at a time” pays off in the end.   It’s a marathon. Not a sprint to the finish.

–Immunity to criticism. When someone attacks me I don’t give a sh*t. I learned this back in the 90’s when my photography business started to skyrocket. This is  a valuable characteristic and essential to anyone in business.   And it applies to self-criticism.

-Late bloomer. Yup, that’s me.  I am not a slow learner. I am in fact  a late bloomer. This may come across as a negative thing, but it’s not. Why? Read the previous item again. It doesn’t bother me. I am in good company. History is loaded with successful late bloomers.  

Hopefully I can keep on learning until my last days here. It’s my plan.   Learning from others is one of the best  ways to expand, grow, be inspired and learn.  

This is why I organized a meeting tonight with two of my favorite photographic artists, Thomas Dodd and Brian Demint.
REPLAY IS HERE

Robert N. Provencher – Your Master Coach Marketer
“If you want to be a profitable and successful photographer, then study profitable and successful photographers.”

Join us…Content, Coaching & Community

Filed Under: WrapUp Tagged With: photo tips, photography business, photography competition, photography marketing, selling photogrphy

My constant quest for reinvention….

June 21, 2019 By Robert Provencher Leave a Comment

My brain won’t stop. I thought for sure it got filled up years ago. But, alas, there’s still room left in that little pea brain of mine. Go figure.

I call myself an info-junkie. Others might be more generous and say I am a self-educated, self-made man.


Either way, the best education comes from within.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: WrapUp Tagged With: photo tips, photography business, photography competition, photography forum, photography marketing, selling photography

Zero resistance selling in photography

March 4, 2019 By Robert Provencher Leave a Comment

Years ago I interviewed, in two parts, Reg Mess, master photographer, on selling.

I asked: “What is the most common sales objection you hear from clients in the sales room?”

Reg answered, and snickered: “I don’t.”

What he means is this….when it comes to the proofing session the clients are so primed, so educated, so pumped, so ready to buy, there are literally zero objections.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: WrapUp Tagged With: photo tips, photography competition, photography forum, photography marketing

The #1 lie about quitting your dream…

November 22, 2018 By Robert Provencher Leave a Comment

This ever happen to you? You dream of walking to a bridge, and chucking it all overboard, into the flowing torrent of water below?

You know, a box full of cameras, lenses and dreams.

Poof! Gone….

What a relief it would be. Get rid of the whole fucking mess.

You imagine what a relief it would be to quit the struggle. The whole shit-show.

The constant barrage of flippant stupid questions from ungrateful clients. Questions like:: “Can’t I just get all the files on a DVD??”

For peanuts. You work for peanuts.

You imagine how good it would feel to close the book on your empty calendar with few to no sessions.

Ugh. What a pain running a photography business. After you poured every last dime on gear and education, you think “Maybe it was all a lie.”

As artists, we tend to over-estimate the pleasure to be gained from quitting and UNDER-estimate the pain.

WE ALL DO IT! Be honest.

When you look in the mirror of honesty we don’t want to admit how hollowed out we became.

You think you can quit it all, turn and head the other way. But you can’t. Here’s why:
Your ambitions, your hopes, your dreams, even if somewhat delusional, were still YOURS. If you walk, you bleed.

A long slow deadening bleed.

The struggle is real. So we think. And we delude ourselves into believing it’s the photography industry.

When the truth is even uglier. Running a business is hard grueling work.

SO many don’t understand what I’m saying. Those who do have a chance at success.

DO I have to spell it out?

The biggest lie in making it in photography is simple. It’s not about the work you create. It’s all about the marketing you implement.

Get that and you have a chance. We’ve had it too good for too long.

The easy days, and the big lie that came with them, are over.

I don’t consider myself one of the lucky ones, still in business, still churning out profits and sessions even though many would consider me “over the hill” at 60.

I consider myself, still, to this day, a student of marketing. I avoid as best I can the delusion.

School is never out.

