The Daily Mentor Minute Blog | Bruce Hudson

You got the client…NOW keep the client!
Tuesday, Sep 30, 2008

As I said yesterday, today I want to talk about Josh’s conversation with a new client that is now joining our Hudson’s family. Basically this new client has been getting our marketing (direct mailers, newsletters, and monthly e-blasts) for 3 years. How did we initially get their information? We partnered with a builder and an interior designer at a “parade of homes” type of event known in Seattle as The Street of Dreams. We were able to customize one of the homes with 15 wall portraits with sizes ranging from 11x14 up to 40x50. Needless to say, this event in Seattle attracts some very qualified potential clients and was a great way for me to showcase my work in a beautiful multi-million dollar home. All the vendors from the roof guy to the landscaper have a table for putting out information about their services and products. Above is an example of what we did. In addition to having brochures, we did a contest for an $800 dollar portrait credit! We were able to obtain over 500 cards with names, addresses, phone numbers…and emails! The client that called Josh yesterday is one of those people. I can’t tell you how many sessions I have done as a result of this, but it has been quit profitable! It is amazing how when you target your marketing towards the kind of people you want to work with, it just makes the whole portrait process that much easier. The first thing of out of his mouth was, “We loved your work at the Street of Dreams 3 years ago and have enjoyed getting all of your marketing! I am sorry we didn’t call sooner but we were busy growing our family. We have a 16 year old, a 12 year old, and 16 month old. We are ready for a family portrait now.” Josh then of course went threw the phone script, educating them about the process and the different types of sessions we offer, and just before he got to the consultation part, he was interrupted by, “We did our research online and we really want to do the Portrait in the Leaves Safari you have in November. Also, before the session, can my wife and I come in to discuss the details? She is very busy; she is an anesthesiologist, but will make time to come in. Is that ok?” No need to sell the consultation, this is what they wanted! One thing I have noticed about our perfect clients is that they are really into the process! So Josh booked the consultation and I am excited to meet this couple in a few weeks. When you market to the right people, this is a great example of what you get. Now the trick is to not view these people as a onetime sale. It is my job during the consultation, the go-see, the actual session, the projection appointment, and the final portrait fitting to build a relationship with these people. I don’t want them to EVER think about going anywhere else. One way we have done this is with our Premiere Portrait Club here at the studio. It is an invite only club for our best clients. The membership includes some amazing perks and special events that are for members only. What do we do to keep clients like this coming back year after year? Find out at my webinar tomorrow night at 7pm CST! I know, shameless plug, but I am a slow typist and it would be an extremely long Mentor Minute if I went into everything. Here are two to hold you over till tomorrow: (1) No session fees (2) Super Santa Saturday. See you tomorrow and I hope to see you at the webinar! www.marathonpress.com/education/webinars to register!

Moment of Truth Part 5: Making people look their best!
Monday, Sep 29, 2008

Here are a couple quick tips for making your clients look their best! (1) Use a longer lens- The optics in a longer lens tends to be more flattering. (2) Use a higher camera angle- It minimizes the body and forces the subject to look up (good for double chins). (3) Determine which side the main light comes in at based on the size of the subjects eyes- Everyone has one eye larger than the other. Have the main light on the side of the small eye. The highlighted side will make that eye appear larger while the large eye will be on the shadow side and will look smaller. (4) Crooked or broken noses- It’s rare to have a perfectly straight nose. Have the subject turn his or her face into the direction the nose bends. This way it appears to be straighter into the camera. (5) Turn the body at a 45 degree angle- Turn the subjects body at a 45 degree angle instead of just straight on. Also have the subject put their weight on their back foot. If they are sitting, have them put their weight on their back butt cheek! (6) Use props whenever you can- Anything that you can have people lean or sit in on will make them look more relaxed. Also have them shift their weight, they will look more comfortable. To conclude this segment which has lasted a few days now with our “Moment of Truth” blog series, I hope it has been helpful! Tomorrow I will be blogging about a phone call Josh took today from a new client. I just love when people REQUEST a consultation instead of us having to educate them about it! These are perfect clients and once you get them…you don’t EVER want to lose them! Join me on Wednesday for my LIVE webcast on creating and utilizing a Premiere Portrait Club! It is a great way to reward your best clients and also gives them a reason to visit you more frequently! If you are having trouble with client retention and you’re sick of spending thousands of dollars marketing to new people that never work out, go to www.marathonpress.com/education/webinars and sign-up! B.H.

