• My friend recently decided to repaint and carpet her home. She asked her 14 year old son if he’d like any changes in his bedroom. “Sure,” he said. “Can you take out the TV? I don’t watch it anymore.“
• We have a college student working as an intern at the lab. Call his cell phone, and he doesn’t answer. Send him an e-mail, and it may take hours for a reply. Send him a text, and he responds almost instantly.
• I was at a party watching a twenty-something young lady sit in the corner alone, texting on her iPhone. I asked her “who are you talking to?” “My friends,” she replied. “I’m on Facebook telling them what a great party this is.“

These three Generation-Y young adults - children born in the 70’s through the 90’s - are your new customers. They are purchasing your graduation and wedding photographs. they are starting new families. Marketing to them is different than the traditional marketing we’re all more familiar with. Here are 7 items to put on your checklist when you plan your next marketing campaign:

1. How to reach them. Social networking has replaced the phone and email. Think Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, and texting. Gen-Y won’t read your email newsletter or see your ad on TV or in a magazine.

2. What to say. Sales language turns them off. They’ve already heard tens-of-thousands of ads in their lifetime, and are totally immune to old-school marketing speak. Instead, be authentic. Start by listening to them.

3. What they purchase. Apple, Jet Blue, Trader Joes, Jones Soda, Mountain Dew, Hollister, Old Navy and Red Bull. Pay attention to each of these brands when you see them in videos, magazines or in stores. They have a “little attitude” in their sales pitches, are unique players in their respective markets, and sell a lifestyle at a relatively low price .

4. What they’ll pay. We’ve all heard Jet Blue sells cheap airline tickets, but what about $3 bucks for a can of Red Bull? While that might seem like a lot of money for a tiny can of pop, Gen-Y will gladly pay it. Like Jet Blue, They trust this product to give them what it promises (Red Bull = energy) and it delivers.

5. Good Quality. Google any product on the Internet and you can read dozens, if not hundreds or thousands of opinions about that product’s quality. If you’re not offering great quality products and service, people will talk and others will listen and trust them. Once you get a reputation - good or bad - you can’t take it back.

6. Fast Service. If you quit answering your phone at 5pm, the customer who calls you at 5:05pm will be calling your competition at 5:10pm. Gen-Y doesn’t leave a “voice message” then wait for for you to call them back.

7. An Experience. Perhaps the most difficult to quantify, but the most critical marketing tip for long-term success. For an example, go down to your local mall this weekend and walk into a Hollister clothing store. The sights, the sounds and the smells all combine to make you feel like you’ve landed in a southern Californian beach party, the clothes and the sales staff all match the brand, yet the prices are not much different than you’d pay at Macy’s or J.C. Penny’s.

If you can focus your marketing on Gen-Y clients, you’ll be on your way to capturing the next generation of customers for your business.

Tiger Woods was on TV the other day saying how sorry he was for his mistake, and how it would never happen again.

Did you believe him?

The problem with “sorry” is that words are cheap. We’ve all read about the celebrity or politician or Minister of Propaganda from a third-world country who said something with total conviction one day, and we learned the truth was exactly the opposite the next. As consumers, we’ve become jaded. We don’t trust apologies anymore.

So what happens when your client didn’t get the prints they ordered from you on time? Did you say you were sorry? Do you think they really believed you?

As a business owner, you’ve got to follow Harry Truman’s old adage, “the buck stops here.” Here are the steps you need to take when your studio makes a mistake on an order:

Don’t play the blame game

It is human nature when something goes wrong to blurt out the name of someone else to pin the blame on (the dog ate my homework, my staff screwed up). It is a natural defense mechanism we all share. But as a business owner, you have to take full responsibility for any mistake that comes out of your studio. Don’t shift the blame. Say you’re sorry, and tell your client you’ll personally fix it. It makes them think their problem is important to you, and by inference, that they are important too.

Change a policy or process, then tell them about it

If the complaint is the result of a mix-up in communication, or someone dropped the ball at your studio, don’t just fix the customer’s problem - fix your own. Chances are the complaint you hear is only the tip of the iceberg. Then once you’ve made the fix, let your client know that their complaint resulted in a real change to your business. Again, it makes them feel that you took them seriously.

