You Need the Whole Enchilada

© 2011 Selina Maitreya

NOTE: This is a guest blog post by Selina Maitreya. At the end of the post is a special deal that will net you nearly $300 worth of valuable photographic information. I urge you to take advantage of this incredible offer.

(Additional NOTE: If you have entered the contest, you should have gotten an email from me today. If you did not, send me a note and I will find your registration.)

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When creating a successful sales and marketing program you need the whole enchilada. (If you find yourself saying “but I can afford to do it all” make a note but read on:)

Everything starts with a complete visual product.

No vision? No need for anything else. All subsequent steps rely on a body of work. ALL your sales and marketing tools are worthless if you don’t have The goods. Lets take a look at why.

Lets assume a buyer has a project (finally). They refer back to one of your marketing tools, and call to ask for your print book. If you don’t have one (because you’re convinced that nobody looks at print books). There goes the assignment. Maybe the next interested creative goes to your site looking for a “deep example” of the type of vision needed for their assignment, and all they see are one or two examples mixed in with lots of other types of photography or approaches. The “body of work “needed isn’t there you’ve wasted their time and your money. They wont be calling again.

Clearly, a vision based body of work, is number one.

So, lets assume you have the vision piece down. Who are you going to sell to? If you have the vision and you are selling to the wrong contacts, no success. You need a data base of potential buyers (contacts who may have your type of assignment in the future) chosen carefully and thoughtfully, one that is large enough to support your out reach efforts (direct mail, visual email) and a second more select group (from the larger database) for in person portfolio visits. Work on this.

So now, lets assume you’ve got the vision-based body of work, and you have developed your database now you need to commit to 4-5 different sales channels. Yes 4-5!

Sales channel options: (*= Must haves)

– *Web site
– Blog
– *Visual email
– *Visual direct mail
– *In person portfolio showings
– In person Networking opportunities
– *Social Online networking
– Portal placement
– Print sourcebook
– Press

You will need to develop a plan of approach that represents the *must have options and 2-3 other avenues for visibility.

BUT before you move forward you must decide on how much of a financial investment you will be making this year. YUP I’m talking budget!

Crazy? No, smart. Get smart, get started.

Selina Maitreya has been a highly regarded consultant to commercial photographers for the last 30 years. She is the author of “How to Succeed In Commercial Photography: Insights From a Leading Consultant”, available now at selinamaitreya.com.

“How to Succeed In Commercial Photography”, speaks through Selina’s voice and the voices of photographers, clients and other consultants all who share information and inspiration with photographers on how to have a life in photography. It is sold worldwide.

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Thanks to Selina for this article. This is part of the “Blog Tour” that Selina is doing for this book. I have read it twice and it gives me a lot of ideas for moving forward. This is NOT a photo book or a lighting book or something that will tell you how to beat the sun. It will tell you how to beat the bushes and how to beat the terrible negativity that is out there. There are plenty of good lighting books out there (hey, here’s one) but there are precious few books that address the”life” that is commercial photography.

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