Moment of Truth- Part 4: Composition and Architecture
Friday, Sep 26, 2008

On our commercial shoot Monday we were asked to do some shots of the building that would be used in an up-coming marketing campaign. They wanted to covey a message to potential employees that, “This is a cool place to come to work to!” I chose this image (see above) because I really like the lines and trees in the foreground. Anytime you can create depth and dimension in a particular shot…Do It! It will add more impact to your image and with commercial photography; impact is defiantly what they are looking for! In case you didn’t know I actually did an entire DVD covering this topic called Shooting for Impact. See a preview of the DVD under the educational investments page. Ok, back to the task at hand here! In my opinion diagonal lines are the strongest angles in any composition. I love the contrast between the branches and the gradual brightening of the building into the sky. I used our “Truce” effect technique to add a little contrast and texture! See you tomorrow with Part 5 of this installment- How to make people look their best! B.H.

Moment of Truth Part III –Balancing Light
Thursday, Sep 25, 2008

Today I want to share a technique I learned from one of my mentors on lighting, the late and great Don Blair. Here is what I do when shooting with a strong backlight, which was the case with Monday’s commercial shoot. Above is one of the images created of the mortgage company's directors from their office overlooking Lake Union in Seattle. (1) Establish the background exposure. In this case it was ISO 100, 125th @f8. (2) I set my camera on manual at the backgrounds exposure. (3) I then positioned a ProFoto 600B 45 degrees on the subjects from the left. This gave me a great highlight to shadow ratio. (4) My flash was set at f8 to expose for the subjects and the backgrounds exposure. (5) I used a Sekonic 358 Flash Meter to obtain the perfect exposure. (6) The Finer Points: Normally my flash exposure is about one stop under the ambient exposure. In this case, none of the ambient light on the subjects came into play at ISO 100, f8 @ 125th. By combining both it gave me the perfect combination. This image was SOOC, or straight out of camera! See you tomorrow with composition and arcitechure! B.H.

Moment of Truth- Part II: People Skills 101
Wednesday, Sep 24, 2008

As I mentioned yesterday in regards to commercial photography, here are some tips for using people skills when you’re out on a job! (1) Always arrive early and start when you say you are going to start. You are working with business people in a professional environment. Time is money and you have to be ready! (2) Dress appropriately, even if it is a casual office environment, much like yesterdays was. But I still put on a jacket with some designer jeans. You’re a professional, dress like it! (3) Use a firm handshake and lots of eye contact. High power business people can size you up pretty quickly, so make a good first impression. (4) Your energy level needs to be up at all times. Don’t sit idle waiting for something to happen. Be proactive and always ask if there is anything you can shoot while you’re waiting for whomever to get ready. (5) Ask questions and have fun with your subjects. “Are you originally from Seattle?” Questions like this will help you build some instant rapport. When you find that one “thing” in common, run with it! You only have a few minutes to connect with your commercial subject and getting them to relax will help you get a better portrait. The more you can find in common with them, the more comfortable they will be. (6) Try to avoid conversation that involves politics or religion. These are your clients and they are giving you an opportunity to make a living in photography. Many times I have bitten my tongue to avoid a conversational conflict. This actually happened on yesterdays shoot. One of the mortgage brokers made a comment about Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin that I did not agree with. This is hard for my son Josh (he has a degree in political science, and minors in history and middle eastern studies) with his deeply rooted political views. You don’t have to agree with people, just don’t make it public. (7) Consistently thank your hosts for the opportunity and how much you enjoyed working with them! Also, be sure to send thank you cards to the people you photographed. We use Send Out Cards. (8) Look and plant seeds for future business. Remember, this business is all about relationships, don’t view your session as a one time job. To sum up this Mentor Minute, doesn’t it sound like some advice your parents would give you? But these simply things really do go a long way during commercial sessions. See you tomorrow for part 3! Bruce

Moment of Truth!
Tuesday, Sep 23, 2008

Boy what an exhausting day and it is only 3pm as I write this. Josh and I just returned from a ½ day commercial shoot at a boutique bank/mortgage company in downtown Seattle. Yesterday I blogged about giving your clients a reason to come back more often and commercial photography is a great way to do this! Most of my best clients are professionals or own their own businesses. We are doing more and more of these types of sessions for businesses in need of images for the web and marketing opportunities. I love these because they create some instant cash flow for us. Another reason I enjoy these types of sessions is because they are VERY challenging! I get to do a little fashion, architectural, pictorial, and portraits all in one shoot! It’s the moment of truth by combining people skills with all of my other expertise that I have learned over the years in regards to posing, lighting, composition, and how to make people look their best! During the next 4 days I will be covering these 4 important topics: (1) Making people look their best despite broken noses! Yes, we had a couple of those today. (2) Composition and architecture. (3) Lighting indoor with flash and matching outdoor/indoor with mixed lighting. (4) People skills! I will be touching on this one tomorrow to start out, but in the meantime, here is a hint for using your people skills to effectively work commercial jobs- Be on time and ready when you are supposed to be! Trust me, you are dealing with business minded people and time is money to them! This goes a long way and will make the entire shoot run that much better! See you tomorrow with more. B.H.

