Exceeding Customers Requirements and Then Some

By Tom Stillman

Exposure Magazine, Spring 2009

As we all know the economy has made the photographic business more difficult now than ever. Not only for us as vendors but for our clients also. In some cases our clients are hiring inexperienced people to do their photography or are creating photographs on their own. So in this message I thought I would make some comments on how we might make ourselves better than the novice photographer.

First off, we need to provide a quality of service that demonstr

ates our exceptional knowledge and experience. We must not only “meet our customer’s requirements” but we need to exceed them. We need to be more than just a vendor but someone who is part of our client’s team to help them get where they need to be. We not only need to give our clients what they want but help them figure out what they need in the first place. We need to give them more then what they expected.

An old time photographer David Nance in Houston, Texas told me not to expect a client to tell you what they want, you got to know what they want and give them more then what they expected. This is what separates a true professional photographer with the novice who just purchased a digital camera a couple months ago. So we always need to spend more time listening to our clients and thinking what we can do to exceed their requirements.

In order to accomplish this we need to ask our customers more questions to learn what they are trying to accomplish. We need to carefully listen to them and be more than just someone who “takes the pictures”. We need to become a member of their production team and be someone who does everything we can to help them accomplish what is required.

One example of this is I was recently asked to create a group photograph of a group of executives at a pharmaceutical company. Ok, we all do group photographs. But what I did was offered to retouch out the cluttered background and write the name of the organization in the background of the photo with Photoshop. In addition, the name of each person was written in the foreground. I also purchased photo folders so the photographs could be presented in a classy manner. On other occasions I presented the photographs is a gold box, with tissue paper between each photo. Of course these are all simple things but they did not ask me to do these things. I tried to go beyond their requirements and offered them something they did not think of. I tried to offer them services that they themselves did not know they wanted or needed.

Another example is when I was asked to create formal portraits on location for a large corporation. I suggested that in addition to the formal portrait that I follow each executive back to their office and create an additional causal office photograph. By doing this the client had a formal photo and a casual office photograph which would give them more poses and styles to work with. Again, I tried to exceed the customer’s requirements and give them more then what they expected. Also, I asked my client contact to sit for me to test the lighting and she got a free 5x7 in a photo folder. It made her Mom very happy.

In addition to services, it is always a good idea to add little tokens to our work which adds to our professionalism. For example we should always send your customer a thank you note after each assignment expressing how much you enjoyed working for them. The note should be our own creation and show samples of our work. It not only thanks your client but sells your services for future work.

If you provide images to your customers on a disk, it goes without saying that it should be placed in a jewel case designed with your name, logo and web site printed on the cover. If you are really ambitious you will get one of those disk printers that prints your logo on surface of the disk. Never, ever write on the disk itself with a marker pen. It just says “low class photographer” when you do this.

Personality is another important thing. Always express yourself in a positive and progressive manner. Your client does not want to hear you complain but wants you to tell them how you are going to “fix” whatever problems come up. Besides, complaining is a waste of energy, we should use that energy to fix the problem. Ok, not easy to do sometimes but a positive and progressive attitude should be our focus.

The point I am trying to make is that we need to demonstrate that we are better than the novice photographer. That our knowledge, experience and ideas makes us worth more than then novice. We must demonstrate that we are not only someone who “takes a picture” but we are experienced professionals that meets and exceeds t our client’s requirements.

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ASMP Members are Getting Ripped Off

By Tom Stillman

Exposure Magazine, Summer 2008

 

Hello, my name is Tom Stillman and I am the new President of ASMP-NJ. What I want to do in my first letter to members is to explain how some of us are getting ribbed off as ASMP members.

First off, here is my background in case you are interested. I started photography as my high school newspaper photographer. I graduated from Rochester Institute of Technology with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Photographic Arts and Sciences. After that I worked for four years in a school for children with learning disabilities, teaching photography and producing photography/video for their public relations. I left the school in 1976 and went to Exxon Corporation in NYC and worked as the company photographer for the next 20 years. In 1996 I became a full time freelance photographer because Exxon didn’t want to pay for an in house corporate services any longer. So you might say I was forced into freelance photography out of faith not want.

