During a recent panel discussion, I sat across from a room of photographers that worked in a wide cross-section of our industry. Despite the multitude of great tips and techniques we wished to bestow upon our audience, they all wanted to discuss one thing and one thing only - recession.

The news media, online message boards, and popular blogs seem to have instilled a lot of fear and uncertainty into the minds of photographers. It seems all signs point to our impending doom and gloom economy that is either at hand or soon to be delivered.

That being said, it’s high time we bring a little perspective to this situation as it relates to the business of photography - and those of you who make a living off of it. I personally have numerous clients who are booked and paid for over a years worth of projects. This includes portrait, wedding, news, and editorial photographers. Many veteran photographers will say things like “I’ve seen recessions come and go, I’m still in business after 20 years.”

So I asked them: “How do you do it?”

Their answers should force you to reacquaint yourself with the business/sales fundamentals that both veteran and newbie photographers use to remain busy and most importantly - financially healthy:

• Relationships are the key value you provide to customers - people like to buy from people they like
• Quality is subjective - you rarely beat a competing vendors quote on quality alone
• Pricing is a factor of quality, your relationship with your prospect, and the perceived value of your service - if you’re a joy to work with, your fees are a non-issue
• Referrals are the lifeblood of over 75% of our clients business
• Treat every customer like it’s your only customer
• Your technical prowess and Lightroom chops are of no interest to your customer - your ability to deliver on time, on budget, and with quality work is what matters
• Pick up the phone and dial - calling past customer, prospects, friends, and associates to tell them you are looking for projects works wonders to build relationships and opportunities
• Follow up - leave no email unanswered, no phone call unreturned, and no meeting missed
• Research your competition - they are researching you

If you are a new startup, or a veteran, a quick list of timeless advice is available here. It’s no mystery why so many established businesses are trying to run like an early stage startup - they’re nimble, responsive, and HUNGRY! I’m also going to steal a line from Gary Fong - “relationships are recession-proof”.

Until next time … happy selling!

Brandon Oelling
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