Times are changing. After being a professional photographer for over thirty years I have never experienced the changes that have evolved over the past eight years. In past time you knew that there were seasons that kept you busy. Spring flowers and warm weather would have the phone ringing with families and seniors calling to schedule outdoor portrait sessions. Fall colors and the threat of cooler temperatures would remind every one of the approaching holidays so they would call to schedule a portrait session they would use for holiday gift giving.
Today the photographer that waits for the phone to ring will also be waiting in line for an unemployment check (if they could get one!). You have to be proactive. You must find ways to give the extra incentive to gather the family together for a portrait. The fact is that even when the need comes to mind there is always a friend or neighbor that has a new digital camera that will snap a few pics that is "good enough". You have to show and remind mom of what a professional portrait looks like. You have to make an offer that can't be refused. You could run ads in the local newspaper, you've done that before and you remember the cost and commitment you had to make with little or no return on your investment. Have you really found anything that gave you the return you were hoping for?
The method I have used over the past few years has worked for me and it can for you also. All business are looking for a method to find and keep the clients they now have. One industry where the competition is fierce is the insurance industry. They offer a pricey product that you never really hope you have to use but you still have to purchase. Offers of lower premiums and better customer service is all it takes to lure away clients. Insurance companies and agents have to develop relationships, just like you do. The concept is for you to allow the agent to give the gift certificate for a family portrait session and an 8x10 that they give to their clients as a way to sat "thank you for the business and continued support. I create a "mock" gift certificate to show the agent as well as a "mock" letter to give an idea of a letter that is mailed to their clients. I have found that agents look at the "third party gift certificate" as a welcomed tool to create a positive impression that is appreciated even if the certificate is not used. The portrait session and 8x10 gift has a value of approximately $200.00 and the perceived value is the spark that ignites the desire to accept the offer. Your time and the cost of the 8x10 is the investment you make to acquire a new client and to have the possibility of additional and add-on sales.
I have adapted the certificate to use with real estate agents, orthodontists, pediatricians or just as a counter flyer for retail store. Use this idea and your imagination to create revenue and the flow of customers in your studio.
Gerald Schuster has been photographing professionally for over thirty years. He has extensive experience in photography has taken images from babies to presidents. He is developing a series of articles and marketing aids for professional photographers. You can receive information on his Gift Certificate Marketing Promotion on his website at http://www.glsphoto.com/.
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