by Skip Cohen

Ever think about the impression you make when a potential client walks through the door...of your website?

A future client wandering through cyberspace is like shopping for your mother's birthday present. You know you need to get her something, but you don't know what. The solution is to wander through the stores in the mall looking for ideas. So many of you don't realize your website is one of those stores.

In the United States, an estimated 273 million people, or about 80.4% of the population, shop online.This number is projected to increase to almost 289.91 million by 2027. (Google A.I.) 

When people come to your site, are they walking through Nordstroms, where everything is easy to find and nicely displayed, or is your site the equivalent of Macy's the day after Christmas? Your website needs to be an experience and have a look and feel that connects with the shopper.

by Skip Cohen

We're into Spring seasonality, but there are still too many of you who instead of taking action to build your business, are waiting for the sales or marketing fairy to come in and sprinkle success dust on your career! The result is endless procrastination, and soon it'll be too late to have any serious positive impact...so, STOP PROCRASTINATING!

Since starting this blog in 2013, I've done several series of posts to help small business owners, primarily photographers/videographers, build a stronger business. This current series, Business Breakthroughs, started at the end of January. There have been twelve different topics. From ending procrastination to keeping negative people out of your life, and everything in between, I've covered so many significant challenges you face.

The biggest challenge for every business is breaking through the noise—the chaos in your target audience's lives that distracts them from recognizing the importance of your role in the community. Many of you forget your value as a magician, helping people capture intangible moments and turning them into memories that last a lifetime!

Below are twelve links to past Business Breakthroughs. Spring seasonality is on your doorstep, with Mother's Day, prom season, graduation, and Father's Day all coming up over the next two months. All along the way, there will be opportunities for you to grow your business and increase revenue...but I can only help with ideas. 

You're the only one who can build your business and turn 2025 into one of your most successful years as an artist. Each banner below links to the original article. Think about where you need to fine-tune and then attack the challenge.

I have a few more topics to share, but if you're stuck and need more help, you know where to find me!

*Quote by Janet Dailey

by Skip Cohen

While this is a Marketing Monday post about the business of imaging, Steve Jobs's quote is good advice for just about everyone I know in today's opinionated, polarized political environment. However, I'm staying on point and sharing ideas related to being a photographer, videographer, and small business owner.

Photography is an art form that family members and friends often misunderstand. They don't understand your passion. They assume you're going to starve in the process. They may never have seen your work and question whether or not you're good enough. They don't understand why you can't just go out and get a "real job"!  Sound familiar?

On the old GoingPro podcasts, Scott Bourne and I talked a lot about surrounding yourself with people with positive attitudes. You need to block out the "Negators." It's not out of Greek mythology, but it should be.  Negators are people who are so unhappy in their own lives; their only joy in life is screwing with yours!

The result is most often serious damage to your self-confidence. So, here are a few suggestions to help you stay focused (pun intended) and give you a little reinforcement. You know how to focus your camera, but do you know how to hold the focus on your career path and your business?

• Surround yourself with positive people. While developing more positivity, it all starts by toning down the Negators in your life. Sooner or later, the Negators will hopefully come around, but for now, those people who are throwing up the roadblocks need to be kept on the sidelines. The only thing they're contributing to your life is stress!
• Look at old images. Go back and look at the images you captured early on in your career. It might have been a party you photographed, a landscape while on vacation, or maybe just a few shots of your kids. Now, compare them to where you are today. If you don't see a difference, you're in trouble, but most of you will see growth in the way you compose and expose today. As you get more experienced, there should be some serious changes seen in lighting, composition, depth of field, and your creativity.
• Roberto Valenzuela suggested a terrific tool for practicing the craft on a GoingPro podcast many years ago. He suggested you go back to the last wedding you photographed and look at all the bad images.  "Look for what you missed and learn to understand why each image wasn't good!"
• Enter some images in print competition. This is a personal favorite. Whether you enter prints or not, at least attend the judging at the next convention, where it's open to the public. Listen to what the judges are saying about each print. Use their suggestions as guidance for your own work.
• Find yourself a supportive Facebook forum. There are so many groups within photography, and while you'll occasionally run across a troll who doesn't like the images you share, just remember, "Beauty is in the eyes of the checkbook holder!"
• Join your local chapter or guild of professional photographers. Sooner or later, everyone shares the same frustrations. A local chapter of other artists becomes a support group and an essential part of your network. There's a lot of good comfort in knowing your peers share some of the same concerns and frustrations. 
• Don't respond to trolls! When you do step out into the public forums and get shot at by a troll, don't let yourself get caught up in the battle. Don't respond. They hide behind the anonymity of their computer screens. Your silence is far more effective at driving them mad!

