Are People Really Still Making Calls?

[by Suzanne Sease and Amanda Sosa-Stone]

A mutual client of ours recently worked on her brand, portfolio and marketing strategy (with Suzanne).  Then she came to Agency Access to work on implementing her marketing through Campaign Manager (with Amanda – a year long plan to make sure marketing is being done).  After getting her beautiful portfolio printed, through PushDotStudio.com, she was ready to start showing her book.  She was ready to tackle her local market first.  We trained her to make the calls using a dialog that has been perfected over the last couple of years (available on AgnecyAccess.com).  After her first attempt of calling, this was her report:

First attempt: local market
-called & emailed 11 contacts today
-had a response (within 10 minutes) saying ‘nice work, what’s your day rate’
-had 2 more responses in the next hour:
1: scheduled an appointment with an art buyer in her local market (NOT NYC)
2: scheduled a meeting for the next week with a very popular Magazine in her local market

Second attempt: trip to the South:
-8 calls to South Advertising Agencies today
-2 meetings set up for next week

Things to focus on when attempting to make these calls:
-Despite the fear of rejection, it feels SO GOOD to be making these calls and actually ‘doing’ something.
-Having a beautiful well thought out book gives you the confidence to make these calls!

Our client emailed last week with her final report and said “THANK YOU, your Your magic formula is working!”  Nothing feels better than knowing that a client is working hard and it’s paying off.

So the answer is YES there are still meetings that are happening – it’s just a matter of how much energy are you willing to put into the calls.  It’s a numbers game.

We also prepared our client for those UNCOMFORTABLE questions (like who have you worked for in the past, etc…) and after her trip to the South, we followed up and she said having those UNCOMFORTABLE situations planned out had her prepared and she felt confident going into those meetings.  You have to be honest, but put a positive spin on your greenness, your lack of commercial work, your fear of location shooting, major productions or whatever your concern is. Remember we all fear something, look it directly in the face and tackled it.  What do you have to lose?  You don’t have this client now,  so go in and conquer!

GOOD LUCK!

Thoughts on Editorial Photography

[by Suzanne Sease and Amanda Sosa-Stone]

The whole question is print dead?  We don’t think so – it may have slowed down, but it’s still alive and kicking (as far as we know).  With O Magazine, Parent Magazine, New York, Real Simple (Amanda’s desk), Esquire, New York, Vanity Fair, Bon Appetit, Time, National Geographic as well as others (Suzanne’s Desk) sitting on our desks, we can’t help but notice there is still a pulse.  We are seeing a lot of new ads in the magazines as well as new names in photo credits!  Which reminds us- a photo credit is worth so much more than the fee.  It is being seen by millions of people a lot of them creative and buyers who are looking for ideas in photography!  We found many photographers for assignment shoots this way.

Take for example Bob Croslin.  Florida photographer has been swamped with editorial work for months now (going from ESPN to Men’s Fitness to Tennis Magazine).  So the question is – is there a reason to pursue editorial.  Of course if you like taking pictures to tell a story.  Is it viable?  Ask Bob!

There are some professionals who still to this day only shoot editorial and live only on that.  Editorial often use photographers who they trust and know.  But do not be afraid to get out there and introduce yourself.  Emails can be overwhelming.  Find other ways to connect with those Photo Editor’s and Art Directors who hiring.  Just quoted from James Mullinger, Photo Editor, GQ was written on A Photo Editor via Wonderful Machine Photography Blog…”juggling up to 30 shoots at a time, sourcing thousands of pictures… And when I get through the month without dropping a ball, I feel satisfied for a second or two. And then it all starts again…”.

Now that is what we call a heartbeat with a strong pulse.

Amanda Sosa Stone and Suzanne Sease consult with photographers around the world assisting in marketing and presentation efforts.

A New Path

[by Suzanne Sease and Amanda Sosa-Stone]

Starting out in any new business is filled with excitement and the unknown.  Here are some tips we recommend to finding your path.

1.    Know where you want to go in your business (consumer: portraits, weddings, commercial: still life, architecture, fashion, editorial: portraits, etc…)
2.    Make sure you have images to support this direction (minimum of 15-20  strong images)
3.     Find someone to guide you on along this path: a seasoned photographer, a potential person who works in that industry (i.e. if you were architectural photographer – find an architect to possibly guide you)
4.    Pull together your personal resources – who do you know and how can you ask them to personally invest in your business (ask them to make referrals for you).
5.    Make sure you have the website and portfolio available to show someone if asked.
6.    Present yourself and your work in the best light.

Your life and work go hand and hand – so merge what you know from both and ask for help for what you don’t.  This industry is not an easy path to take – but if you find the right road for you, it can be a really interesting and fulfilled career – filled with lots of stories to share and hopefully some great imagery.

Amanda Sosa Stone and Suzanne Sease consult with photographers around the world assisting in marketing and presentation efforts.

Road Trip

[by Suzanne Sease and Amanda Sosa Stone]

Summer time in an assignment world is thought of as the quietest time in the year, when in fact it could be some of the busiest. We think that since the European markets take a sabbatical, the American market does too – but we should all know better – we are Americans and we WORK ALL THE TIME. Remember June and July are spent gearing for the Back to School circulars, the automotive world is shooting the upcoming models , the Fashion world is preparing for September , the Government run programs are in a new fiscal year that starts in July, So why should you market this summer?   You should market because this is the time people are looking and working!

Emails should still be going out as your base marketing. Emails are the easy way out (meaning not much effort on your part), but we still recommend it…but here is our BIG PUSH for the SUMMER….

TAKE A ROAD TRIP – either down the street or to the closest city near you.  Get your book in for a face-to-face showing. We know these can be hard to get, but you should at least try.  It is easier to visit places out of town than your own town, so plan on a road trip.  The general rule of thumb is for every 10 calls you make, you should be able to get 1 meeting.  When you call the buyer (and most likely leave a message) make sure you tell them that you are going to send them an e-mail with designated times you would like to visit.  When you give them a few options, they are more likely to pick one.  Make sure you have their e-mail address before you call.   Do not make appointments on Fridays as a lot of agencies work half days or not at all in the summer.

So the reality is that summer time may be a time for vacations, but it is also a time for gearing up for a very busy shooting time.  Make your road trip a mini vacation – that you can WRITE OFF.

ENJOY and DRIVE SAFELY!

Amanda Sosa Stone and Suzanne Sease consult with photographers around the world assisting in marketing and presentation efforts.