Give your clients a reason to come back more often!
Monday, Sep 22, 2008

Today I was at the dentist. As I sat in the chair, it occurred to me how easy they have it. They really only have to market to you one time. How many of us jump from dentist to dentist every year, calling around to see who has the best price on a teeth cleaning? I am guessing probably not too many of us. Basically once your dentist gets you in chair, you are a client for life! Of course they need to keep in touch with you and provide an enjoyable experience, but you’re really not going to shop around. I have been going to Dr. Danny’s practice for over 25 years and would never even think of going anywhere else. The staff is great and I always get the same hygienist Bev every 6 months. After my cleaning today while I am still in the chair, Bev opened up the calendar on here computer to 6 months in the future and asked me what day and time I would like to come in this March. Man, I don’t even have a chance! Wouldn’t it be great if we could do that with our clients, make them come in every 6 months! Unfortunately this is not the way our business works, but you can give your clients a reason to come in more often. Take for instance Starbucks. So of course I went straight there after I left the dentist to pick up a latte and some breakfast. Starbucks is really pushing their iced coffees right now and they have been all summer. If you buy a drink in the morning, they invite you to come back that afternoon by stamping your receipt with a coupon for a $2.00 iced coffee after 2pm. They call this a “Treat Receipt” and this is one example Starbucks is doing to get their customers to come in more often. Restaurants do the same thing with Happy Hour. I know all you guys and gals get this, but what are you doing in your photography business to give your clients a reason to come back more often? I am not talking about sending out an email with the FREE 8x10 special here. They need to be specific reasons and sometimes even require an entirely new product. One example of how we have done this is with our Kindergarten Graduation Portraits. What better way to bridge the gap between the new born/baby plans and the family portraits! We plant the seeds for this during those baby sessions. Most of the time, when a family is done having kids and they are old enough to do a nice family portrait, the youngest one is in Kindergarten. So KGrad sessions are a good time to plant seeds for the family portraits. We also give incentives to our top clients to come in more often as well. Tomorrow I will share some of those with you! In addition to that, I will be covering extensively the ins and outs of having a Premiere Portrait Club this Thursday during my webinar. If you want your clients to come in more often, you need to attend. www.marathonpress.com/education/webinars to register! Believe it or not, I actually have Premiere clients that update their wall portraits every year! Not bad cash flow and it is a lot cheaper than marketing to new people all the time! See you tomorrow! B.H.

The BEST Part!
Sunday, Sep 21, 2008

“If you are not passionately devoted to an idea, you can make very pleasant pictures but they won’t make anyone cry.” This quote from Ruth Bernhard, a famous photographer, is so true! The best part of my job is delivering the finished product to my client’s home. Many times I get tears from my clients as I hang their portrait on the wall. This was the case today as I traveled to a client’s home to deliver their order. This client lives about an hour away, but I think hand delivering is an important last step in the portrait process. This is actually one way we set ourselves apart from other studios in are area, we take the time to nurture our clients throughout the entire creative process. From the consultation to the hanging, we are with them every step of the way! So anyway, back to my story from today. As I began to hang the beautiful 30x40 on their wall the mom started to tear up as the dad and I placed the portrait in the perfectly designed space. “Mission accomplished”, I shouted! With the tears came a hug and a nice check for their remaining balance. The portrait process may have come to a close, but this is where the relationship process begins. So what’s the next step? (1) Tomorrow I will send a custom thank you card from Send Out Cards and ask for any referrals they might have and want to send my way. (2) I will also make sure I have all of their contact information input into our database. We will be mailing them several things throughout the years as well as our monthly e-newsletter. This is where we will make this one time client into a lifelong one. ***SIDE NOTE- For you Gold and Platinum members out there who are in our client database, what did you think of this month’s Hudson’s E-Newsletter we just sent out? Email Josh and let us know if you have any questions about it! To sum up today’s Mentor Minute; success in this business is truly about the service you provide for you clients. Yes part of this service is creating the images, but there is so much more involved. Be mindful of this every time a client comes into your life and make sure that your existing clients know how much you appreciate them as well. I will be going into vastly greater detail on this subject this coming Thursday at 7pm CST with my webinar on Clients for Life: The Premiere Portrait Club! To register go to www.marathonpress.com/education/webinars. Even though I just finished the creative process with my client today, I will begin an entirely new process tomorrow! Nobody said this was an easy way to make a living, but I’ll tell you there is nothing more rewarding. And today I got to experience the “Best Part” once again! See you tomorrow! B.H.

