Chromatek Newsletter No 108 25th October 1990

PROBLEM CUSTOMERS
Every problem you have after the initial contact be traced back to the initial contact.

In other words, you told them something or did something that was not clear to them in their mind.

This can be avoided by giving them full details of what is expected.

If you are selling promotion sittings, when they make the booking or come in for the free booking consolation they should receive a folder covering all of the points that you need them to know before the sitting, along with how the order is going to be taken and approximately how long it takes for the previews and the finished photographs.

Also included should be a profile on you and your studio written by a P.R. person that makes you look like the Second Kash of Ottowa.

This is what I call reinforcing. It is something that rein­forces to the client that they have chosen the right photographer, that they are going to get value for money, and that they are in actual fact lucky to be able to be photographed by you, the photographer.

When it comes to taking the order, again everything should be written down, including any special deals, any special framing, any special pricing, because the minute you don't write something there, your client will have a different interpretation on what you have told them than what you meant.

I am also a believer that with every contact with the client, you should be writing down little notes on your client card so that you have something to look at before your next contact which will put you in touch with what you have said to them in the past, and in actual fact you will almost be able to carry on the conversation from where you left off last time.

This of course will impress your client and make you appear to be extremely professional, which really, is this not part and partial of what the whole exercise is about?

I would also like to see at each contact with your client a thank you card going out, first of all thanking them for the booking and giving them the details about the sitting.

Second, a thank-you card thanking them for coming in for the photograph and again giving them details as to when the previews will be ready and perhaps the last newslet­ter put out by the studio.

Then a thank-you card for when they place the order, telling them the care and attention that is going to be going into the order and approximately when it will be finished, noting if it is a longer amount of time, that because of the extensive Art Work they are wanting, it may take a fraction longer than normal.

Finally a thank-you card when they have picked up their final order with a questionnaire as to how did you and the studio do?

This last is one of the most important things, because from this you get comments that you can use to publicize to other clients.

I would also possibly include with this, a sheet for them to list other people that may be interested in photography, or alternatively, this can be done at the time they place the order or pick up the order and could be done in your studio.

Perhaps you offer a bonus of "X" number of Christmas Cards if they fill in this list now.

Two most important things:
1.  References that you can use for other clients
2. A list of other people who may be in the position of wanting photographs and so from this one promotion which originally brought them in, you can multiply the one client on through to 100's.

I might say something like this:
"Thank you very much for your order Mrs Smith, and this is going to be ready in about "X" weeks time.

We will of course contact you for this and now I have a special gift for you should you wish to participate.

We have a sheet here that, if you wish, you can fill in the names of some of your friends that may be interested in photography by my Studio. "If you do this, we as a thank you, give you X Christmas Cards and envelopes that you can use for your special friends at Christmas." You then shut up and pass the list over.

That's the raw bones on it, refine it into something that you can use and you feel comfortable with, but for goodness sake start getting recommendations of new clients and start getting how did we do forms, so you can use quotations for future clients.

Chromatek Newsletter No 109 11th January 1991

WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY
There is a large number of our clients that have all of the weddings that they can handle, others are really feeling the pinch and blaming the economy.

Below is an article that came from my American bank, I would suggest you read it at least twice.

BUSINESS CYCLES: 1909 AND 1990
"Every action has an equal and opposite reaction." That's one of the first lessons of physics. It is also the premise of an old and insightful book about business cycles written in 1909 by Roger W. Babson.
The book reminds us that recessions start when people lose their jobs and begin to tighten their belts. (Shades of 1901) When consumers begin to spend less, busi­nesses also scale back.

Because both business and employees are concerned about maintaining their customers and their jobs, service begins to improve and people begin to save, Babson emphasized.

Over time, he said, products and services improve and savings accumulate.

Consequently, people who have been able to retain their jobs during a slow economy find themselves able to buy better products for less money. Finally, they begin to spend again and the economy flourishes, boosting employment and personal income.

The point of all this: It seems we are currently in an economic down turn. After eight years of prosperity, prices as well are our national debt got out of whack.

But we believe that Babson's theories are as accurate today as they were at the turn of the century. The down turn will inevitably become a strong foundation for a period of prosperity.

The difficult part is the wait.

I think there is some interesting meat there!

Some Photographers are reporting that it does not seem to matter what they offer, the people are just not booking.

Perhaps this American Photographer who writes what follows has some of the answers:-