 "There are no traffic jams along the extra mile." Roger Staubach Intro by Skip Cohen Nine years ago this week, Amanda from Photodex shared the blog post below. Well, it's perfect for this time of year, as well as this time in business history. To say most of the last few years were tough on business owners would be a colossal understatement. Photodex, who closed their doors a few years ago, was on fire back then! Thousands of photographers were not only using their products but benefitting from outstanding support and advice on how to keep building a successful business and their brand awareness. This post features statements from five different wedding photographers, each sharing an essential tip for success. And while it's wedding-centric, the tips by these five artists apply to just about every business! So, whatever your specialty, if nothing else, pay attention to the bold tips leading into each quote. Remember that today with social media, one customer has the ability to influence thousands of other potential clients for your business. At the start of last year, the analysts estimated almost 300 million people were on the Internet in the United States. In fact, how many of us even know somebody who's not Internet active? The key to building your brand is in great service, which includes EVERYTHING from the quality of your work, to the way you build a relationship with each subject. It includes keeping your promises, responding quickly to communications, and being more than just another vendor in the community. And in terms of Amanda from Photodex, who's been a great friend to so many of us - she always walks the talk. I catch up to her every now and then, because I love her online store, and she was so terrific to work with for so many years. Check out this post from last year about her award-winning jewelry business in Austin, TX! Courtesy of Amanda and Photodex
We're right in the heat of wedding season! So, we reached out to a handful of seasoned pros and asked them to share what they do to go the extra mile and really ‘wow’ their wedding clients. Read their advice below! 1. Be More Than Just Photographers One of the ways we wow our wedding couples is to just do all the little things better, not just be photographers. We show them that we really want their day to be the best ever. That means being there for them when things don’t go as planned. Maybe the groom could use a hand with cuff links or his tie. Maybe the cake table doesn’t have dishes and forks when it’s time to cut. Maybe the bouquets could use water when they are placed at the wedding party table. Maybe we nudge the DJ to get things going when we sense the guests are getting bored. It’s all the little things that add up. The better the wedding, the better our pictures will look. As photographers, we’ve seen lots of weddings, we know when it’s time to step in and give a hand. – Stacey Chance, Discovery Bay Studios Wedding Photography 2. Under Promise and Over Deliver Brides are extremely excited about the work and anxious for everything. The worse thing you can do is promise something and not deliver on time. For example, we like to post a sneak peek on Facebook shortly after the wedding but when the bride’s asks about it, we always say it should be a few weeks after the event. Usually, it’s a few days! That’s the same for delivery of the proof set, products, you name it! It’s not a matter of lying or making up things – be realistic about all of the things that could go wrong with your business (or god forbid your personal life) and take that into account before making promises! – Steven Somfalvi, Artage Pictures 3. Surprise Them Similar to under promising and over delivering, always have some surprises ready for your client. It definitely enhances their experience with your studio and it reconfirms that they are important to you. It can be a free print, product upgrade – really anything. We advertise in a national magazine and they send us a box of them to hand out. Every bride who comes through the door gets one and they just love it! – Steven Somfalvi, Artage Pictures 4. Create Excitement at the Reception We produce same-day slideshows at every wedding. It’s a total surprise to the couple. The bride, groom and their guests are totally floored and I’ve booked weddings of bridal party members because of them. I use ProShow Producer to output to MP4 on to a flash drive and loop it on an LCD flat screen TV at the reception. Joe Pulcinella Photography 5. Be Passionate My secret to wowing the bride and groom and the complete wedding party is being passionate about the wedding day. To me, a wedding day is the most important day in a couple’s life, just after giving birth to their child. I want the experience to be memorable. Quality of photography is very important to bring to the wedding, but your personality is the secret to making the day more memorable. I never demand anything from the wedding. I work with what I got and I make the magic happen. Ego and attitude should never be part of a wedding photographer’s personality. – David Zumaya, Weddings at California
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