Join me tonight, 8:00PM EST, as I mastermind, dig for gold, and meet up online with another grizzled old pro, Robert Nowell.

Robert N. Provencher – Your Master Coach Marketer

“If you want to be a profitable and successful photographer, then study profitable and successful photographers.”

Join us…Content, Coaching & Community

Filed Under: WrapUp Tagged With: how to sell photography, photo lighting tips, photography competition, photography forum, photography marketing

Do this one thing and your sales will flow…

November 7, 2018 By Robert Provencher Leave a Comment

It seems selling photography is getting tougher and tougher all the time. I know, I see it, experience it and witness some strange behaviors.

Questions from clients are revealing. For example, two recent scenarios from our studio and one from another studio who shall remain nameless.

“Can I come over take a cell phone picture of so and so’s family photo so I can run to Walmart and get some prints?”

Serious. This happened last week. My wife was stunned.

Another client contacts a studio and asks…..“The $150.00 credit we have towards the family session, does everyone in the family get the same $150.00 credit.”

Really?

Really.

Imagine if you will a crappy cell phone photo. Now, imagine a finely crafted portrait of the same subject. Fine, as in, ….“whoa..wish I shot that! I love that style! It’s stunning…” fine.

It seems many people don’t know the difference anymore between quality and crap.

To be fair, I am not gripping and running down grievance road. It’s important to know what’s going on in society so we can best “fix the problem”, assuming it is fixable.

So, on that note, here’s my best advice in three parts. Do this and sales will flow in your favor like water down a hill.

  • get in front of the right clients. Yes, they’re out there. Sell to them. It’s called a hungry crowd. It’s your job to find them, not assume because you’re all that and more they will find you. And manage their expectations.
  • make marketing your mission. Become a marketing maven. It’s your responsibility as a business owner. Many photographers don’t get this. It’s scares them, truth be told.
  • deliver products that they want, not work that satisfies your ego.

This is one reason I never was crazy about print competitions. Yes, yes, they help you grow and become a better photographer. But will it help you create products they want?

Know the difference. Is it ego based or strategy?

I was at one of our 3 day events a few years ago, during the night owl mastermind (everyone loved these!) and one lady was complaining about her lack of clients.

I asked her the obvious, how big is your town? About 2,000 she replied.
My advice? Move.

Get in front of the right clients. If they’re not there, you need to move to where they are, or, adjust your offerings to get the limited amount in your area to respond.

Know your market. This is the FIRST step in marketing. If you have a great product, and no one wants it, you don’t have a product. It’s that simple.

Kristi Elias is a great example. I interviewed her last year. She’s flowing in work and has an endless amount of clients because she delivers and is in the right area for her work.

I interview a lot of photographers every year because I am a student of marketing. Always will be.

And tomorrow night I am bringing in Stacey Fox. And you’re welcome to join us.

CHECK OUT her resume and the list of things she does to remain relevant in her industry.

Of course all members have access to the replay and download.

Thu, Nov 8, 2018 8:00 PM – 9:00 PM EST REGISTER HERE

Robert N. Provencher – Your Master Coach Marketer
“If you want to be a profitable and successful photographer, then study profitable and successful photographers.”

Filed Under: WrapUp Tagged With: how to sell photography, make money with baby photography, photo coach, photography competition, photography forum, photography marketing

Why stealing is essential to your success…

October 24, 2018 By Robert Provencher Leave a Comment

My first decade in the business of photography saw me in awe of others who, in my mind, had made it in photography. Heroes they were.

They were successful. They created amazing images. To be fair I am still in awe, but those formative years were essential since I was getting established and building.

Some made tons of cash, yet their work was ok. Others were really, really good at photography itself, and also made a decent living. All were my heroes. All inspired me to be like them or better even.

I noticed and valued it all.

As a matter of fact, I can honestly say my success can easily be attributed to watching, learning, being inspired by and “swiping” ideas, both in marketing and in photography, from others.

I don’t think there’s an area where those who sky-rocketed to success didn’t at one time start by copying another.