What I have found out about being a freelance photographer is that it is more about business management and self-promotion then it is about creating photographs. So a long time ASMP member David Nance in Houston told me I should join the ASMP because the organization is a great place to learn and grow as a photographer. In addition, members benefit from information provided to help run a photography business. So in the year 2002 I became a General Member and yes, have learned a lot. However, I don’t think I would of learned all that much by just being a member. Yes I do get work from being listed on the web site’s “Find a Photographer” listing but in order to learn stuff, I needed to become involved.

Since I joined the Board in 2002, I have learned a lot from fellow photographers. I learned how the market is changing. I learned about what works and what does not work. I learned that each of our businesses are different and we all need to do what works best for each of us. When I have a problem, I can call any one of the people I have met and we help each other out. By being involved and working ASMP-NJ programs I have networked with a lot of people and had fun. Also I have developed many new friends, which has benefits beyond that of the photography business. In addition, I have taken advantage of the insurance programs and many of the features found in the web site.

So now I will tell you how we get ripped off. What I can’t understand is why so many ASMP members don’t take advantage of what ASMP offers. I can’t figure out why so many ASMP members never come to our programs, even the ones that are free. I can’t figure out why only Board members come to the chapter meetings and almost never any non-Board members. I don’t understand why it is so hard to get volunteers to help out with our programs where members can learn, grow and have fun.

In addition, several General Members do not post images on the “Find a Photographer” section of the National web site, www.asmp.org. Many photography buyers use the “Find a Photographer” search engine to find photographers. If you don’t have any images posted then you not going to get hired. What a waste of the $300 dues. So what my point is, that many ASMP members are simply ripping themselves off by not taking advantage of what ASMP offers. I urge all members to attend our program, come to our business meeting and become more involved. Post images on the web site so potential clients see your work. Take advantage of what ASMP offers, you will learn, you will grow and will have fun.

By the way, I just notice my images on the “Find a Photographer” search engine are really old and needs updating. Have fun and hope to see you all at future meeting and events. Also, if you have any suggestions, please let me know. I look forward to being your President.

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It’s all a Matter in How You Hold Your Mouth

By Tom Stillman

Exposure Magazine, Fall 2008

We all vent about how bad the photography business may be, but sometimes we’re our worst enemy. Maybe we need to examine how we present ourselves. I had a conversation about marketing with my cousin Tony from Mississippi. I mentioned to him that presentation is everything and in a heavy southern drawl he said, “Dat’s right Tommy, It’s all a matter in how you hold your mouth”.

I made a photography presentation to my local business association and a marketing specialist said to me that I used negativity to describe what I do. He asked what photographers are thinking when we call ourselves “shooters”. He inquired, as to why I use such a negative word to promo myself. We don’t “shoot” we create photographs. Even members of the National Rifle Association don’t call themselves “shooters”; they call themselves “marksman”.

Marketing professionals spend hours figuring out the right words to promote a product or service. As photographers we all talk about the “power of photography”. Similarly, marketers are fully aware of the “power of words”. So it is very important that we use words that gives our profession the dignity that it deserves.

Another terrible term we use is when we say that we “take pictures”. Isn’t what we do a little more involved than that? Also, what the heck is a “head shot”. We create professional publicity portraits but we don’t shoot somebody’s head. By the way, when we shoot with “available light” we don’t need flashes so we should charge less, right? However, if we create photographs with the implementation of “ambient light” we are fine art photographers and the fee is much higher. My point is that “available” is a weak word yet “ambient” sounds more enticing and better describes the process.

We have all heard some customers say “I can’t believe what you want to charge me, it is just a picture”. Well if we tell them we will “take their head shots” or “shoot their employees” no wonder they question our charges.

In my past employment, I often needed to hire photographers. I would get calls from photographers asking if I had any work for them. There was one photographer named Harry Wilks and he would call saying “Good day Mr. Stillman, I am calling to see if you have anything you would like me to photograph for you”. I got calls from many photographers but I would always hire Harry first because of the dignified way he would present himself.

So I suggest we take the time to think about what we say when we promote ourselves. Remember the words of Cousin Tony, “It’s all a matter in how you hold your mouth”.

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