Special Note: Before you read this post, please refer to my earlier posts about how competition can (and should) be a good thing. There is The True Definition of Competition and Why You Should Want to See Your Competition Do Well. The spirit of the article below is not to belittle or undervalue your competitors; but to instead help you focus on ways to look at your own business.

1) Begin with mapping out who your competitors are. What are the strengths and perceived weaknesses of each? Who do they work with?

2) Now, examine how you and your services differ from your competitors. What do you offer that they don’t? What do you do that they don’t? Perhaps it is a specialty you have. Who do you work with that they don’t?

3) Develop your pitches based upon the above points you made. Being unique and different will help you stand out from the crowd. With so many striving to be like one-another; you should seek out ways to differentiate yourself. Be different!

James Patrick
www.jamesmpatrick.com

Okay so that is the most misleading title I could ever have used for this blog article. Permit me to explain with the following story to illustrate my point.

A few weeks ago I had a model from another city contact me to commend me on my work as a photographer in the fitness industry. She then asked a moderately peculiar question. She asked “can you send me contacts?”

Perplexed, I inquired as to what she meant by “send me contacts.”

Her response was that she wanted me to put her in touch with fitness photographers in her area, fitness modeling agents in her area and fitness magazines in her area.

Bear in mind, I’ve never met this person nor have I really had any conversation with them previously. Yet I was being asked to provide them with contacts to build their portfolio for them, contacts to consider signing them and contacts to publish them.

Assuming I was not reading this properly; I offered instead a wealth of information on how they could pave the path they wanted in their modeling career. I linked them to multiple blogs they could follow with information on how to develop a great career modeling as well as relevant articles I had written about pitching to magazines, developing client relationships, etc. Even linked them to TheProExposure podcasts which are all about how models can better their careers.

I ended with, please let me know if this information is helpful to you.

Couple days went by – no response. Not even a small response of insincere gratitude. Then a few more days went by. Then a few weeks.

Unfortunately this talent did not want information to help her be successful. She wanted the magic solution. That quick fix. The perfect and easy remedy to solve all of her problems and help her achieve all of her goals.

We see this a lot in many industries and mass marketing prays on it.

Get in shape quick, just take this pill which has a laundry list of side effects. But it is simple!

Get money without having to work for it. Attend any pyramid marketing meeting to see what that is like.

Spoiler alert! There is no magic solution.

It seems that very few are willing to do the hard work (and yes it is hard work) to strategize what they want. To set goals for themselves. To break those goals into milestones. And then to put themselves through the effort of achieving one milestone after the next.

This is why I have such admiration for those who I see achieve what they want. Whether it is in business or their personal life. And I stress the emphasis on the word “achieve.”

They are the few who earned IT.

James Patrick
www.jamespatrick.com

I was recently having a conversation with a fellow service provider who will remained unnamed. However they have the same job that I have.

In this conversation they began a venting campaign against a recent client of theirs, who will also remain unnamed.

At this moment I considered it was a necessary unloading of negative energy and that the conversation would then go into a different direction.

…It did not.

They went from that client to a different client to slash them. Then onto another client. And onto another. The conversation continued.

I eventually came to the conclusion that this person had a distaste for everyone they worked for.

Truthfully I cannot imagine they enjoyed what they did very much. However, for those of you that actually LIKE what you do, here is a news flash. Your clients… are also human.

What I mean by this is that they (like you) are driven by the same set of emotions. They want to succeed. They have people to please. They get scared and nervous. They get anxious. They get stressed and frustrated.

Just like you they have to deal with deadlines and demands and hard-to-work-with colleagues. They work late to pay bills and probably lose a bit of sleep to get their job done.

Although nothing about this piece is earth-shattering, I feel it is important to reflect on this. Perhaps we should stop looking at our clients as “THEM” or “THEY” but instead as part of “US.” Not that you have to love every client you ever work with. But liking most of them certainly helps the work to be a lot more enjoyable.

Best wishes in your client relationship management efforts!

James Patrick
www.jamesmpatrick.com

Unfortunate in our industry we are always seeking the next new project; typically with a fresh client. However this can create an endless feast and famine cycle in your business as a model, as a photographer or even as a personal trainer. Most businesses have discovered that it there are numerous benefits to focus on current clients as opposed to spending all resources to procure only new clients. These include…

…It is less expensive (time, money and resources) to retain a current client than to obtain a new client.
…Current clients (if you did your job right) already trust you and have shown they are willing to hire you.
…You already know them, their expectations and what would satisfy them.
…the list goes on.

