Photo Success

A Place to Grow

The “Initiative Gap” according to Dan Kennedy…

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I always liked Dan Kennedy and his no-bull, no sugar coating, no-nonsense straight talk on all things to do with success, marketing and business. He is the real deal.
 
When I first discovered Dan back in ’98, it felt like he was speaking directly to me. His words and wisdom were honest like I had never seen before in all the hundreds of success and self-help books I had read by that time in my life.  

His timing could not have been more perfect.

See, I was recently married, new baby in the house, wife quit her reliable and secure job as a senior accountant, and we decided to work together in the photography studio I had started on my own back in ’85.  

Things were about to get real. I knew that I needed to make the studio work. Mortgages and car payments don’t pay themselves.  

And then Dan shows up. It’s like the old adage: “when the student is ready, the master will show up.”  

Being ready is the key word. Being motivated, compelled, eager, ambitious, hungry and driven. All these and more play a key role in being “ready”.  

And ready I was.   I had initiative.  

Dan talks about “The Initiative Gap” in one of his most recent marketing newsletters. (yes, I still subscribe to Dan’s marketing newsletter)  

In this one issue he says of those who take on the much needed initiative:
“…They are invested in continuous strengthening or breadth or depth of knowledge…”  

Meaning…. always be learning, growing, expanding your skills, knowledge, information.

These characteristics and more push you to become a ‘marketer of photographic services” vs a photographer. Most won’t do this.
Hence, the “gap”.  

My suggestion? Be on the right side of the gap.  

Being a photographer is fine, if that’s your endgame. For me it’s more. Way more.  

I need to make money. If you’re offended by that idea, seriously, think about it. Where does your money come from? How are you paying your bills?  

No shame. I’m in business. And in business money is the scorecard.

And in the business of selling photography, I follow other photographers I admire, want to be like, and inspired by and know I can learn the success and marketing skills needed to keep on the rails.  

Don’t get me wrong. I love the technical side of photography….lighting, photoshop, creative subject matter, cool new trends and all that. And more. I LOVE all things about photography.

But in the end, when I go to the bank, I need to show a nice healthy profit on my bank deposit slip to the teller. He/she doesn’t care how good my photography is.  

On that note, I am hosting another success webinar with one of my all time favorite photographers, Maggie Habieda. Tomorrow morning, at 11:00AM EDT.

REPLAY HERE

If your dead-serious about being successful in photography, there are NO easy shortcuts. And you need to check your level of initiative.

Maggie defines the word and meaning behind initiative.

Don’t take my word for it. Join us and see for yourself.   To your success in marketing and in photography….
Being ready is the key word!

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

“This is fantastic Rob! I love how you simplified the poses toward the end, into 5 easy-to-remember steps…”

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A short while ago we had a wedding shoot out series with yours truly and James Hodgins. It was simple. Get a bride and groom, or just a bride…..and go out and shoot, on the fly. Random locations.

See what happens, see what we create and explain the process.

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Why “free” isn’t bad…and how to use this strategy for maximum results…

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Let’s not confuse free with selling your soul. By that, I mean, grabbing whatever meager profits you can grab from a session and calling it a day.

Because it feels good.

By that I mean, low cost session, high number of files, no sales process in place. Zero strategy. Nothing but a temporary blast of dopamine. And a slightly inflated ego.

Ego is always the enemy. It feels good.

“Free” isn’t a bad thing in photography. When it has a legit marketing strategy and big picture purpose.

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“The last thing I wanted to be was a photographer…”…Metamorphosis…with John Ratchford

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Metamorphosis is the word that comes to mind. John attended an 8 day silent retreat to meditate on his situation brought about by some bad financial decisions, debt and whether to ‘throw in the towel’ with his photography business.

The answer came to him. Stay in the biz. I personally have had similar events in my life, just not as intense as John’s.

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Zero resistance selling in photography

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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.

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