The Fortune 500!
Saturday, Sep 20, 2008

I hope everyone is having a great weekend! This is Josh by the way; my dad is swamped today with a couple senior sessions and a projection sale, so I decided to give the old man a break and blog for him. I want to talk about a concept I have heard from my dad and other successful photographers before, it’s called the 80/20 rule. This means 80% of your annual business comes from 20% of your client database. To put it plainly, the vast majority of your business comes from existing clients. Today as I was driving back from picking up some frames that we had joined, I found myself thinking about this concept. Well, I was also listening to Doug Box’s interview from Augusts’ Monthly Mentor CD and he was mentioning this same concept he learned from Lyle Ramsey at the beginning of his career. He called it the fortune 500! Doug said that if you can get 500 good clients in your database, keep in touch with them regularly, they WILL make you a fortune! I hear from a lot of photographers around the country all the time that they are not very busy. They ask me for advice on what they should do as far as marketing to get their phones to ring. My first response is, “When was the last time you sent something to your existing database?” Many times they say, “Why would I do that, I want new business?” Marketing to your existing clients is cheaper and more effective than marketing to the masses ever could be. Plus, it is easier to market to someone that has used your services before because they have already experienced you! You don’t have to sell them! And if you market effectively to these people (remember, personalize don’t commercialize) they will come back to you on a regular basis. And of course it is OUR job as photographers to provide products and services that fit our client’s needs. For instance, when we do a client’s wedding, we plant seeds for our first year baby plan. Boom, 2-3 years later, here comes that client in for a baby plan. Then we plant seeds for our kindergarten graduation portraits (KGrads). Like clockwork, 5 years later they are coming in for those. Then we plant seeds for their first big family portrait. And then so on and so on! I know what you are thinking, “But Josh, what if I am just starting out and don’t have a database to send to?” Great question! You will obviously be marketing more to get new clients in, but don’t just send generic cards out to the zip codes in your area. Take the time to think about the type of clients you want to work with, target your lists, create marketing pieces that are geared towards those people, and keep marketing to them! Once you get them in, never let them go! Every successful studio owner I have ever encountered uses this philosophy. Build up your database with high quality clients, provide products that will keep them in your studio lifecycle, and always keep them informed about you and your studio. Build up your 500 and you will find that clients (and their friends) will come to you, rather than you chasing them! My dad is at a point now where about 90% of our business comes from 10% database. And 80% of our marketing dollars go towards existing clients. They are the ones that keep us going strong every year! We still market to new clients, but really go after specific groups of people, i.e. our target market. Just remember that the first sale you have with a new client could be worth 10-20 times that if you do your job right! With that said, I am driving two frames home from the shop right now. One is a 30x40 and the other is a 40x50. Both are for new clients. The 30x40 that one of the families bought was $3200. Times that by 20! When you put it into that perspective, you bet your butt we will be sending them a newsletter twice a year! To conclude this little tirade of mine, make sure you stay in touch with you clients! Service their every need and always keep them up to date, it will pay off! I will leave you with one of my favorite quotes from my dad, “The most important asset you have in your business is not your lights, computer, or even your camera…it’s your clients!” –Josh -PS. The image above is from one of those new targeted clients. We got them from a charity auction. This is the 30x40 image that I talked about. Trust me; we will never let these people go! What a great family!

Is it time for an attitude adjustment?
Friday, Sep 19, 2008

The stock market drops 500 points! Everything is doom and gloom! The sky is falling! Business is terrible! Everywhere you turn there’s negative talk generated for the American consumer to swallow. Much of this is being spun for the up-coming election, much like it always is. No matter what political camp you lean towards, we are all in need of a little attitude adjustment. Trust me, I am not discrediting the economic challenge that many are facing, but just sitting back and letting all the negative talk of doom and gloom control your daily action is not a good prescription for success. “Ok know it all, what’s the answer?” The best way to fight back the negativity and adjust your attitude is to become more proactive in everything you do. Watch your email inbox today for my monthly e-newsletter; I am going to be featuring 6 ways to be more proactive in your studio…RIGHT NOW! In life there are always things you can’t control. But luckily your attitude is one thing you CAN control! Keep your head up, work hard, and have an awesome and proactive day! B.H.

