Perception is everything!

[HotHolly]

OK, I feel a post coming on!

I would think this is rather obvious, but some people really fight with this idea. Perception is everything!

Remember how your mom told you that people should like you for what's on the inside and how you look on the outside doesn't matter? She also told you that you can't judge a book by its cover and that people will see the real you and your value beyond your exterior.

Well, that's a bunch of crap! (in the business world anyway. at home that may fly you to the moon - if it does, kudos to you)

Buying is such a visual thing, I can't imagine it not being affecting by other visual stimuli. Consider everything from your office, to your shooting room, to the clothes on your back. What do they say about you? What exceptions do you set for your clients b4 you even open your mouth?

When we started our business, we (hubby shoots too) wanted to have a super swank shop. Let's back track a bit. We tried being the cheap, go to guy. I swear we would have no clients b/c I would just smack them all with a brick. I say I was scarred by my eBay years. I had a successful ebay biz. Made a good living from it while I was in college with 2 young kids.

Anyway, the ebay clients - OMG. The things they expected from you for $5. One day I said screw it. I cant take them anymore. I tripled our prices (we were selling an info packet). Hubby said no! My competitors thought I went nuts (they sold theirs for $3). All of a sudden, I was selling more than them at a 300% mark up. And I had more time to spend with less people.

I applied that principle to our photo biz ASAP. For some reason, cheap people just always think your work is worthless and act like you owe them. Since Im not a genie, and never figured out how to tazer them into being nice, I left that demographic behind.

For a while, I didnt think photography was art. I hadnt seen it. I hadnt seen it pulled off. I used to actually say photographers are poser artists who couldnt figure out how to use a paintbrush.

More background - I was a commissioned artist back in the day. I painted. Nothing great and I only did it for people who would let me do it my way and not try to paint what they were telling me (like I can see into someone's head ). So I was picky about who I worked with. Most commissions took about 3 months to complete. I never let the clients see the painting until it was ready. Sometimes I changed my mind and repainted the whole thing.

I decided that upscale photography was art. But could there be portraits as art? I'd usually seen nature and landscapes and flowers - never people. Not usually commissioned either.

One day I went nuts and decided to tell the next person I talked to about photography and talk about it like it was a painting - call it portrait, say client, be commissioned to create a work of art that they would treasure forever. Holy crap did that work well! I was selling portraits to select clients for over $1K a pop.

I sold the same way and on the same terms that I sold commissioned paintings - I chose everything. I told them what to buy. My opinion mattered more than theirs - I was the artist and they werent. They happily bit that line too.

More perception - you do not need a studio to be swank! Although we have a really swank store now, I didnt then. To over come this, we joined the country club. That was fun. And we got lots of clients from there. Then we told people that we didnt do that studio crap kinda photography - we brought the studio to THEM. Since rich people like to pay for convince - they were all over that like white on snow (well, snow outside of New Jersey). It had novelty appeal. And we brought light stands and props and what ever - all to them. We made no apologies for asking them to tear up their living room for us. And we didnt put it back for them either - we were the artists and they were the patrons.

btw - all this time hubby (*mike* in here) thinks Im totally insane. Its has to be a fluke. Im thinking, no. But I like stuff from Tiffany's and Dooney's and designer ice cream...paying a little more for some stuff is worth it - key word being SOME STUFF. What's in it for me? D&B has those awesome logos. Tiffany's - well, its Tiffany's! Designer ice cream has cute packing and more creamy goodness. If you want to charge more you have to be able to answer - why should I pay you more?

When we opened the store - we told everyone we were doing it. They thought we would look like Sears. They had to place us in a frame of reference they were familiar with.

We aren't Sears. But what else have most people seen?

This is our shop. It was made this way FOR the photography studio. This is the lobby. This is where we meet clients and do consults. This is what they see and the room they spend the most time in.


Its full of rich colors, faux finishes, and no details were over looked. It doesnt look a thing like Sears. I did that on purpose. How could you look like Sears, Penny's, Olan Mills, WalMart...if you want to be paid like a commissioned artist? I broke my knees painting that floor. I say Id never do it again...but I probably will when our lease is up.

