one of the major tenets of my business philosophy is that creating amazing images starts with building strong relationships. is that schmaltzy tree-hugging garbage? hell no.
why? a number of reasons:
-if my clients don\'t trust me and feel comfortable being in front of my lens, it shows in the end product. from a touchy-feely perspective of course i want them to look their best. from a practical perspective, the better they look, the more they buy. the more emotional a connection they feel to my photography, the more they buy. the more they buy, the more they tell their friends and family - and guess what - the more THEY buy.
-i want to build clients for life. referrals are the #1 reason that in my first year own my own i have not had to pay for a dime in advertising yet my calendar is full.
-building connections allows me to justify my pricing structure. i\'m not delivering a product that they can print at walmart for $0.19 - i\'m delivering a service - or even more than that an experience. they can get exceptional photography with any number of people in my area, but they can\'t get my personality, my concern, my humor, my connection. i am selling ME.
it comes down to the fundamental difference between taking a picture and making a memory. memories sell.
i recommend Tim Sanders\' \"Love is the Killer App\" to anyone looking to read more about connecting to their clients.
Sep 30, 2008 at 01:16 PM
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