Thank your client for their complaint

For every client who complains, ten say nothing, then bad-mouth you behind your back. When you get a complaint, thank them for taking the time to bring the problem to your attention. After all, aren’t they really helping you to build a better business? Besides, nobody says “thank you” when you bring them a problem. It will immediately make them feel better about the complaint, and hopefully earn you their forgiveness.

Reward your client for their complaint

If they ordered one print, give them two. Would you rather spend an extra $2.55 on an 8×10 print or lose a client? (hint: it costs you a lot more than $2.55 to find a new client).

Follow up

Here’s an example of an note I’d want to receive if you sent me the wrong print:

Dear Tom,

I want to personally apologize for the mistake made on your order. Because of your call, we’ve improved our client services. Phoned-in order changes are now immediately confirmed by e-mail. This problem won’t happen again.

I’ve enclosed an extra copy of the 8×10 print as my way of saying “thank you” for bringing this to my attention. I really do appreciate it.

I look forward to serving you again in the future.

Regards,

John

The next time your studio makes a mistake, give this a try. It works better than saying “I’m sorry“.

Michael Zang at PetaPixel wrote an article entitled Build Your Photo Business with Nickels. In it he says:

Here’s an idea for those of you who are looking for photography clients of any kind: Offer portraits and other kinds of photographs at your local farmers market for a nickel.

In the above video by Michael Hanson for the NYTimes, architect John Morefield describes how he offers architecture advice at his local farmers market for a nickel. While a whole day of doing this might net less than a dollar, Hanson found 100% of his work for a year using this creative way to connect with potential clients.

Photographers might be able to do the same thing. Why not set up a booth in your local farmers market and offer portraits or photography help/advice for 5 cents? You could take down email addresses, pass out business cards, and later email photographs to your nickel “clients”. If 5 cents would create too much work in terms of emailing photographs, you could increase the price or tweak the strategy to your liking.

This could be an absolutely phenomenal way to build your email list. The trick isn’t to take high-res photos, but to take reasonably nice low res ones people could use on their Facebook site. It would give you an opportunity to show the difference between amateur and professional photography, and it would give you a chance to generate some buzz with a press release to the local media.

Here’s a similar example, TopShop, the hottest new clothing store in New York City this year, has a photographer on staff. When a customer buys an outfit, the photographer takes their photo and emails it to them to use on Facebook!

What do you think about the idea? Is it a waste of your time, or is it the ultimate low cost, word-of-mouth marketing strategy?

Most of us, if asked, are happy to contribute to others. It makes us feel good. Yet as small business owners, it is easy to forget about giving to others when we’re focused on the next assignment, or just paying the bills on time.

Not long ago, contributing time or money was considered a luxury that only successful studios (or beginning photographers trying to establish a clientele) could afford. Today, contributing has become an important part of many businesses’ marketing strategy. Linking your business to a cause cuts through the “noise” of advertising, and tells your customers something about you that no amount of advertising can.

The challenge of contributing is this: writing a check and sending out a press releases is not enough. Savvy consumers can tell the difference between a business who is committed to a cause, and one just looking for free advertising.

If you are ready to step up your marketing by supporting a cause, start by finding one you genuinely care about, then make it a part of the DNA of your business. If you’re only contributing to bring in clients, you won’t succeed. Only by transcending the sales relationship with your clients will they notice and trust your commitment, which in turn, will bring you more sales.

Here are some examples using photography I’ve read about over the years:

• The lady who started Flat Daddies, life-sized cut-outs of men and women serving in Iraq. Or this vet who just displays life-sized armed services members in front of his house.
• A police chief blew up life-sized cut-outs of kids, and with the help of volunteers put them on the curb in a neighborhood to discourage speeding.
• Flashes of Hope, a group that solicits volunteer photographers to take inspirational portraits of children with cancer.
• Photographers who volunteer for the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA).
• The majority of photographers I’ve met who give presentations at WPPI or DPPA.

I’m willing to bet that if you contacted any of the folks involved in these projects, they would tell you that a) they have made a difference in someone’s life, b) they feel good about it, and c) they aren’t doing it for the money. Yet every one of them has gained more visibility in the community and customer goodwill than any paid advertising ever could.

