This virus causes behavioural disorders that may cause Photographers to self-sabotage their businesses.
Business owners and their staff begin to believe that the phone is interrupting their day. It is only going to be some client wanting to know where their prints are, or wanting to change their order.
Worse still they are bargain hunting, and want me to price match.
Once this belief takes over and infects your thought processes, before you pick up every call, your first impression to a prospective client reflects that very believe.
You only get one chance at a first impression and it is important to make an impact. Be aware of your thought processes before you pick up the phone as it tends to reflect the outcome.
Another disorder that this virus is known to cause is FTI. Failure to Implement.
Business owners will use valuable time discussing and creating marketing incentives and plans, but most of them never get finished or approved to go to the printers.
This virus is also the cause, for many of us not to have contacted our past clients or rarely contact our clients.
It leads us to think that the pro-sumer market has taken our clients away from us, even though we have not given them any reason or incentive to use our services again. It causes us to only contact our clients only when we want something from them and stops us from just saying “thank you for your business – here is something I thought you may like – no strings attached”.
This virus can also make us use destructive language in our marketing and when speaking to clients.
Phrases like “Free 8×10”, “Complimentary Sitting” and “Free Photo” do nothing to add to the clients’ perception of the real value that they are receiving from the infected studio.
They are forced to speak your language and have set in their minds that they are there to redeem their voucher.
These clients become carriers of the virus.
The only symptoms that are shown is that their speech is effected, and begin to refer to their free photo.
They then leave and go out into the world as a carrier, infecting other people that then referred to your business already carrying the virus.
We know that when we go into a business, we like to see what the business has on offer.
Generally, if it on display, that business has a chance of selling that item. How many times have you gone to buy a large ticket item and found the shelf that it should be on. The ticket tells you how much it is, and that it should be there for us to see, but it is not there.
Generally we will seek another stockist, so that we can touch and see what we are buying.
Business owners want to sell big photos.
There are great margins in big photos, and make an impact that truly represents our efforts and work. This virus attacks the central nervous system and systematically makes us put up collages of 5×7 prints all over our display walls.
It makes us take client photos that the clients have rejected, as they were not quite right, or are “slightly damaged” and forces us to proudly display them on our walls.
The virus then effects our judgement and makes us believe that our clients only want small photos, or collages. Almost exactly like what they see on display.
A cure for this virus has been developed, although there are notable side effects that will affect the studio owner. Be aware that once the cure is administered you may:
1. Notice that you may enjoy going to work.
2. Your staff may enjoy coming to work.
3. You may notice happier clients.
4. You may receive gifts of thanks from your clients.
5. You will have less work to do.
6. You will notice that there are little to no “slow times of the year”.
7. You will make more money.
This year’s virus has already hit our shores, and seems to be spreading amongst Portrait Studio Owners across Australia. It is set to reach epidemic proportions this year!
This virus attacks photographers and their businesses by causing a disorder that affects the photographers’ ability to make money from his/her craft.
The following are only some of the early symptoms and must be treated immediately to prevent long-term health issues with your business and well being. These symptoms will make you feel as though:
1. The phone is not ringing like it used to.
2. The geographic location of you studio is in the wrong state or suburb to make money.
3. People in your area do not have the money and do not spend money on photography.
4. Marketing that used to work, no longer works.
5. My clients just want to use their free voucher.
6. My clients do not want big photos.
7. Our clients already think that we are expensive, but we are not making any money. I know that I am worth more, but my clients will not pay.
8. This is a quiet time of year.