So what are ways to develop successful client relationships that can help you in getting additional projects?

1) Start with getting to know them very well. What are their likes and dislikes? What are their needs in their business? Develop a firm understanding of who they are. This will help you significantly when you try to line up your services to their needs.

2) Demonstrate your ability or expertise. Now that you know what your client needs (and why they need it), you can approach them with your solution. And regardless of what you do, you offer solutions (yes, even as a model).

3) Don’t just deliver. Super deliver! Be the talent who is remembered. You went the extra mile. You put forth the additional effort. You did something new and different that worked.

4) The most crucial step is this one, which ironically is the one most of us fail to do. Stay in touch! Follow up with your clients. See what is new with them. See what they have coming up. Keep them information of what you have been doing. Eventually you will get wind of a new project, which leads back to step 1, understanding them and their needs. And the cycles goes around and around and around.

Best wishes in your marketing endeavors!

James Patrick
www.jamesmpatrick.com

Understanding that as a model, your website can be the cornerstone of your marketing efforts to aid you in getting booked; here is a list of common website mistakes to avoid when it comes to launching your site.

1) Don’t List Your Location Anywhere
Your location should be visible on the site itself and would be great if it were placed into the page title as well. Not only is this helpful to prospective clients who are looking to book a model; it is also great for search engine optimization (SEO) to drive more relevant traffic to your site. Another suggestion would be to list the places you can accept work in. Are you available to travel? If so, state that. State where you can accept projects. Never assume that this information is obvious.

2) No Contact Information Anywhere
This point also applies to contact information that is buried in the site and is too hard to find. Make it visible (on every page if possible). Don’t simply rely on a “contact form” as being sufficient. It is not. Suppose a client wants to capture your information for the future; or they need to call you on the phone right now to talk about a potential job. Don’t risk losing the opportunity to convert a prospective client at this stage.

3) Having a Website Made Entirely in Flash
Yes it works decently on your computer and yes it is oftentimes a lot more affordable. But what’s the tradeoff? Well, for starters search engines cannot see it and thus cannot index it properly. Say goodbye to driving traffic through search engines. What if a prospective client is trying to view your site using mobile technology like an iPhone or an iPad? More often than not, will not load properly – if at all.

4) Having a Website You Never Update
Not updating your site will kill potential SEO. Also, it gives current and prospective clients no reason to ever return to your site. It would be beneficial to develop an update strategy. Perhaps it is through your blog, or updating photo galleries, revising the text on your pages, and so on.

5) Failing to Use Text At All
We’re in a visual-driven industry, this is true. However, search engines operate based off of text. It is how they see the websites and how they know how to index them. Without text (to a search engine) you essentially have an empty website. So develop some well-written sections of text throughout your website. Perhaps this could be descriptions of photos, behind the scenes of projects you worked on, details of services you offered, and so on.

6) Not Show Professional List of Work
Showing what you’ve been able to do can build a tremendous amount of credibility with prospective clients. It could be the final tipping point to drive a prospective client to hire you.

7) Have Music That Plays Automatically
Simply put; don’t do this. Survey after survey has shown that it is a top and continuous annoyance of web surfers (including your clients)? What is the result? They go elsewhere. And yet despite this fact, websites still pop up with unexpected and loud music that blares until the website window is quickly closed.

Hope this helps you structure a website which drives relevant traffic and enhances your bookings!

James Patrick
www.jamesmpatrick.com

Note: I would like to thank Kimberly Miller, author of the blog The Modern Me for working with me on this light-hearted and teasing article. This article is in two parts. The Top 10 Things to Never Say to both a Photographer and to a Model. We both sincerely hope you enjoy this piece which is intended to be jovial (not negative) in nature. That being said, unfortunately a lot of these are based upon actual events. Laughing out loud is permitted. Also I encourage you to jump over to her blog to check out a lot of the pieces she writes. Thanks sincerely!

Top 10 Things a model should never say to a photographer

10. “I think I can benefit your portfolio so you should work for free.”
Chances are, if a professional photographer is interested in trying something new or developing a fresh look for their portfolio (and they like your look) they will come to you. However, whenever you are approaching a professional (doesn’t matter what line of work) you don’t ask for or assume a free service. The same applies to the creative industries such as photography and graphic design.

