This is Nico. He’s worked with Ben and Jerry’s Minneapolis since he was in high school. I can tell you his kids’ names, his wife’s name and that one of his favorite hobbies is collecting vintage men’s clothing. Why? I like to get to know my clients, because they are people with real lives not just “contacts” on a Rolodex. Meeting and learning more about interesting people has been one of my favorite aspects of being a professional photographer. It also happens to coincide beautifully with my No. 1 lesson from 10 years in business. Read on below for more.
“Always be a first-rate version of yourself and not a second rate version of someone else.”– Judy Garland
An email recently came through my inbox that piqued my attention. “You did some headshots for me eons ago …” the message started. I recognized the name and at first figured the woman may have lost her photo files and was hoping I may still have them available (I did), but she was actually inquiring to see if I’d be interested and available in creating some new profile photos for her daughter who was starting her new career as a real estate agent. This was a huge compliment as I had only worked with this woman once and she cared enough to keep my information after all these years. She also trusted I would provide the same level of professionalism and positive experience for her daughter that she had with me in the past.
The story struck me for a couple of reasons. One, the timing made me realize how long I had been in business (Anthologie is entering the final weeks of its 10th year). And two, I must be doing something right for clients to come back after several years, so maybe I had some tips to share on being your own boss? Here’s the top 10.
10. Say thank you! It may sound silly but you’d be surprised how many cold encounters there are in our modern business landscape. You may meet a client or prospect one day and completely forget their name the next. One way to stand out is to tell them thank you. Seriously. It doesn’t have to be a grand gesture. A simple two-sentence email can mean a huge difference to the overall experience to the other party. If someone took 60 minutes out of their day to hear about your product or service you should let them know you appreciate that. My mom taught me at an early age to send handwritten notes — in the mail — to let others know I cared about the gift or experience they presented to me. It stuck with me and some times I still do this today in business. You can bet that when your contacts receive a handwritten letter sealed in an envelope they will remember you.
9. Prepare. This could very well be No. 1 on the list but here goes … Preparing can mean a lot of different things, from time-consuming research into a prospect’s brand performance and goals to the seemingly insignificant, like where to park to arrive at your meeting on time. As a photographer, preparation is a huge part of my job — in more ways than one. One area I always prepare is in the very tangible sense of making sure my equipment is charged and ready to go before arriving on a job site. It also means making sure I have the necessary equipment to complete the job and back-up equipment at the ready if anything should fail (which it does). I often scout the intended locations in advance, too, without my clients ever knowing. Be the person you want others to see even when they’re not looking. Do some groundwork before your next meeting. It may pay off more than you realize. Oh, and if you notice there’s no time in your work itinerary to eat, pack granola bars, almonds and water — nothing with Dijon mustard or chocolate if you want to keep your work wardrobe looking presentable.
8. Know your worth. One of the hardest things to accept when starting a business is that your time is valuable. After all, you’re going into business to hopefully do something you enjoy, so in some ways you may feel — gulp — guilty for charging for your product or service. Stop already! To take this a step further, being an expert at a skill usually means you’ve put years of work into it and often times it means you can perform a critical task more efficiently than someone with less experience. Don’t fall into the mindset that because the work comes “easy” to you you should charge less. When you hire a chiropractor to adjust your spine, you’re not paying for the 15 minutes of time it took for her to work on your back on a given day. You’re paying for the years of education, training, testing and certifying it took for her to do the job safely and with confidence. Also, in my experience, most of my clients truly enjoy when I can swiftly complete the job rather than dragging out the process so they feel like they “received their money’s worth.”
7. Adapt. I think the greatest asset you can have in any job from this point on in history is the ability to quickly adapt and learn new things. Let’s face it, YouTube has exponentially increased the pace at which we can learn a new skill. When I started professionally in the photography industry, the norm was to bulk roll film, process negatives and scan them in to PhotoShop for editing and final output. Digital cameras were around but they were beastly expensive and terrible in quality. Now, you can carry around a 40-megapixel camera in your pocket, do a fair job of editing and lighting with an app, and publish your work to anyone in the world in just a few seconds. We can no longer afford to get caught up in the “this is the way things have always been done” mentality. The world is moving fast and you need to keep up or someone else who is more apt to survive a pivot in job responsibilities will soon be filling your shoes.
This is Peg, who contacted me for new headshots when we she was beginning a new career in the travel industry. Rather than a formal suit, she opted for a beachy look, replete with turquoise to hint to the Caribbean blue waters where she helps to send her clients on their dream vacations.
6. Dress appropriate to the job. This may seem like a no-brainer but it really is important. People absolutely have visual prejudices and are wickedly fast at sizing you up if you stick out like a sore thumb. I’ll be the first to admit I dress pretty casual most days as I’m often working on the ground in a dirty outdoor environment. But you can bet I dress differently when I’m photographing a formal ball. Don’t be afraid to ask questions ahead of time. No one will think you’re silly for doing so. Likewise, if you’re entertaining a client or setting up a job interview, dress in line with where that next step may take you, not for where you are today.