The Evolution of a Relationship!
Thursday, Sep 18, 2008

I just returned from Detroit yesterday to a full appointment book today. It’s good to be home! Real quick, I just want to say a special thank you Angela Carson, Steve Post, and the PP of Detroit for having me! It was a great crowd and I had a lot of fun giving the program! Yesterday morning as I sat at gate A-18 in the Detroit Metro Airport, I was reminded of what building relationships are all about. For about ten minutes while I was sitting there, I observed and was entertained by two toddlers playing together in the kid’s area of the gate. These two little ones were strangers in the beginning but soon learned the value of building a relationship. They started to help each other as they moved furniture out of the kid’s playhouse. It was amazing to see their relationship evolve from checking each other out, working together for a common goal (rearranging furniture) and then enjoying the fruits of their labor as they lounged in the “re-decorated” area. So what can we all learn from this study of human interaction and behavior? This is what I got out of it: (1) It takes time for any relationship to warm up. In this case it was only a few minutes and that was without any verbal communication. Not bad! (2) People inherently enjoy working together for a common goal. (3) Once that goal is complete, it’s time to take pride in the accomplishment! –With all that said, how can we relate my little observation to the way we start and continue relationships with our own clients? (1) Building relationships is about developing rapport. When I meet with a first time client, my only goal is to find common threads that we can both relate to and begin to build that important rapport. People like people who are like them. In the case of my little toddlers, they both related to playing together in a very cool playhouse. Once again, with your clients, find common ground. It may be music, sports, restaurants, wine, or travel. The more you have in common, the easier it is to build your necessary rapport! This will translate into trust which is essential for the sales process. (2) Your client is inquiring about services and products that you will provide for them. You have specific responsibilities as does your client to make the project successful. You are the artist creating images and they are the subjects you are creating the images for. It’s a common goal that you’re striving to fulfill together. The outcome must be a win-win for all parties involved! (3) Once the portrait process is complete, it is now time to sit back and enjoy the finished product that both parties worked so hard for. A few pats on the back or a hug are always part of this stage of the relationship. Or maybe it’s a bottle of wine when you deliver and hang the finished portraits! -So where do we go from here? What happens after the sale? How do you maintain this relationship? If you join me next Thursday LIVE at 7pm CST time I will share all of my secrets for turning a first time customer into a client for life. Go to www.marathonpress.com/education/webinars and sign-up today! Also, for you Monthly Mentor Members out there, you will receive a $10 Bruce Bucks credit for attending. Thanks again to the Detroit PPA group and my awesome friends (and hosts) Angela Carson and Steve Post!

Testimonials are KEY!
Tuesday, Sep 16, 2008

One of the main elements in an effective marketing piece is testimonials! Hi everyone, Josh here, my dad is currently in Detroit giving a program at the moment, so I am filling in! I had a wonderful conversation today with a Silver Member from Oklahoma about testimonials. Today’s blog will be short, but the topic is essential if you want create an effective marketing piece. Testimonials are truly the KEY! It is one thing to talk about your awards and stress your quality, but every does that. Simply saying you’re the best studio in town is not enough. People need something extra, they need that emotional attachment. This is where an actual testimonial can provide that bridge between the sales aspect of a piece and the emotional components that will help you get the phone to ring. What better way to convey your studio’s message with positive thoughts and words from people who have experienced and invested in your talent! And, some of the most powerful testimonials come in the form of audio. Here’s a tip, don’t just add music to your consultation slideshow; add your actual client’s words! This is always a big hit and I guarantee you your potential clients will learn more about you listening to others describe the beautiful art you have created for them than you ever could by talking to them. So make sure you have testimonials on your marketing pieces, in your slideshows, and on your website! Josh PS. The above image is from the Gaston Family- 20+ year clients. I can’t tell you how many times I have asked for testimonials from them. And they are glad to give me new ones all the time. All you have to do is ask!