9. “There is this other photographer who charges half what you do; does that mean they are twice as good?”
Photography fees are based on a number of factors. There is the level of experience they have, the equipment they own, the studios or locations they rent, the assistants, hair and makeup, location permits, and that is just the start of it. Photographers are also paying for liability insurance, usually their own health coverage, and equipment maintenance. When it comes to the photo shoot, there is time spent preparing for the shoot, doing the shoot, the post production, the achieving, and sometimes even the printing. Professional photographer rates are varied based upon all of these factors. Also, realize that every shoot includes a bevy of variables. For example, while one photographer’s fees might initially be less, it might be that it doesn’t include a desirable location, edited images or the same number of looks. This is not to encourage you to only hire very expensive service providers. To the contrary, just be sure to get all the facts up front and determine how their services meet your needs and budget.

8. “Will you charge less if I wear less?”
Assuming you want to be taken seriously as a model, you should aim to select a reputable and professional photographer. Any decent photographer will be very offended by this suggestion. There is not, nor should there ever be, a direct relationship between cost of the photo shoot and the amount of clothing on the model in the photo.

7. “Well, it’s your job to make me look good.”
Okay, this is actually half true. It is an important facet for a photographer to make suggestions on posing, stylist and other factors that affect the final image. A great photographer can get his subject to feel very comfortable on set to make truly stunning work; a not-so-great one cannot. This is the difference between making photos and taking photos. That being said; it is still your job as a model to have some idea what you want when you are creating your portfolio. Do your homework before you show up and think about what looks you would like to get. Practice posing, bring tear sheets you like, and communicate how you intend to use the photos. All of these things will help a photographer coach you in front of the camera.

6. “I’m only here because my friend/boyfriend/husband/sister/whatever said I should do this.”
If you simply are shooting for fun, that’s fine. But if you really want to be taken seriously as a model, you should not hide behind someone or something. It can often be difficult, especially on your first shoot, to express you interest in pursuing modeling as a career. You may think you are not qualified enough, or think, “what right do I have to say I can model?” Or you would think “what if someone judges me poorly because I chose to do this?” Simply put, you have every right to do this! Photographers (last we checked) are just people. This means they are prone to the same emotions that you are as a model; such as being nervous! Don’t be afraid to be confident and share your goals and hopes. Photographers will respect this, and in turn will work hard to help you achieve them.

5. “I like this other photographer’s work. Can you directly copy their style?”
Any creative agent (photographer, graphic designer, makeup artist, etc.) builds their business around their style. As such, they will live and die by that style. People will get hired, because of their style. Those same people will not get hired (by a different client), because of their style. Style is what separates creative competitors. Thus, asking a photographer to directly copy another’s style is (on one hand) saying that their style is not enough for you and (on the other hand) asking them to corrupt it for a different one. Now, of course, photographers love to get input and ideas. They can incorporate all of this (including samples from other photographers) into their shoot plan and vision. But every photographer will have their own unique vision and creative style. Think of it as the artist’s touch! That is a large part of why you hire someone and what you pay for. Also; if you are really into another photographer’s style to begin with; why not hire that photographer?

4. “Every photographer I’ve worked with has been awful!”
What are the chances that every single photographer who you have ever worked with has been awful? If we were to look at this mathematically; what is the common denominator in this equation? Yes, the model. So maybe the photographers were not the problem. To play devil’s advocate, let’s assume that they all in fact were quite awful. It does not matter. Saying this gives off a negative impression of yourself that you are the one with who is hard to work.

3. “Oh you can fix that in Photoshop right?”
Just because photographers have photo editing software, it does not mean they should be editing out everything to make it a photo illustration as opposed to a great photograph. A quality photographer will work hard to make sure the image looks as perfect as it can prior to uploading the photo to his or her computer. Of course they are going to process the image in a way to make it look great. However, expecting a photographer to change your waistline or to enhance the size of your “muscles” can be misleading to the audience who views it.

2. “Must be a fun hobby, photographing all these beautiful people all day long.”
Photographers, the good ones anyway, often choose their craft because of their creative talent. They enjoy the challenge of capturing their subject in the best way possible. Most would not say that they got started in their field of photography simply because they wanted to hang around taking pictures of beautiful people all day. Many photographers also enjoy shooting things other than people and whenever they go look for the perfect image in their head. While it’s okay to talk about the benefits of being a photographer, don’t ever jump to the conclusion that the reason the photographer is in their field is simply beautiful people.