Musicians, authors, artists….all of them, at one time, asked themselves the question: “How can I be like that?”

If it wasn’t for that process, me thinks most grand achievements would have fizzled.

Swiping is real, legit and essential. You see someone who creates something you like. You copy, and you make it your own. It inspires you to grow into your own.

It becomes your brand, so to speak.

The worse thing you can do (and I see this all the time, within the ranks of the most amateurs who are starting out) is to let your ego get in the way, because you think you got it, you’re all that and more.

Big mistake.

Becoming a student of success in marketing and in photography is an essential step. Take it out and it’s like taking out the foundation on a building.

I’m still a student. Luckily for me I always remained somewhat naive and childlike. Ask my wife and mother-in-law. They’ll tell you how immature I really am.

It’s why I have so many videos, presentations, interviews, mastermind meetings…..every single month, year after year.

I’m looking for ideas….so I can steal.
Robert N. Provencher – Your Master Coach Marketer

“If you want to be a profitable and successful photographer, then study profitable and successful photographers.”

Join us…Content, Coaching & Community

Filed Under: WrapUp Tagged With: how to sell photography, make money with photography, mastermind marketing, photo lighting tips, photography competition, photography forum, photography marketing

September 2018 Podcast with Rob and James

September 6, 2018 By Robert Provencher Leave a Comment

It’s been a while, but we’re back on the rails, railing about any and all things photography..including smart lifestyle choices, fitness, making money, boosting confidence and raw vs JPEG (not that again!)

The superman images James ranted on about:

[Read more…]

Filed Under: WizardOfLight Podcast Tagged With: commercial photography, photo coach, photo lighting tips, photography business, photography competition, photography forum, photography marketing, photography webinar

You don’t really need a studio….but….7 reasons why it’s really cool to have one

August 24, 2018 By Robert Provencher Leave a Comment

It’s true, you don’t really need a studio to be successful in your own photography business.

But it sure is nice to have one. Here’s 7 reasons why it’s really cool to have one:

  1. You have control…lighting, drops, looks you want to create. To me, it’s like a chef in his own kitchen. I feel at home, and I feel creative
  2. I can offer way, way more photography promotions and offers….fairies, cross promotions (like the one I’m doing with Montessori School this and every fall..)
  3. It pushes my brand…I stand out
  4. It impresses clients and potential clients. Having them in my studio, for whatever reason, is an opportunity to make an impression. Of course, you don’t want to be a slob and have the place smell like pastrami
  5. Sales….yes, sales. You will make more sales in your own studio. It’s your battlefield and you get to create the sales room for maximum impact
  6. Bricks and mortar….location of course. If you have a legit commercial location you get the added benefit of having people see your place, and your work. This adds a level of credibility.
  7. Compliance. Yes, you are committed and feel way more compelled to make it work. There are no guarantees but if you’re going to ramp up your photographic game and run a bricks and mortar business you’ll get way more serious about marketing and all things business related.

No, you don’t absolutely need a studio to make money in photography. Some markets in photography are strictly on location. And with good marketing, branding and networking you can be successful.

But I’m a studio guy. I like having my place, where I can create, connect, impress and call it “home”.

Because having a studio to me always felt like home. A base. World headquarters. Mi casa. My cave.

Ascension marketing, selling, busting out into many more different markets within my market and more, so much more, are possible with a studio.

Next Wednesday I am running the August 2018 Marketing Mastermind where I’ll go over some of the essentials and basics including actual promotions I’m running in my studio.

Join us! Your questions in advance are welcome…rob@wizardoflight.com

REPLAYS FOR ALL MASTERMIND HERE
Robert N. Provencher – Your Master Coach Marketer

“If you want to be a profitable and successful photographer, then study profitable and successful photographers.”

Join us…Content, Coaching & Community

Filed Under: WrapUp Tagged With: make money with baby photography, make money with photography, photo coach, photography business, photography competition, photography forum, photography marketing, photography webinar

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