It doesn’t matter whether you volunteer, write a check, host a fundraiser, or stand on the corner carrying a sign. If you can find something you truly care about and make it part of the core of your business, not only will you feel better, but your business will be better for it too.

Dealing with unhappy customers can be one of the most frustrating parts of running a business. Refunds or discounts are the easy solution. But before you offer a refund, let me share a story that recently happened to me at an upscale restaurant.

On a recommendation, my friend and I decided to split one of the restaurant’s famous ten-dollar gourmet hamburgers (got to watch the calories). We ordered it well-done. When the burger arrived, the meat was still pink inside. Not being a picky eater, I kept the burger, and my friend ordered a second one.

Then the trouble began.

As we waited for what seemed like an eternity, my friend began to find other faults with the restaurant - no silverware, snotty waitress, crud on the mustard bottle lid. Finally, she’d had enough, and asked to see the manager.

After she recounted the story of the bad hamburger, the manager said, “I’m sorry. I’ll adjust your bill.”

Then the trouble really began.

My friend was insulted that a refund could “fix” the problem, and began to list to the manager all the other faults she had noticed with the restaurant and its service, how we’d come on a recommendation, how disappointed she was, etc. In the end we paid for a single burger, and now everyone she talks to knows where not to go for dinner.

As a business owner or manager, the simplest solution for dealing with an unhappy customer is to offer a refund. However, it is rarely the best solution. It costs you money, and you lose a customer.

Instead, when dealing with an unhappy customer you should ask, “What can I do to make you happy?“ This question has three goals:

• It forces the customer to think about what they are really unhappy about, not just what they are complaining about.
• It gives you an opportunity to save the relationship and perhaps even keep the customer.
• It reduces the chance the customer will bad-mouth you to their friends (other potential customers).

While I cannot guarantee this approach will work with every unhappy customer, I can guarantee offering a refund won’t do your business any favors. My friend can vouch for that.

The bride-to-be walked into the community center where she planned to have her reception. While speaking with the manager, he showed her several photographs of the hall beautifully decorated. At the end of their conversation, the manager said, “If you don’t have a photographer yet, let me recommend one.” Then he mentioned your name.

When you shoot a wedding, you work along side a church, a reception hall, a florist, a caterer, a baker, a wedding gown shop, and a wedding planner. Each of these folks has a small business just like yours, and each needs great photography of their work.

If their best marketing photography comes from you, who do you think they will recommend as a photographer?

For example, if you take a  cake shot, print an extra 8×10 ($2.55 JD Deluxe for the second print) and send it to the cake decorator with a short cover letter telling them you thought they would like a professional print of their work. Tell them how beautiful the cake was. Do the same for the hall, the church, the caterer and the florist. Most of them leave their business cards at the event, so it is easy to get their addresses.

After a couple prints, they’ll learn that recommending you gets them a free print. They may even pay you to take photos for their advertising.

Word-of-mouth is the best form of advertising. Wouldn’t it be great to have lots of people who talk to brides every day mentioning your name?

Photography by Sam Sarkis

I watched a funny Youtube video the other day by a comedian who’s entire act revolves around showing a bad Powerpoint presentation (if you’ve ever used Powerpoint, you’d laugh too).

How could you adapt this idea as a way to market your studio? One way would be to create a 10-minute talk and slide show about “bad” photography. Here’s the first sentence:

“In 1888 George Eastman patented a camera that used rolls of film. If he ever saw this photograph, he would have smashed it with a hammer.”

Gather about 15-20 bad photographs, or take them yourself. Make a funny talk about the bad photography we all take, or if you are not a good speaker, give a more serious talk on how to take a good picture. Either way, make it breezy, informal, and informative - and keep it under 10 minutes long.

Once you have your presentation ready, call up the local Kiwanis, Rotary, Chamber of Commerce, etc. and offer to be a guest speaker at their monthly meeting. Tell them you have a 10-minute presentation, and that you’ll need a projector and screen (or bring your own). Every group needs a new guest speaker every month, so it won’t be long before you get a return call.

Here’s the key to success: have a pre-written introduction for them to read before your presentation, and hand out business cards immediately afterward. You’ll both establish yourself as a photographic expert in the community, and put your card in the hands of influencers who can get you assignments in the future. In addition, if your presentation is very funny, you’ll soon be getting calls from other groups asking if you can speak in front of their membership too.

