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What are you leaving to chance as a professional photographer? - part 1 of 1

Published 01/04/2015

By Catherine Connor

If you heard any of my lectures during the recent Societies' Convention you will have heard the term 'leave nothing to chance'. When and where possible I am a 'leaving nothing to chance' kind of gal. If you have attended any of our programmes you have certainly heard the statement 'what are you leaving to chance' before. To succeed in business requires many skills and abilities, and you have to continually nurture your business by placing yourself in the driver's seat. We are working within a very competitive industry and your role and purpose is to drive the business forward in the best possible manner; always dedicated to succeeding with a mission for success. You will form many expectations from the business and equally the business will form many expectations from you; be alert to those expectations, as your mission and mantra is to create a culture of 'leaving nothing to chance'.

With this in mind ask yourself, what are you currently leaving to chance or fate? The best approach to adopt is the harder you work, the luckier you will become; this is not about the hours you spend, this is about being smart. Smart thinking, smart strategy and playing the business game in a smart way. I have met many of the Societies' members and all have much in common; one of the common factors is the sheer level of determination to succeed. The business' success will be measured in many departments; firstly from your abilities as a photographer, what ability and skill base are you in danger of leaving to chance? What aspect of your photography needs nurturing? As a creative person, naturally we are never the complete product, we are always in development. Be true to your craft though, by leaving little to chance. Your marketing department will be the lifeline to the business; it's the feeder, the department designed to attract the right clients and bring you both a profile and riches in equal measures. Think about every aspect of your marketing department from your usage of social media, through to the objective of your blog; ensure you cover all of your marketing strategies and mix. Ask yourself which marketing methods are effective, what is building your business and lastly what are you leaving to chance. Marketing is rarely a favourite, many photographers steer away from the tasks involved. Don't be tempted to adopt this approach, as it would prove fundamental to a lack of development.

The most rewarding department of all has to be the sales department, as it is so closely linked to the photography. You will work very hard to gain a client and your reward will always come from the reaction to your images, not only from how pleased your client is but also what they purchase and how. As a professional photographer your main purpose is to create images for wall art and storybook albums and this has to be the element of your craft that you treasure the most. There is always a buzz from seeing your images within albums and frames, a thrill from seeing your work in homes and being treasured; this is when we have the best job in town! Most fall into photography because they love photography, photographing minutes and moments that have deep connections and meanings that really matter. Reflecting upon the sheer importance of achieving all of your desires within this department, what are you leaving to chance for your clients, and for the business? The sales results you gain are vital to your profitable business.

Your aspirations for the business will come in many guises, from how you would like customer service to feel and the experience you want your clients to have, such as celebrating their birthdays with a card is something you don't want to forget. We all have loyal clients, who we want to shower with affection. Serving our customers well is always a challenge creatives with perfectionist traits face; our desire is to get it right, do our best and inspire people. Think about the journey your clients travel through from first point of contact to image arrival at their homes. Over the next few months devote time to the business and assess what you no longer want to leave to chance. Then join us on your educational complimentary online programme.

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1st Published 01/04/2015
last update 09/12/2022 14:55:41

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