Most important of all...Listen to your heart. It sounds hokey, but you know what you feel inside. You know what your gut instinct is saying about your passion for being an artist. You know what's a good fit, but negativity will slow you down. 

It's April, and the "busy season" is about to start picking up everywhere, in spite of everyone's fear of the unknown with the cost of living and the economy. But here's another way to look at all the challenges we're dealing with today—creating special memories with family and friends has become even more important. Nobody can take away great memories, and as an imaging artist, your skills in helping people capture them is even more valuable today.

​You've got the best part of the year ahead of you. It's time to really dig into your journey. And if you need a little help from one of the industry's biggest cheerleaders - you know where to find me!

by Skip Cohen

I started this series to help photographers overcome the chaos that prevents them from making their businesses a greater success. While some of you may think paying attention to your phone style is outdated, replaced by texting and emails, it's anything but obsolete. The art of conversation is desperately needed more than ever in business today.​

How you handle yourself over the phone is at the top of the list of critical marketing tools. Even though email and texting drive the world, a live call is still one of the very best relationship-building techniques in business!

There was a time when "Ma Bell" used to teach classes on phone etiquette for business clients. I remember being sent to a workshop in my Customer Service days at Polaroid and thinking how stupid it was to suggest I didn't have the skill set to answer the phone. But it wasn't about answering the phone; it was about using the phone as a customer service tool.

At least once a week, I'm chasing a company to find an answer to a question. Comcast is one of the worst, but in all honesty, they're not alone. We live in a world of defaults and A.I. which rarely gets you to a live body.

Recently, it took me three transfers before I got the right department and an expert capable of answering my question at one of the most recognized companies in the world. Plus, my call was answered offshore, and only one of the four people I spoke with actually sounded sincere when empathizing with my complaint. By the time I got to the last person, I was so tired of being handed off. I was frustrated and rude, and it really wasn't the fault of the rep but the people who designed the response system of their company.

Looking for more great reminders on Customer Service overall? Check out Shep Hyken's blog. He's always sharing ideas on how to exceed client expectations!

by Skip Cohen

It's Marketing Monday, and we're also coming down to the wire, ending the "slow season." This is my tenth post in the Business Breakthrough series for this year. The concept is based on things you should be doing to help you break through all the noise your target audience is dealing with.

Regarding timing, just because incoming business is slow through the year's first quarter doesn't let you off the hook. Now is the time to prepare for spring seasonality and the year ahead.

Today, your Internet presence is the equivalent of a brick-and-mortar business just a few years ago. It's your storefront, and it's important to make a visit to your cyberspace real estate a memorable experience. Just like those stores people like to shop at most, they have a choice.

Although I've written a lot about your galleries over the years, it's a topic that I can't say enough about. Less is more - and you don't need to show every image you've captured - just the very best ones. The images you show in your galleries are important to "hooking" your clients into wanting to see more of you and then contacting you. 

The goal is for your business to thrive, NOT just survive. Remember, the difference between "survive" and "thrive" is just a few letters combined with some well-placed energy!

by Skip Cohen

"Business Breakthroughs" are all about ideas to help you fine-tune your business. They're all about more ways to break through the chaos of reaching your target audience. And, since it's Marketing Monday, here's a checklist to help you raise the bar on customer service.

​Too slow in your follow-ups? How's that working for you?​ Anyone who contacts you, whether they're a client, potential client, vendor, or associate, judges you on your response time, together with the accuracy of your response and your perceived sincerity.

Phone Calls: How quickly do you return a call to a client? Many years ago, Gene Ho, a wedding photographer in Myrtle Beach, told me how his system works in responding to clients. If he's on the road and unavailable, an assistant catches the message and texts Gene or gets back to the potential bride directly. Often, his studio has locked in the client before his competitors even open their emails.

Checking Your Email: Things really do get lost. Remember to check all your email boxes. Some of you not only have exclusive business email addresses but are also on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter (X), Pinterest, LinkedIn, etc. Messages can sit there for weeks with many of you. Also, don't forget the "other" box on Facebook messages. Plus, check your spam folders. Remember, people will always assume the worst when you don't reply promptly.

Email Templates on Your Website are meaningless if you don't check them regularly. Also, give people every possible way to contact you. I understand if you work out of your home and don't want to publish your address, but you can still give them an email address and phone number. What's most important is how quickly a potential client gets a response.  

Customer Service Problems/Challenges: Do you resolve challenges quickly or let them drag out? The key to great customer service is to handle each problem as quickly as possible. It's so easy to build a strong reputation. When there's a problem, all you have to do is call the customer and say, "The buck stops here. How can I help?" Then, kick back and listen.