5. Find a positive lesson from a bad situation. Bad things happen at work. You’re not the first person to ever have a nightmare client or to get rear-ended on your way to an important meeting. I know I may come off self-righteous but finding something good in every situation — no matter how bad — is a habit I really do strive to put into daily practice. I can’t tell you the amount of times I’ve had critical photography equipment fail at the absolute worst moment (and there’s no such thing as an opportune time). Yes, it sucks and it’s expensive, but I can learn this is a part of business and I really should have an equipment fund going at all times so that when things break I can fix or replace them without stress. If you have a client with unreasonable expectations then perhaps it’s a lesson to better communicate what those expectations are for both parties with the next big job. This lesson doesn’t have to be for lofty issues only. If you purchase a $15 business book and find that 99.9% is garbage and doesn’t speak to you, dig for that .01% that does and find value from the lessons there.
This is Troy making new connections at a networking event for Accelerated Global Connections. Troy can provide piece of mind for all your technology woes through managed IT services for your business with his company SOL-IS, but did you know he’s a U.S. Navy veteran and likes to coach soccer and vacation in Hawaii?
4. Meet a lot of people. There are always exceptions to the rule, but I still think being a social butterfly in the real world world pays more dividends than being popular in the realm of social platforms. People still buy from and seek help from those they trust. How does your business earn that trust? Through conversation. Say your friend moves to a new city that’s only a 15-minute drive from your home. They mention that they’re looking for a new dentist so they don’t have to drive across the city for their next check up. When you mention you enjoy the personal attention your hygienist provides for you and your kids at your preferred dental office and how she remembers what they’re up to in school and their extracurricular activities it will stick. Who will your friend listen to? You, the person they’ve known and shared 20+ years of life experiences with, or Person A. on an online review board? Go to networking events, join a Chamber group and become “my friend Jon who is an expert at exactly what you’re looking for” versus the anonymous service provider with 3 online reviews.
3. Trust your gut. There is science behind this, but I can tell you anecdotally that is so true. If you’re meeting with a new customer or about to hire a new vendor and you’re just not getting a good vibe there’s good reason to trust your instincts. Chances are it’s a bad fit for both parties, so don’t feel the pressure to overcompensate and try to make it work. On the flip side of that coin, I’ve also had plenty of positive opportunities arise when a prospect seems like a dead end to others, but for some reason I feel the opposite. For more on this concept I highly recommend Malcolm Gladwell’s book, “Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking.”
2. Be purposeful with your actions. My final two tips may seem to contradict one another, but I think they are more like the yin and yang of business conduct. You need to do everything with work on purpose. Imagine you step into a colleague’s office to tell her you have to leave now for the lunch date the two of you had planned but see she’s in the middle of an important work conversation with another co-worker. How do you relay the message? Now, think about the same situation only this time you have to leave because your spouse was in a car accident? Will you deliver the message with more urgency? Will you interrupt? There are an infinite number of ways you can enter that office and put the right nuance to your communication to appropriately fit the situation, right down to the speed you enter and your body language once you cross the threshold. Now, say you’re going to make a post on Instagram. Ask yourself: Why am I making this post? If it’s simply because it’s on your calendar and you think you should chances are it’s not going to be all that effective. However, if you say to yourself: I’m going to post this photo and caption in order to let our audience know about a new service we’re providing then your message will be much more clear. Always ask yourself the “why.” Why am I meeting with this prospect? Why am I going to this networking event? And then answer those questions with your actions.
Just some of the amazing Rock Starts at Wild Fig Marketing. Yes, they really do act like this when no one is looking. Oh, and Kevin in the middle, can melt your face with his rendition of Iron Maiden’s “Run to the Hills” with a real guitar. Be sure to check them out if you’d like to take your business to the next level and have fun doing it.
1. Be yourself. Now you can see how these top two tips are a balancing act, right? You need to be purposeful with your actions, but also remain true to who you are. Being yourself, to me, is really the glue that holds all the other tips together. If you’re really a laid-back person then don’t pretend to be a game-show announcer when it comes to a pitch meeting. Study up to deliver your message with confidence but do it as yourself, not a character you want to portray. People can sense when you’re not being genuine and it doesn’t go a long way to building the trust we all need to be successful in business. I also enjoy getting to know clients on a more personal basis and ask a lot of questions about their interests outside of work. If clients mention they’re snowmobiling enthusiasts I won’t feign interest because I’ve never owned a snowmobile. Instead, I’ll keep asking questions until we find common ground elsewhere. It may turn out we’ve been fishing on the same lakes every summer and then we’ll be chatting like old friends because the experiences shared are true. Furthermore, the stories will be much more “sticky” when they’re authentic. So guess what happens the next time your client returns to that same lake or small town you’ve both been visiting for decades? They’ll remember you.