Are you prepared?
Monday, Sep 15, 2008

Today I’m in Detroit to do a program for the PPA group in Detroit. I’m being hosted by my good friends and amazing photographers Angela Carson & her hubby Steve Post. During my flight yesterday, I experienced the worst turbulence ever. It was part of IKE moving to the north. As I was bouncing around I of couldn’t stop thinking about my wife Terri, and my kids Josh & McKenna. I also thought about of all my photographer friends effected in Texas and the Gulf coast. WHAT IF? WHAT IF I DIDN’T RETURN? Have I prepared for my family? As a husband who lost a wife 12 years ago & father of 2 kids who lost a mother, I’ve lived through the WHAT IF! No one wants to think about their own mortality but it is IMPARITIVE to be prepared! Get a will & life insurance for your family. Yes, we rather do PHOTOSHOP and create beautiful images but you need to sometimes think about the WHAT IF? Are you PREPAIRED? BH

A $15,000 Day
Saturday, Sep 13, 2008

Today was one of those great cash flow days! At 10am I had a high school senior projection appointment. I had originally worked with this client some 18 years ago just before their son was born. It was a pretty good sale. Then at 11am I had a high school senior session. They drove all the way from Everett, WA (North of Seattle), which is about an hour and half away. The senior’s mom had seen my work at her friend’s house about 5 years ago. For the next five years, my senior card had been on her fridge just waiting for the day I could photograph her daughter. The potential sale for that looks promising. As I was finishing up with my 11am appointment, Josh started loading up the car for one out of the two on-location events we had booked today. We left the studio at 12:15pm and arrived at the first event at 12:30 to starting setting up. The event was a combination of commercial/wedding coverage. It was for our Local 32 Plumbers and Pipe Fitters Union’s Annual “Old Timers” Celebration. This is actually the 5th year in a row we have done this for them. This event is where the union honors their 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, and 60 year members! It wasn’t the most artistic shoot, but it will defiantly pay the bills! We finished the event right at 3pm, which unfortunately was the same time we were supposed to start our final event for the day. We rushed across town and arrived just 10 minutes late for our wedding coverage. Lucky, the bride and groom were running late (that NEVER happens, right?). As I write this at home it is now 10:55pm and Josh and I are pooped. But we are feeling very fulfilled and energetic. Josh is finishing this month’s Studio Success Guide and I am writing the blog. Not a bad days work and I still love what I do everyday! Do I have a day off tomorrow? Nope, it’s another day of getting up at 5:30am to travel to Detroit. I am giving a program on Tuesday evening for the PP of Detroit! I am pretty tired, but before I leave you tonight, I will give you something to think about. Life is too short for just doing the minimum. You need to go the extra mile if you want to be successful. I can’t tell you how many books I have read about successful people and they all have one thing in common…They work their butts off! Photographers often ask me all the time, “How do you do it Bruce?” My answer, “In my mind, there is no other choice!” As Josh would say, “Go big or go home!” Have a fun and profitable weekend everyone, thanks for joining me tonight! Bruce -PS. Just a side note, $15,000 was my teaching salary for a whole year when I left teaching in 1982 to peruse my dream of photography full time! Check out the image above, that was me around that time!

Oops…We Missed The Ferry! Part Two
Wednesday, Sep 10, 2008

After my clients appointment two days ago, Terri and I drove 5 minutes to catch the ferry back to reality. After parking in the designated line to board the ship, we ran down the hill to the beautiful Orcas Hotel to have a quick glass of wine while waiting. As the color of the sky turned golden and the smell of the fresh Coho Salmon roamed throughout the quaint little hotel restaurant, it became apparent that we were not going to make the ferry! Lucky for us it was Monday and they had a room available. Once again Terri and I mixed business and pleasure as we shared the most incredibly romantic dinner while also creating some amazing fine art images of the ferries coming and going out of the bay. I wrote this Mentor Minute as we were traveling back on the magnificent waters of the San Jose Islands. Wow, what a great 2 days! A little bit of work and a little bit of play. Sometimes we all need to take time to smell the roses (or in this case, the Coho Salmon) and miss the ferry! Above is one of the images Terri and I created, enjoy! Bruce -PS. I have a webinar tomorrow at 7pm CST on Speaking in YOUR Community! This is a great way to become the resident expert in your community when it comes to fine portraiture. Many of my best clients came directly from me speaking at their Rotary Clubs, Chambers, etc. I would be honored if you would join me! www.marathonpress.com/education/webinars