Appointments: Are you always early, just on time, or a few minutes late? There's a story I heard years ago about author Tom Peters. As the story goes, he was speaking to a room full of airline executives and arrived ten minutes late. They were aggravated that he wasn't on time. He stepped up to the microphone and said, "By all of your standards, this was an on-time arrival." Every client has to feel like they're your most important account.

Product Deliveries: Are you early, on time, or late? Nothing beats delivering early and exceeding client expectations, but few things can hurt your reputation more than having a client wait longer than anticipated.

Your Attitude: This is a tough one for all of us. It's hard to be upbeat all the time, especially when you're flat-out trying to catch up and the phone rings.  Remember one easy pointer I was given years ago...if you smile on the phone, it comes out in the tone of your voice. The same goes for face-to-face meetings. Occasionally, I meet a photographer who forgot how to be happy. It seems so basic, but we all have to be a little Hollywood when dealing with some of the challenges of running a business. It's like the old Ban deodorant commercial:  "Never let them see you sweat!"

by Skip Cohen

With WPPI coming up, here's a list of tips to ensure you get the most bang for your buck—and they work for ANY conference or convention! It's hard to get away, even at this time of year. But when you do, especially for a convention or conference, you want to get the most out of it.

In scuba diving, there's an expression, "Plan your dive—dive your plan!" You've got limited air and limited time, and it's always important to have a buddy. Well, a convention is no different. You've got to plan your trip, make the most of every minute at the event, and come home with ideas to improve your skillset and build a stronger business.
​ 

1. Why are you going to WPPI? It might sound like a stupid question, but some of you go to party, others to buy, and more of you to learn and network. Before you get there, figure out what the most important thing you want to get out of the show is.
2. Check the weather forecast for Vegas! It's pretty obvious we've aggravated Mother Nature this year around the country. Over the years at WPPI, there have been times when we had lunch outside by the pool and others when we had snowball fights. You're going to be out in the evening, so pack accordingly. I know this seems so basic, but I'm amazed how many people never check a few days before.
3. What companies do you need to visit? Take a few minutes and look around your office, studio, or the trunk of your car. Isolate every product you use as a photographer, and put the manufacturer on a list. Now, look at every company whose services you use. Your lab, frame company, web design, album company, etc., should all be on the list. Your first goal BEFORE you get to the show is to isolate every company involved in your business.
4. New products and companies: Are there products you need for your business or new services you require? One year at WPPI, forty-five album companies were exhibiting, and probably twenty-five to thirty labs. If you're looking for new companies and products, this is the time to go exploring. 
5. Visit the WPPI website: Find out BEFORE you get there who's exhibiting from your vendor/supplier lists. Your goal is to meet at least one staff member at every company on the list. This is a critical component to building an effective network. Here's the link.
6. Check out print competition: Arrive early enough to attend print judging. It's one of the most valuable educational experiences you can have. Pick any judging room and go in and sit down for an hour at least. Listen to the comments from the judges and think about your own work.
7. Walk through the print exhibit. This is a terrific time to get a feel for the trends in imaging because you'll see just about everything in the images submitted for competition.
8. Walk the trade show, aisle by aisle! One of the best things about any convention is finding out about companies you may not have worked with before! Start in one corner of the show and work your way through EVERY company exhibiting, even if they're showing products you don't use.
9. Wear comfortable shoes. You'll be on your feet all day—this is about function, not styling!
10. Bring business cards and some images. I've always liked being shown a 5x7 or 6x9 collage of a few images on a postcard, with the photographer's address and contact information. Unless you've made an appointment in advance, most exhibitors won't take the time to look at a portfolio, or a phone/laptop chocked full of images. However, leaving a card stock piece or brochure with a vendor and contacting them after the show can have a lot of impact.
11. Remember to say "THANKS!" When you do get time with an exhibitor you've wanted to meet, send them a short note a few days after the convention. It's the perfect soft-sell way to follow up and lock in more awareness for your role as an artist.
    
