Ever hear the story about the photographer who fired his client? It makes for great reading. After all, in the middle of the day, as work piles up, emails fail to relent, and the phone just keeps on ringing, who couldn’t use a shot of empowerment? And what could be more liberating than firing the client? We may never do it, but it’s a reminder we’re all in control of our own lives.
But as blissful the thought, remember the real takeaway. It isn’t about the act of self-assertion at the time of the firing. By that point, you’re in too deep, and it’s just a lose-lose for everybody. Maybe, you have no choice. Things happen. But if you find yourself stuck with one too many clients who won’t stop calling, who keep asking for changes, and whose names leave you in mortal fear, then it’s time to re-examine the way you’re running your business.
Finding the right people
Wanna lose 20 pounds? Easy. Stay away from food. You didn’t expect something deeper, right? But there’s truth there. And trust me. I know diets. They don’t work because of their mystical nutritional qualities. That’s just the magic bullet that sells. They work, because they give you a framework to identify and avoid detrimental behavior. Detrimental, in this case, being that which makes you gain weight. Creating that framework may be difficult. But identifying the principle is easy. Neutralize temptation. One of the easiest things you can do? If you’re on a diet, don’t stock the fridge with your favorite goodies. And if you’re not getting the clients you want? Well, it’s time to look at your diet.
You don’t get people who love to work with you by filling up your available slots with anyone who has a pulse. It’s not about getting people to sign a contract. It’s about getting the right people to sign a contract. And that makes all the difference. These are the clients who are most likely to give you the referrals you need. These are the ones who free you to be yourself. So don’t put yourself in the position of rejecting that big, fat, juicy contract that is double your normal value, but quadruple the work. Don’t make yourself say no. Create a message and process to minimize the chances of that contract ever materializing. Attract people who fit. Learn when to say no, do it early, when it’s easy, and keep people who are a poor match at bay. And be bold enough to know that your time and energy is everything. Protect it at all costs.
How to start changing
Here’s an easy dieting tip. You’ve probably heard it before. Don’t shop when you’re hungry. At one point, I lost 20 lbs just by changing that one behavior. In college, I used to always shop at midnight, right when I got the munchies. By shopping after dinner instead, I was able to shop healthy, and control temptation. My point? Cause and effect are delicate things. They are much more tenuous than people give credit for. If I’m trying not to stock the fridge with goodies, it doesn’t necessarily mean I should focus on an empty fridge. And the same goes for business. More times than not, the problems we encounter were created well before we saw the signs.
Are too many people asking for discounts? Are too many people negotiating? Are you not loving your clients? Look backwards. Look to the start. Look to everything you do. It’s likely the culprit is generality. In your words. In your targets. In your images and your curation. Because self-assertion matters. And self-assertion is an act of specificity. No one ever wants to pay a lot for something that’s meant for everyone, stands for nothing, and feels just like everything else. Generality is a slow, painful death that results in lots of clients who see you as a person who does little more than push a button. I think purgatory must look a little like running a business without ever finding a client who is a good fit.
We know voice is one side of the equation. It is part and parcel to specificity. We focus on creating images that reflect our style, and we build a brand that stands for us. Voice is knowing what you want to say. But the ability to assert yourself comes not just from knowing who you want to work with. It comes from understanding who you are meant for. And that’s the other part of the equation. The one most people forget. Because it’s not just what you want to say. It is how you say it. And you cannot know how to say it, unless you know the person hearing it. You need to understand how the world sees you and not just how you see the world.
The reality of success
We exist in a spray and pray industry. And I’m not talking about certain P mode references flying about at the moment. I’m talking about the way we communicate who we are. We throw out the link to Facebook, the link to Twitter, the rotation of our 5 favorite images in the big window on the homepage, our weekly blog posts, and our daily updates. Then, we just sit back and pray that someone will get us. Here’s the thing. They won’t. Not in the way we want. And not for most of us. We need to compel them to look. We need to create the frame for them.
There are two worlds we live in. The real world. And the rockstar world. And in the rockstar world, the prevailing view is that if you create the killer images that are outrageously good, or, maybe, just plain outrageous, they will catch fire – a viral tour de force – embedding themselves into the cultural consciousness. That’s why, if you just keep posting, posting, and posting, someone will notice. Forget it. The world is too busy, too changing, and too saturated for that.