Mixing Business with Pleasure! Part One
Tuesday, Sep 09, 2008

Being self employed has its pros and cons sometimes. Working the normal 9-5, Monday-Friday, is usually not an option and I am ok with that. I have found that anytime you can combine work with a little fun…it’s a good thing! Yesterday was one of those scenarios. One of my 20 plus year clients needed to see their images from a session a few months ago. I blogged about this a little bit yesterday, see below to refresh your memory! As I said yesterday, you are probably thinking, “Hudson, are you nuts? Why don’t you just put them online?” I love the cool new technology but putting the images online when you’re trying to sell large portraits is the quickest way to kill a sale! Yes it was a long drive and ferry ride to get up to the island my client’s live on, but this part of the portrait process is so important! By the way, if you have never been to the Pacific Northwest and the San Juan Islands…you need to plan a trip! It truly is breath taking, and this is a native saying this! Anyway, I have always wanted to see this client’s home that built some 18 years ago when they retired. It is right on the water and being able to travel to them to personally show them their images were the perfect opportunity! I booked the whole day out and asked Terri, my wife, if she would accompany me. The weather was ideal for my little Porsche with the top down as we explored Orcas Island before my 3 o’clock appointment. We made our way to the top of Mt. Constitution, a 2,400ft peak with a stunning 360 degree view of all the islands. You can even see Canada from up there! Wow! As far as the projection appointment goes, we’re looking at a 30x40, 24x30, four 11x14’s, and a good number of 8x10’s and 5x7’s. Not a bad little sale! Was it worth the time and effort to travel and take the whole day off? Business wise yes! Pleasure wise…absolutely! Life is about balance. Look for the many opportunities you have to mix business with pleasure! B.H.

Go the Extra Mile…Literally!
Monday, Sep 08, 2008

Happy Monday everyone! I am writing today’s Mentor Minute from beautiful Orcas Island, just northeast and about 2 hours away from Seattle on Puget Sound. Terri and I made the drive and fairy ride up here today to project some images for one of my clients, the Crowe Family! You may have heard of their son Dave, he is an up and coming comedian that has been featured on Comedy Central before. Google him and check out some of his stand up, what a hilarious kid! I actually did Dave’s senior portraits back in 1984 and then his family a few years later. Above is an image of the entire family from the session we did on Father’s Day this year. The Crowes are busy people (like everyone) and this is the first time they have been able view their images and order from that session. We actually took the time to drive to them because they rarely leave the island. Over the past several months, we have had times booked for them to come in and view but nothing really panned out. I guess the point of this story is pretty simple: Don’t give up on a sale and always go the extra mile. If your clients can’t come in to view, don’t just put them on-line or send them proofs. Yes it is convenient but you are leaving a ton of money on the table. Selling your work with projection WILL yield you 2, 3, 4, even 5 times more revenue than just giving your clients proofs. I have also found that if I project in their home, I will sell wall portraits at least one size larger than if I was projecting in the studio. People get busy and sometimes it is hard to connect for that sale. Stay persistent and go the extra mile! Trust me, it will pay off! Tomorrow I’ll let you know how the sale went! B.H. –PS. Josh just posted a new Image of the Week from a session last night…check it out!

Uncovering the Secrets!
Sunday, Sep 07, 2008

I’m always in search of the secrets or motivation for why people invest in photography. Primarily the larger photographs with the bigger price tag. I call it the X-factor and I think I’ve found one of the elements that make up the X-Factor. With all that said, last weekend was Terri’s parents’ 50 wedding anniversary. 50 years is a long time for anything! Congratulations Dixie and Gene! Anyway, they are from St. Maries, Idaho (at the south end of beautiful Lake Coeur d’ Alene). Check out the August 31st Mentor Minute. Terri’s brother with the rest of the family planned a surprise anniversary dinner at the resort. It was an awesome evening with great food, fantastic sunset and family time at its best! The importance of family is what Terri’s family is all about! This is also demonstrated by all the photographs displayed at Gene and Dixie’s home in St. Maries. They are everywhere, and are displayed with much pride! I feel this is one of the elements of the X-Factor, the emphasis of family. Think of your best clients and I can almost guarantee they posses this same X-Factor characteristic. Take a moment and write down five of your best clients and what common characteristics they have in common. The more secrets we can uncover about perspective clients the better chance we have to market to them successfully. What X-Factor will you uncover that motivates your client to want to invest in your photography? Have a good Sunday! B.H.