12. Make plans for breakfast and dinner meetings NOW. Reservations don't come easy in Las Vegas anymore, and if you're going to be headed out for dinner, it helps to know where and when you're going. Think about making a couple of reservations in advance, even if you don't know who you'll be having dinner with!
13. Update your phone book! Make sure you have the cell numbers for friends and associates you want to catch up to. There are few things as frustrating as wanting to meet somebody is at a convention, but having no way to contact them.
14. Put the "social" into social media. So many of you have friends you talk to all the time online but have never physically met. You hang out in various Facebook forums with them and share a lot of great discussions about photography. Check to see who's going to be at WPPI and set up time to get together. It's a lot of fun to physically meet people who you've talked to regularly, but only in cyberspace!
15. Lunch is tough to do at WPPI because everyone hits the food courts at the same time, along with the restaurants. That doesn't have to be bad, just plan who you're having lunch with and how much time you need.  
16. Check out special programming going on in the various booths. Many of the exhibitors have speakers in their booths doing short presentations. These programs give you a chance to fine-tune your skills and, at the same time, expand your network.
17. You snooze, you lose! Look, I was young and stupid once, too, and there are few things as fun as going out with friends and bar-hopping in Las Vegas. However, you're at the show for a reason, and if you need to sleep in late the following morning, your evening out with friends might become the most expensive investment you make in the show if you miss appointments or presentations you had planned to attend.
18. "Growth only happens outside your comfort zone!" Look over the programming — plan which speakers you want to hear in advance. Plus, always pick at least 1-2 programs entirely out of your comfort zone. 
19. Bring a camera...a real camera. Phones are fine, but you want to get some images you might want to use later on for press releases, your blog, Facebook, etc. You don't need your regular gear, but a decent camera will still produce better images than your cell phone. Look for opportunities for pictures with vendors and those speakers you admire.
20. Call your insurance agent! If you're taking any serious camera gear with you, check to make sure you're adequately insured. I remember one year, a woman left all her camera gear in her room but did not check to make sure the door closed completely when she went out for dinner. Everything was gone when she got back, and she was NOT covered by her insurance. Another photographer had two lenses lifted out of his camera bag while he was listening to a presentation.
21. Publish a couple of press releases! Let's talk about those pictures you're taking while at the show - use them for your own publicity campaign. For example, let's assume you want to expand your business and you're attending a few programs outside your comfort zone. Get a photograph of you and the speaker, and then write a short post about expanding your business into that new area of expertise. The same goes for any new equipment you might be looking at and buying at the show. A large format printer, for example, would be a great topic for expanding your services to the community. In the same respect, working with a new lab would give you access to new products to talk about.
22. Utilize their assets without depleting yours! Get yourself approved with a leasing or a credit line before you leave for Vegas. If you're going there to shop for new gear, it's so much easier when you know what you can afford before you hit the convention floor.
23. Talk to the people around you when you attend any program. A photography convention like this is unique because everyone is there for the same reasons. Make it a point to get to know the people sitting on either side of you. It's amazing what you can learn by just talking to each other and building your network.
24. Talk to the icons! I'm always amazed by how many of you are intimidated by your favorite photographers. The truth is they're there to teach and meet other photographers interested in their work. Just walk up and introduce yourself and thank them for whatever inspiration they've given you. They don't bite!
25. Analysis Paralysis: Take time at the end of each day, before your head hits the pillow to do a quick overview of who you saw, what you learned and what companies you can scratch off your list. If you wait until you get home after the convention it will be too late!

The one thing I find most frustrating with attendees at a big convention like WPPI is they just haven't planned their trip. They got their tickets and made it to Vegas, but then everything fell apart. Plan your WPPI experience, so you're not wasting time and, even more importantly, your money. Nothing beats the experience of a great trade show and convention, but it's up to you to get the most out of it.

And speaking of getting the MOST out of things - this is the sixth installment in Business Breakthroughs. So far I've covered everything from breaking out of your procrastination mode to new clients, building your brand, paying attention to your demographics and even content ideas for your blog or social media. ​
The links to each post are below - just click on any banner!

If opportunity doesn't knock, build a door!
Milton Berle

by Skip Cohen​

It's Marketing Monday, and I'm continuing with Business Breakthroughs, a series of tips to help make your message as a small business owner and artist stand out. I want to help you crush the chaos that gets in the way of your messages to your target audience.​

Whether you're blogging or simply sharing on social media like Facebook, for example, so many of you have trouble coming up with topics to write about. ​

by Skip Cohen

Many years ago I launched a series called Fast Food Friday. The series was all about paying more attention to your business. Most of you are artists, right-brained creative types with a minimal interest in the operational side of the business. So, I set out to give you a new topic with each post to help you fine-tune your business and, in turn, help secure better results for the year.

Well, it's time to update and bring back the series—only business has gotten much tougher.  Trying to run a successful business today is about breaking through the noise bombarding your target audience. Welcome to Business Breakthroughs, a series of business tips to help make your message as a small business owner and artist stand out. I want to help you crush the chaos that gets in the way of the message you send to your target audience.​

It's the perfect topic for Hump Day in the slow season...slowing down procrastination!