Whether your 2023 goals include growing your client roster to keep you schedule full or leveling up the caliber of your clientele so that you can work within higher budgets, it takes more than wishful thinking for us (often introverted) creatives.
In 2016, my business coach challenged me with the herculean task of physically walking into the office of a new designer with a cute box of local baked goods and personally introducing myself. I balked at the idea. Nothing could have been further from my comfort zone. Two years later, I finally worked up the courage to do it (courage plus my coach demanding my accountability by having me text her after the first drop off had been completed). It actually worked!
Let’s look at how you can do this same approach to get on your dream clients’ radar, step-by-step.
What you will need:
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If you don’t have one already, create a Houzz.com account.
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A notepad to take notes—or a google spreadsheet will do, too.
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Nice stationary and a pen that is a joy to write with.
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A stack of business cards with a link to your portfolio and social media accounts
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And any printouts on your (updated 2023 higher!) rates and process.
*Some great resources for creating branded printing folders or information packets include Vista Print, Moo, and Zazzle.
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A favorite local bakery.
Research on Houzz
The great thing about Houzz is that you can anonymously search builders, architects, and interior designers within zip codes. You can build out your profile later, it’s not necessary to have that just yet. Just set up a profile (it's free!) and get started with some research. The goal is to be able to spend some time researching the lesser-known professionals in your backyard—-the ones that might not have a large presence on popular social media channels but are, in fact, quietly leading their industry with a higher budget and need for quality photography.
For each builder or designer you find that shows potential (the ones that have stunning projects, but the photos they feature were taken using their cell phone cameras eight years ago, or whatever your criteria for “potential” may be), pull out that notepad and dive into their websites. This is crucial. You must do the research to identify who is the principal architect, president, or owner of the firm and learn about them. They will be the decision maker and the one that you write your hand-written note to. Read their bios and take note of any possible commonalities. Whether the designer shares a love of hiking, went to your alma mater, or simply is someone who’s design taste you admire, you can reference that in the brief note where you will introduce yourself and connect.
Write a hand-written note
Once you have your first designer office in mind, it's time to write a note to include in the items you'll drop off. This is where you want to make sure to have quality stationary and a smooth-writing pen.
Address your note to the economic decision maker from step one and introduce yourself, explaining what caught your eye about their work / company mission / current portfolio. Write that you’d love to learn more about their firm to see if any of your services could help them elevate their brand or help achieve their goals. Highlight how your services will freshen up their portfolios, provide them with social media or magazine ad content, or help them submit to industry contests. Give your email and/or cell phone number and thank them for their consideration with an easy link to your website/ portfolio.
Keep this note simple, direct, and friendly!
Not sure where to start?
Here is a sample script that you can reference for inspiration:
Dear Ms./Mr.____,
I stumbled across your beautiful website and wanted to reach out and say hello. I’m an interiors and architectural photographer and I’m building relationships with [fill in blank: interior designers, architects, custom home builders, realtors etc.] in our area. [Insert relevant compliment such as, “I especially love that you use so many bold colors in your powder rooms.”]
I specialize in creating magazine-quality photographs for designers/builders/architects/realtors like you and have had some success in helping my clients elevate their brands by refreshing their image galleries, getting their work shown in magazines and winning industry awards. I just wanted to bring by a little neighborly gift for you and show you a few shots of my recent work. I would very much love the opportunity to learn about how I might be able to help you and your team in the future. My email is ____ and my phone number is ____, if you would like to touch base with me sometime in the upcoming weeks ahead.
Very truly yours,
__________.
Gather your marketing material
Now it's time to put together the print material that you'll include with your drop-off package. At the very least, there should be a business card that includes your contact information, website, and social links. Since you're making this effort to connect with them, though, it's the perfect opportunity to really wow them with your work in print!
Here are some ideas of what to include in your content packet:
- Ratesheet: Update your packages and services
- Summary of process or any FAQs: Consider what questions they may have, and provide those answers
- Booklet of portfolio work: Lightroom creates beautiful booklets using Blurb. Quality counts here, so be intentional in the layout and print quality
- Business cards: Make sure they show your website, email, phone number and Instagram account
If you're not sure where to start, Canva is a great resource for creating designs that can be saved as .jpgs and PDFs to print. They have templates that are great as a starting point, and offer lots of graphics, fonts, and ways to customize.
For housing your materials, I really love Vista Print’s glossy folder options to nest your materials into. They have nice business card inserts as well as pockets for placing any rate sheets or pamphlets.
Stand out with local goodies
Next, spend $10-$15 on some baked goods from a local bakery or donut shop to leave for their office team when you physically go in to drop off your letter and pamphlet of information. It might seem expensive, but even one new client shoot will make up for 20 “fruitless” attempts and I promise you—no one else is doing this. You will stand out in their minds and be on their radar for years to come. Even if they not presently looking to do marketing work with photos, they will remember you, and they will moreover be eager to refer you to their colleagues.
It is worth the investment in time and pricey carbs. If you’re on the shyer side, it helps to do two to three drop offs on a given day so that you only have to psych yourself up once (the second and third dropoffs are always easier than the first!). At the very least, imagine yourself as the dessert fairy who is bringing joy to someone’s monotonous morning and is the answer to all their promotional needs. Remember not to stress too much about the details or needing your promotional materials to be perfect. What will stick out in their mind is that a talented photographer made the effort to reach out and bring thoughtful goodies.
Follow-up
The work is not over once you drop off your goodies at their office! After the physical drop off/ introduction you can follow up with an e-mail one week later offering to answer any questions and highlighting the link to your portfolio. From personal experience we found a 30% call back rate, which was enough to get that new client ball rolling.
Here's a sample script that you can use for this follow-up message:
Hi Mr./Ms. ___,
It was really nice chatting with you last week in your office. I wanted to reach out to see if you had any further questions about my services or to see if there were any projects I could help you with while I still have some availability open this spring.
Best,
_____
Conclusion
While this approach may feel like your worst nightmare, it's worth giving it a try. In today's tech-heavy world of marketing, this simple tactic would instantly make you stand out from the masses of photographers in your area. So grab that coffee for a bit of caffeine courage and get out there! And please tell me all about how it goes!
About the Author:
Mary Pat has an extensive educational background in Business, Marketing, Furniture Design, and Photography. Paired with work at an advertising agency and an architecture/building remodeling firm, Mary Pat offers unique insights into how to present interior spaces. She’s passionate about elevating brands, and loves helping her clients win industry awards for their gorgeous design work.
Mary Pat prides herself on creating a boutique experience for her clients. She enjoys the collaborative process and seeing clients’ reactions to their digitally captured spaces. Using her stunning magazine-quality images, her clients are sure to stand out in the marketplace.
Website: https://www.marypatcollins.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marypatcollinsphoto/