If you can put together a great 10 minute presentation, you can turn it into a powerful marketing tool that will put you miles ahead of the competition.

I read a great article recently about the benefits of WOM - word of mouth marketing. Almost every photographer will tell you their best marketing bang comes from satisfied customers who tell their friends.

The article broke down what it is exactly about WOM that makes it so powerful, and how you can use this knowledge to your advantage.

First, it said that WOM “works” because it comes from a trusted source. The source could be a friend or family member, but it is most often an influencer. For example, if you want to sell senior photos, hire the most popular boy and girl in high school to promote your studio. If you want to sell business portraits, shoot the president or the best salesperson in the company.

Imagine tomorrow morning on Oprah’s show she said you were her personal photographer? Your phone would be ringing off the hook before the show was over. Find the influencers in your community, make them your customers, and your WOM marketing will be explosive.

Second, the article said that WOM works best when it delivers a product that solves a problem, not because it is “cool” or “hip” or “trendy”. Here’s an example: the next time you offer a baby photo special, instead of focusing your marketing on package prices or the number of poses, focus on conveniences like free parking up close, day care for the other kids during the shoot, or sessions completed in a half-hour or less.

If you can make it easy for a mom to get her child photographed AND the photos look great AND the price is fair, you’ll not only have a customer for life, you’ll have an influencer that will push your WOM marketing to a whole new level.

During tough economic times, it’s easy to get discouraged by poor sales. Below is the fifth of ten specific things you can do starting today that will give your business the boost it needs to survive:

Click here if you missed part 1 , part 2, part 3 or part 4

Networking is the art of considering every person you meet a potential customer. It is a powerful tool used by every successful salesperson.

Consider this: almost every person you meet today will hire a wedding photographer, a senior photographer, a family photographer or a portrait photographer at some point in their lives. Why shouldn’t that photographer be you?

Only by putting your business card in their hands can you be sure a potential customer will think of you first.

Unfortunately, networking has a bad reputation. Most people think of the brother-in-law who corners them at every family gathering and tries to sell them life insurance. But professionals know that networking is based around always having a business card in your pocket, and giving one to every new person you meet. If they are interested, they will ask you about photography…no sales are required.

Where should you go to network? Imagine where your perfect customer likes to be. People who have the money to spend on portraiture in a bad economy aren’t sitting around the house. Instead you‘ve got to be seen and noticed in places your customers will be: local charity events, grand openings, or live theatre for example.

Speaking of getting noticed, if you haven’t updated your wardrobe lately, now is the time to invest in a stylish jacket, haircut, glasses, etc. If you’re not sure what to wear, clip out a few photos of photographers from a magazine you like and take them to the store as a guide.

When you look great, you’ll feel great, and people will remember you. When it comes to networking, that’s all you need.

During tough economic times, it’s easy to get discouraged by poor sales. Below is the forth of ten specific things you can do starting today that will give your business the boost it needs to survive:

Click here if you missed part 1 , part 2 or part 3

Cultivate referrals. A referral is an endorsement of you by your customer to their friends. It should be the logical conclusion of every sale. The secret is not to call them referrals (sounds like sales) but instead call them “introductions.”

Ask for an introduction any time you get a complement from a customer.

When your customer says “my portrait was perfect,” the next thing you should say is something like “Thank you. Can you introduce me to anyone you know who might like one too?” Now wait a moment. If the customer immediately pulls out her address book, accept 2 or 3 names from them, and say thanks. If the customer seems unsure, you can add, “I depend on nice folks like you telling others about my work. If you could help me with just one or two introductions I’d appreciate it.”

If you get 2-3 names, call (or e-mail) them immediately and say, “I just finished photographing your friend, and they thought you might be interested in something similar for you.” If they are interested, book a session. If not, say “Can I e-mail you some upcoming specials at my studio?”

Either way you have a potential new customer.

Here’s an extra tip: if the referral makes a purchase, immediately reward the original customer with a special gift (a small framed print from your fine-art collection, for example) so that they make the connection between the gift and the referral in their mind.

These words may feel uncomfortable to say at first, but if you (and your staff) memorize them, you’ll be amazed at how many extra sales they will bring in.