Maybe if you truly are that rockstar, it will work. But, hey, people are getting millions playing professional basketball, too. If you want to make money, there are a hell of a lot better ways to do it than by trying to be the next Kobe Bryant. And what makes it all the worse is that even if you are the best photographer, when it comes to the union of art and commerce, there’s no guarantee that it’s going to take. Leading the next trend doesn’t just mean you’re good. It means you tap into a deep need that most people don’t even know they have yet. Steve Jobs’ most exceptional gift wasn’t his insight. It was the fact that his taste was so synonymous with public desire that following his taste could define desire. Few have that type of sensitivity.
Here’s an easier way to get somewhere. Do things for people. Yeah, that’s not real sexy. But it works. Do things for peers. Do things for clients. Don’t just do things for anyone, though. Get specific. If we can slam spray and pray for taking pictures, should we be any more generous with the way we present who we are? You don’t get specific by saying “I can do that too.” You don’t do it by changing who you are in every meeting, because you hate haring “No,” or, worse, because that gnawing fear in the back of your head is telling you that you’re not worth more. You do it by knowing that a good match – whether it be a client, a florist, or a planner – is going to be worth more than 10 bad matches. And dedicating yourself to finding those good matches.
Before guest blogging on Tim Ferris’ site, Michael Ellsberg was #1,295 on Amazon. After his guest post, he went to #45. How did he get there? By getting to know Tim Ferris. Over the course of two years. That’s specific. That’s getting to know the right people. But the result was exposure you just can’t buy. If Michael Ellsberg were a typical wedding photographer, he would have spent no time getting to know Tim Ferris, he would blast every blog in the world about his book, and he would never take the time to craft a single piece of copy that truly connected with anyone.
Applying the principles
So how do you get specific? Well, here’s how you don’t. You don’t get specific by throwing out buzzwords that no one understands except industry insiders. For example, most clients have no idea what “editorial” means. Or even “photojournalistic.” In fact, most people don’t even know how you create your black and white images. So throwing around terms and notions only a photographer would care about will get you nowhere. Specific means that those who are meant to hear it, understand it.
You also don’t get specific by treating the “about” section of your website as an obligation. Getting a good strong message out and learning to live by that in your meetings and conversations doesn’t come quick, it doesn’t come easy, and it doesn’t come without practice. You need to put in the time to make that happen. Creating strong copy with the right words shows people you get them. It shows people you care.
And, finally, you don’t get specific by showing the same pictures as everybody else. That’s not showing something meant for someone. That’s going through a checklist. People aren’t going on your site to see if you can shoot every mandatory shot that the wedding world deems appropriate. Show a dress shot if it’s amazing. If it’s not, show something else. And always show the work that represents you.
At the end of the day, it’s about getting back to that question. Who am I meant for? Or, to put it another way, who is my target audience? Great companies understand their audience. If BMW creates a race car, they talk about the way that the technology from that race car is going to make its way into all of their cars. Because their customers care about performance. But not Volvo. If Volvo built the exact same car, they’d talk about how greater control means greater safety. That’s what a brand is about. Not a tagline. Not a slogan. It is about having a purpose. And a purpose hung out to dry, is a lonely, feeble thing. Purpose is lifeless without followers, so take the time to understand your followers. And frame what you do in their terms. When you do that, they’ll find you. After all, by the time you’re meeting with people, you want to be shooting fish in a barrel. Not spear-fishing in the middle of the Atlantic.
So start asking the questions that let you figure out how to get your message across. Look at who your client really is. What language do they react to? What music do they listen to? What colors do they like? What design appeals to them? What turns them on? Turns them off? Are they ironic? Sincere? What are their aspirations? And what do they stand for? Find out what makes their lives better. And not what you think would make it better, but what they think will make it better. Because I don’t really care how awesome you think something would be for me, if I don’t think it would be awesome for me.
And, lastly, remember, this isn’t a date, and you’re not looking for a mate. It’s not a psychiatry session, and it’s not the time to purge every thought you’ve ever had into the world. It’s the time to connect. Getting you doesn’t mean they can dig into your psyche. Getting you means they love what you create and stand for. You’re looking for a client who will be thrilled with you when you do what you do in the way you know best. Whether they see you the way you want them to isn’t the issue. Let them see you in their own way, as long as that way fits the you who is being most true to yourself. Do that, and everyone goes home happy. That’s true liberation.
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