Today’s post is written by Lara White of PhotoMint.
Most photographers have no idea how to get clients. Sound familiar? There’s a manual for using your gear, classes on lighting, and books about composition. But what about getting business in the door? Oh, you’ll find the usual suspects. You might sign up for monthly online advertising packages that cost an arm and a leg and offers a vague promise to “help you achieve your business objective” whatever that means. Perhaps you put in a few weeks of earnest effort on Facebook only to have 17 fans (and half of them are related to you).
So what’s the secret-the magic formula? The secret is, there is no magic formula. But there is one thing behind the success of many well-known photographers, and that’s networking.
Networking is all about expanding your contacts and meeting people who might want to do business with you or send you referrals. However, it requires some finesse in order to get the results you are looking for.
It’s a very effective technique for photographers when done right. As a wedding photographer, networking is the foundation of my business. I network with planners, florists, designers and anyone and everyone connected to the event industry. More than 70% of my business comes from networking and follow up, and I’ve put together some tips for you so you can experience the same kind of results. It doesn’t matter what type of photography you do; all photographers need good contacts in order to thrive.
Many people take the wrong approach and give up after attending one or two events. Learn how to make it work like a charm for you.
Advance Planning
Advance planning is one of the little known secrets to successful networking. Just a few minutes makes a huge difference. Do you know how many people go to networking events without a single business card? Restock your business cards and brochures (don’t you hate it when you meet someone awesome and you reach for a business card and it’s one of those dirty, dog-eared cards that’s been in your wallet forever?)
If you can review the rsvp list, see who’s attending that you want to meet or connect with so you can prepare how to approach them. For example, if you’ve wanted to get into pet photography, see if anyone in the pet industry (groomer, vet, pet store owner) is attending.
Finally, have a few interesting stories picked out that you can share. Remember, most people think of photography as a glamorous career and would like to hear a few highlights or funny stories.
Goals
Why are you going and what do you want to accomplish? If you are a wedding photographer, you might set a goal of meeting two new event planners. Or you set a goal of walking up to three strangers and starting a conversation. The goal should be reasonable; you are not trying to sign new clients, just meeting people. Talking to strangers and making friends.
Walk Up to Strangers
Let’s talk a bit more about that. Because this is crucial. Networking is about making contacts and creating business relationships. To make this happen, you do have to walk up to strangers and introduce yourself. This is hard; but luckily, that’s the point of the event, so you are not doing anything unexpected. One trick I use is to pick someone who looks nervous and go talk to them. You know the type-a lone soul hugging a wall and nervously looking around. If I can get out of my own fear for a moment and think about helping someone else, it’s a lot easier to walk over to them and introduce myself. Typically they are grateful to be rescued and eager to talk to someone. Once I’ve done that, I’m usually a bit more warmed up and ready to meet more people.
Tip: Have a few openers in mind. You might ask someone if this is their first event with the organization, comment (positively) on the venue, food or view, or ask how they are enjoying the event so far. From there, the idea is to keep the conversation going to get to know the other person and allow them to get to know you.
Be a Good Listener
Networking is an interesting mix of business and social. You don’t want to come off as all business because that’s kind of boring and no one wants to be sold to. Yet you don’t want to overshare about personal details. Think of it as making business friends. To make a great connection with someone, be a good listener. People love to talk about themselves. Ask questions and genuinely try to get to know people. Smile and make eye contact when talking with them.
Follow Up
At the beginning you want to get to know them better, so don’t send over a business proposal or suggest how they can help you. Instead, try a Facebook friend request, follow them on Twitter, or just send them a note letting them know you enjoyed meeting them. If you talked about a product or service, you could send a link to more info, but keep it casual. If the connection is strong, invite them out for drinks to continue the conversation.
Tip:Think of images as a type of currency you can use to build relationships. Most businesses are desperate for good marketing images. If they have the capacity to send business and refer clients to you, is there a collaborative project you can come up with to get them marketing images and new clients for you? For wedding photographers, this is easy. Provide venues and planners with a disc of images from their events and you’ll start to see referrals.
One portrait photographer created 20×30 wall portraits of hair stylists in a salon and was able to pick up new clients from the salon’s customers. It was an easy sell-when salon customers asked about the gorgeous image of their stylist up on the wall, the stylists couldn’t help but gush about the photographer. Kind of brilliant, actually.
Just remember, networking events can open the door. It’s up to you to walk through it and turn that opening into a relationship.
Note from Jamie: Want to learn all of Lara’s secrets for getting referrals through networking with vendors? Check out her new ebook Get Connected: Build Relationships to Drive Your Business (affiliate link). She sent me a copy to review and it’s absolutely fantastic. While I knew many of the concepts she talks about, there were an incredible amount of concrete examples of things to do that I hadn’t thought about that I will be implementing. Definitely a must-have resource if you’re looking for more clients (and who isn’t?).
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