RegarRegardless of what business you’re in, first impressions are everything. A great first impression and a
professional look can help a youth sports photography business book more
business, and increase its sales on every job.
Presentation when
booking the shoot
You will need to adapt your dress and presentation for different
situations.
If you’re approaching
a coach before a practice, you’ll want to dress more casually (khaki pants or
shorts and polo shirts) than you would if you were meeting with league or
school officials.
It’s also a necessity that you have professional looking business cards
on hand to leave with the person/people that you’re meeting.
Business cards should
look professional, not printed at home on card stock, and have a simple layout
with all your relevant information clearly visible (address, phone number,
email address).
Also, try putting your picture, preferably a nice
business portrait, on your business cards. It’s much harder for someone
to throw away a business card with a picture on it and it also reminds that
person of you.
One mistake that youth
sports photographers make when trying to book new business is that they put
down their competition. Never be negative about a competitor. This
makes you look unprofessional and can cost you the shoot in the end.
Don’t assume that the coach/organization is unhappy with their current
photographer. You want to expand
upon what your competition is doing and present yourself as a better solution
to their needs.
Some other important
things to consider:
Continuity is important. Everything should be branded with your
company name and logo.
No tobacco use in or around
school property or the meeting area. Also, no visible tattoos or unacceptable
piercings should be showing.
Smile! Be a cheerleader for your business.
Have a professional way to show samples.
Presenting your samples electronically, on an iPad or Laptop,
perhaps even with projector, will help you save money on physical samples.
However, you will want to have physical samples of any specialty
products that you offer.
When making your presentation to a group of people be sure to have
copies of your presentation to pass out. For a one on one meeting, having a
single page flyer that outlines your services will suffice.
Know your products
and offers thoroughly. Have pricing
available that will fit people and areas from all walks of life.
Have a calendar and scheduling agreements with
you, in case they want to book with you on the spot.
Everything is about expectations.
Make sure that your expectations regarding a
shoot line up with theirs
Do what you say you’re going to do when you’re
going to do it.
Your professional image
says a lot about you and your business and it can mean the difference between
booking a shoot or watching your competition collect the sales.
Posted by Monroe Ohio photographer Vincent Rush, Cincinnati Sports Photography and Dayton Sports Photography of Monroe Ohio. Vince Rush can be contacted by phone at (877) 858-6295 or by email at vrush@rushintl.com or visit http://CincinnatiSportsPhotography.com Check out my about.me profile!