1. “Great photos, you must have a really good camera!”
Yup! You figured it out. That is the one and only reason the photo looks good.

Top 10 Things a photographer should never say to a model

10. “Wow you are in so much better shape now!”
In no universe is this ever a compliment, period.  If you want to compliment a model you can just say “you look terrific.” No one wants to hear that they look good now with the implied undertone that they didn’t before. This is a sure fire way to make your subject uncomfortable right before they get on camera.

9. “You’ll probably never get into an agency because you are not tall enough.”
There are plenty of talented individuals under 5’8” who have made a career of modeling.  Don’t discourage someone from completely abandoning the industry because of their height. Think about all the commercials and advertisements where you see people of all age ranges, shapes and sizes. At some point, each of them was hired by a photographer or an ad agency or a magazine editor to do that photo shoot.

8. “Everyone has to pay their dues.”
What exactly does that mean anyway? That the model has to take some lame gig because they are not experienced? The truth is models should take jobs, or even opportunities, that they feel most passionate about doing. Some may find success building a host of smaller jobs before scaling up to larger gigs. Others may be fortunate enough to book larger gigs faster. There is no road map for what a model need to do to build a career, everyone is unique and thus everyone’s path is different.

7. “If you are not getting jobs it’s because you are not working hard enough.”
There are people who are in the right place and the right time and something falls in their lap. Unfortunately, this isn’t the case for all of us!   Models often work very hard on landing jobs without success. It’s incredibly disheartening when someone assumes you have not been published simply because you are not working hard. Recognize your model’s talent, provide encouragement and when appropriate, make suggestions on things he or she might consider for their future career development.

6. “You really should not have shot with that other photographer.”
Red flag! This communicates to a model you are not a confident photographer. A confident photographer believes firmly in his or her work. They have no problem encouraging you to work with others. As a matter of fact, they often encourage it as each photographer has their own unique look and style. No one photographer can provide you everything you need. In the end, a confident professional knows their own work is solid, and you will likely come back in the future.

5. “Sorry, I’ve been too busy to reply.”
Wake up photographers. You are in the service industry. This means that your primary job is to serve your clients. If they have been waiting what they consider to be too long for their proofs or their photos, or to hear back from you about a job and your only response is that you’ve been too busy, it can be insulting to me. As if you were saying “I have all this other work which is far more important than your nagging needs.” Try to treat every model and client as if they are your top priority. It builds confidence and rapport so they are encouraged to hire you again.

4. “Okay, I suppose we can shoot some lifestyle stuff later, but first let’s shoot something really sexy.”
As a service provider, a photographer needs to listen to the goals of their client. If a client wants a certain look for their portfolio, do not try to push them into an avenue they are not comfortable with (or simply don’t belong in). Ask your clients what their goals in modeling are and base the looks of the photo shoot around that.

3. “If you book me, I could totally get you into tons of magazines!”
Photographers should not over promise; especially on such a large goal for many models like getting into magazines. Yes photographers and models can set goals and game plans to target certain publications with their work, but to try and guarantee it (and then fail to deliver) destroys credibility. To many, it comes off as a cheap trick to try to drum up business.

2. “I normally charge 10 times more, but for this one day you can get me at a discount.”
That would be a stellar deal… if it was accurate. There is nothing wrong with a photographer offering special deals or discounts. However if they are dishonest about their original rates to get work at these falsely discounted rates; that is transparent to many models and another way to destroy one’s credibility as a professional photographer.

1. “I only needed to take a couple shoots, you did that well.”
It might be true that the first couple shoots you take are the best, but good photographers never bank on that. Telling a model you don’t need to spend the time trying different posing positions or angles is really cheating that individual. Models like to have a variety of shots from which to choose. Not devoting your full attention and time to that individual is a sure fire way to insure they don’t return for additional shoots. In addition, they are likely not going to refer people to you if they don’t feel like you took the time you need to capture the best image.

Hopefully you enjoyed this piece! Feel free to share own thing to never say in the comment section!

James Patrick
www.jamesmpatrick.com

Kimberly Miller
www.kimmillerstyle.com