If you’ve studied with me for any time at all, you’ve heard me reveal one of the MAJOR discoveries of my life: “Successful photographers force themselves to do the things the failures don’t want to do.” I know I mentioned this before here, but it’s so important. In fact, I often tell my wife Cheri to put this on my tombstone – as I have devoted my life to teaching this fact, as well as to doing it myself in my photography business.
This fact is why I have been as successful as I have. I have FORCED myself to learn and do the things I didn’t want to do – marketing, selling, pricing, and merchandising. These are what I consider to be the “Four Pillars Of Success For Photography.”
Photography marketing will change your career forever if you do it correctly. You will have people wanting to work with you, regardless of your fees. Why? Because your “target market” will know about you, and will WANT to work with you – regardless of the economy or your prices. My son Todd and I just held a live webinar the other day where we talked about becoming a “big fish in a small but lucrative pond.” That’s the key to this. Don’t try to be everything to everyone.
Photography sales will bring you thousands of dollars that you otherwise would never have had. Now, I’m NOT talking about pressure or trickery – I’m talking about using the proven principles of HUMAN PSYCHOLOGY to help your clients invest in your photography in ways that will GREATLY increase the enjoyment they receive from their images in their lives. My best piece of advice on this: find out what people want, and then help them to get it. Help them. Take good care of them. Give them exactly what they want. Do these things, using your talent, and you will prosper.
Photography Pricing is another one of the most important aspects of your success. Most photographers, bless their hearts, charge way too little for their photography. They are scared to charge what they feel they are worth. I know. I used to do the same before I knew any better. You must get over your fear of rejection. No matter what you charge, there will be people who will complain about what you charge. You can’t work with everyone anyway. So charge what you honestly feel you are worth – and then learn how to market and sell it and merchandise it in ways that will bring your “target market” to you even though your fees are considerable.
Photography Merchandising is the 4th “Pillar”. This is HOW you put your products and services together into “collections” and other ways to make what you do very attractive and desirable to your target market. For example, we know that “collections” generally outsell a-la-carte. Facts like that are PRICELESS! If you don’t know them, you don’t make anywhere near what you should be making with your photography.
So my advice: put as much time and effort into these “four pillars” as you do into your photography and photoshop skills. You will grow and prosper beyond your wildest dreams, and also, at the same time, thrill your clients with what you do!
Here’s two quotes you might find interesting on this subject:
“The successful person makes a habit of doing what the failing person doesn’t like to do.” – Thomas Edison “There are a lot of things that go into creating success. I don’t like to do just the things I like to do. I like to do things that cause the company to succeed. I don’t spend a lot of time doing my favorite activities.” – Michael Dell
All the best,
Chuck
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