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Rangefinder
Magazine Planning: The Root of all Success
by Joel Levin
This gentleman was not alone. Both in the seminar and in the industry today. So many photographers find themselves challenged to develop a creative marketing plan prior to the beginning of each calendar year. Even the most skilled and gifted photographers are scrambling to figure out from where next month’s income is going to materialize. The obvious question is ‘why are you worrying about next month…this month?” The plans and programs for next month should have been ‘put to bed’ at least six months ago! Creativity & Organizational Planning
Each month’s special theme should be preceded by a special mailing to your best customers. This should occur at least four weeks prior to the beginning of the month. You will then have time to make necessary appointments and have your staff prepared to handle the customers. As the year develops, you will have a better idea of how successful each program was and how to ‘tweak’ it for next year. Make sure to keep copious notes, so that you can critique each month’s sales success objectively. Organizational Planning: Now for the large-scale planning. Depending on your expertise and specific photographic skill, you will need to organize your studio to handle the “core business.” This will determine whether or not you will be successful enough to worry about planning for any subsequent years! First and foremost, if you don’t have a computer software program that allows you to manage your client base, schedule appointments, follow-up with potential clients, notify clients of specific seasonal specials, etc., you should get one quickly. This is not a job you can do with a Daytimer™ and a cup of coffee! You need a professional system by which you determine who, what, when, why, and how to do the things that are necessary to run a successful studio. Organization comes in two parts, internal and external. Internal Planning. All of us believe that we understand the concept of “just in time delivery.” Unfortunately, this process is very dangerous in a photographic studio. If you don’t plan the internal pieces and parts of your inventory and personnel, you are going to find yourself out of stock and understaffed at the most inopportune times. Things such as folders, folios, albums, proof books, frames, and panel mounts are a few of the items that must be closely followed and kept up to speed. Items such as backgrounds, backdrops, lights, shadow boxes, and camera equipment must be in good repair or should be replaced prior to a seasonal rush. You must anticipate your staffing needs, according to past experience. You don’t want to be shorthanded at a busy time of the year. If you’re not sure, have a contingency plan using a flexible schedule for some part-time employees. This will help you get through the heaviest part of your year and show your clients how considerate a truly well run studio can be.
You need to seriously evaluate your client base and use your electronic expertise to keep in close contact with your very best customers. By this I mean, choose six to eight opportunities with which you can communicate to these “key revenue sources.” Whether you send out an e-mail, postcard, or personal telephone call, you must keep the lines of communication open and fresh. These people are your customers for life, if you do this properly. They will be loyal, their children will be loyal, the people who see your work in their homes and get a referral will be loyal, and so on. So, if the above has stimulated your gray matter and you are ready to get serious about the positive growth of your business, then “Just do it!” There are quite a few professional sources for the type of planning you will need. If possible, speak with your peers first. They may have the answers you are looking for, without the initial outlay. But get started now and you will see immediate results! Joel Levin is the executive vice president of The Levin
Company. He can be reached at Levin’s company web site: www.levinframes.com. |
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During
one of my recent seminars, I was asked a very interesting question by
one of the attendees. This older man, with a haggard look, remarked “What
in the world can I do to get more business into my studio?” I was
taken aback by the unanimous chorus of background chatter that seemed
to support this question. I thought to myself, “this should be the
first issue that every businessman addresses,” whether or not they
are in the photographic business.
Creativity:
When you sit down with a blank sheet of paper, partitioned for the twelve
months of the year, think of how many ‘themes’ and special
programs can be exploited each month and how much lead time should be
given to your clients in order to react to your programs. Let’s
see—January is New Years, Back to School, Winter Sports, etc. February
is Valentine’s Day, Washington’s Birthday, Lincoln’s
Birthday, etc. March is St. Patrick’s Day, Easter, etc. You can
figure out the big ones— Mother’s Day, Father’s Day,
Halloween, and so on—any opportunity to bring big clients in for
a sitting. Children’s portraits and family portraits are the life
blood of most studios. Get the idea?
External
Planning. Here’s where you will really see how planning
will make you a success. I have heard too many people regret not having
planned their holiday season properly, after I suggested a July family
portrait promotion. Think of it—everyone is home from college or
off from work. What a great opportunity to bring in the family for a beautiful
portrait to be delivered between Thanksgiving and Christmas! After all,
the summer gives you endless venues for outdoor portraiture that are not
available in the fall. You can’t swing that one in October!