More Choices…More Sales!
Friday, Sep 05, 2008

I had a great senior session last night from with a family I have had some history with. The last time I photographed the senior was when he was 2 years old. The reason for that session at that time was because his father had just been pronounced terminal with a only a few weeks to live. Some 15 years later his mom (who is now remarried) called to set the appointment and to catch up! They have been getting the newsletter (relationship marketing) and couldn’t wait to use my services again! It was wonderful getting reacquainted with her and meeting her new husband during the session of her son at the studio. The session went great except he forgot his paintball jersey. This senior’s passion is paintball and he plays at a highly competitive pro level. It just wouldn’t be “him” if we didn’t do something with his paintball attire. My suggestion was to do a completely separate session dedicated to just his passion. We have always encouraged multiple sessions for our seniors but have been a lot more persuasive lately in selling them. So you’re probably asking, “Bruce, what do you charge for an extra senior session?” Well, most of the time if it’s close…I don’t! On our price list an “add-on” session is only $55, but I look at it this way: Bottom-Line- When you give more choices to your clients, guess what? They have the opportunity to invest more! I would say that most of time, they do! Maybe it’s investing in the 12 way folio instead of the 8, adding an extra wall portrait, or going for an entire album. Plus, you can use the images for some unique marketing to seniors. Anyway, have a good weekend everyone, see you tomorrow! B.H. –PS. Oh yeah, the image above was one from yesterday’s senior! Thought you might want to take a look.

Go on Offense!
Thursday, Sep 04, 2008

Hey everyone, Josh here, my dad asked me if I would fill in tonight, apparently he is tired from all the golf he played today! Anyway, I was glad he asked me to because I want to share something with you that I have learned working at the studio for the past few years. I have learned the importance of going on offense! What do I mean by that? It’s simple, always be on the offensive when it comes to keeping your clients informed. I don’t think there is anything worse than a client calling you asking where their order is. If you know an order is running late, simply pick up the phone and let your clients know about it. Here is a great example from a situation I encountered a few weeks ago. I had helped a client pick out a frame for their wall portrait and ordered it that day. Larson Juhl Frames usually takes about 3 days to get an order to us. To be safe and to set expectations, I told them it would be a week. When the frame came in 3 days later, I called the client to let them know it came in early. Give yourself some time with orders, it is better to over deliver! Anyway, the client was excited and came in to pick up. They noticed some slight separation at the corners of the frame. I of course agreed, apologized, and re-ordered the frame. About a week later another frame came in with the exact same problem. My first reaction was not to call the frame company, but to call our clients. I pretty much told them that their replacement frame arrived and I am not personally happy with the results of the re-order. I also told them that I was going to personally go down to Larson Juhl’s assembly warehouse in Seattle to oversee the joining. Long story short, it took about 3 weeks for all of this to get sorted out. After they picked their print and a correctly joined frame up, the dad thank me for all my hard work in dealing with the matter and he appreciated the follow-up phone calls. I guess my point of this story is that more affluent clients expect this type of service and thoroughness ALL the time. It is just in their nature. So next time an order comes in from the lab wrong or it is taking a long time for an album to get back to you, pick up the phone and let your clients know that you are handling it. It is these little things that will set you apart and attract the more affluent clientele. J.H. -PS.- The Affluent Program that my dad gave to the SPPA on Tuesday (see yesterday’s blog) will be a FREE webinar for all Monthly Mentor Members, we are setting the date right now! We are excited to share it with you!

Characteristics of the Affluent Buyer
Wednesday, Sep 03, 2008

I am sorry for not posting a Mentor Minute yet this month; things are crazy at the studio! Not to mention I was out of town last weekend and did not get home until last night. I actually went straight from St. Maries, ID to Seattle Pacific University in Seattle yesterday to give a program to the Seattle Professional Photographers Association. The program was on marketing and selling to the affluent. This is a program that I have never done before and it was nice to finally get all of my thoughts out and down on paper. Today I am going to share with you a portion of the program. So what are some characteristics of the affluent buyer? If you intend to market and sell to these types of people, you need to take into consideration their needs and wants. They are as follows: (1) They travel extensively for business and pleasure. (2) They dine out more than at home. But keep in mind, entertaining at home is an important part of their lifestyle! (3) They participate in at least 3 sports- They are more likely to golf, ski, or have a boat than any other demographical group. (4) 77% of them are married compared to only 53% of the general population. (5) They are more likely to use the internet to research products or services. (6) And lastly, they strongly identify with the Republican Party 50% of the time versus 29% in the general population. For all of you Monthly Mentor Program Members out there I have some great news! I have decided to give this program, the same exact one I just developed for SPPA, in the form of a webinar for FREE in the coming weeks! But there is a catch; it is for Monthly Mentor Members ONLY! Just another way it pays to be a Monthly Mentor subscriber! For you none members out there, go to Join the Monthly Mentor and see what hundreds of photographers in 5 different countries experience every month! If you sign up this week, shoot Josh an email at josh@mystudiomentor.com and he will even throw in a back issue for FREE! Thanks everyone for your patience the past few days, we are back on track now! B.H. –P.S. I almost forgot! We are posting a new print critique today and a new image of the week…check them out!