Perception is everything in this business. Being in professional photography can be summed up like this - differentiate or die. There are a million ways from Tues to differentiate...and it all leads back to why? B/C of perception!

We make snap judgments when we 1st see something or someone - they may not even be conscious ones.

Im all for controlling the responses you can control. When we 1st went swank, our logo was a duck. It still is. I wanted people to think of that duck like a Cadillac emblem - status symbol. When I opened the boutique, I kinda kicked the duck in the ass. Feathers went EVERYWHERE!

When people say they bought from us - they brag about WHERE they got their stuff. It took me a while to catch on. I also noticed I got dubbed slightly eccentric along the way b/c I shoot in jeans. (I'm rolling all over the floor, sometimes out side in stickers, I fall a lot - off ladders, fences, and stuff). So maybe its just not the clothes. ). That's OK, b/c most of my clients feel like real artists are eccentric. It makes sure they know Im the real thing. The curse of being clumsy - I think I sold falling over OK, right?

Anyway, I was reading something today. It made me think of all this stuff. It was actually a sentece. It said that based on a bunch of research and controlled studies -

You will NOT value something you received a discount on as fully as you would if you'd paid full price.

The reasons being - your perception of the item was tainted and its value was diminished. (note: FREE is not the same thing - the statement was in reference to discounts only. The word FREE plagues on us in different ways entirely).

When we 1st opened I tried doing promos that I just couldnt get to fly. It was a good deal, but no one bit. It was the curse of the 5 cent hot dog. Funny story: Coney Island had its hot dog selling regulars. New guy shows up and decided to undercut everyone by 100%. He sells NOTHING. People perceive his hotdogs must be crap, filled with God-knows-what to be that cheap. He tried giving away free relish and soda. Still think he's gross. Then he gets a bunch of Dr.s in white coats to stand there and eat his hot dogs. People start eating his product - b/c they cant be crap if Drs are eating them. These were Nathan's hot dogs. PERCEPTION.

A HUGE blind spot many businesses have is PERCEPTION. Critically evaluate what vibes you are giving off - from everything from the way your store smells to the language you use. (I speak differently around upscale cleintle - they gasp if they hear the word 'crap.' The rest of my 'abnormalities' in speech and manners they attribute to my eccentricity (aka creative genius). LOL!

Anyway, I thought some of you who are getting serious may be able to pull some info out of that. Lots of people ask us stuff and this is the drive by version. There are SO many variables to being in business. Some you cant control - like a crappy economy. Some you can control and should take control. This is one of those aspects.

[carrbowl]

good post Holly..thanks for taking the time to share. Another thing my husband told me which I have really come to believe and have to trust myself in...the customer comes to us becomes they believe we know more than they do (even if they don't act like it!!) He is a consultant and they don't come to him or us because they need someTHING, they need our knowledge, our expertise. Anyone can use a camera, but not anyone, can use a camera and make a beautiful print or piece of art from it. It really changed my way of thinking--because before I felt I was being cocky when I told people what to wear and how to stand etc. They expect us to tell them those things!!

[J Eddington]

Amen.

[TexasPhotoBooth]

Great post, girl.
And, I LOVE that photo :) You have a beautiful shop.

[HotHolly]

thanks!

and hooray! that was a semi-coherent jumble of thoughts and apparently it was slightly understandable! (unless you are all just shaking your heads thinking artists are so eccentric). lol.

people always ask how and why. that's pretty much it. hope its helpful to someone. ;o)

[CaptainTom]

Originally Posted by HotHolly

thanks!

and hooray! that was a semi-coherent jumble of thoughts and apparently it was slightly understandable! (unless you are all just shaking your heads thinking artists are so eccentric). lol.

people always ask how and why. that's pretty much it. hope its helpful to someone. ;o)

Eccentric might not be the word I'd use.
Egocentric maybe.
Egotistical maybe.
Emoistical maybe.
Emotional probably
Social maybe
special probably

[tresorph]

"For some reason, cheap people just always think your work is worthless and act like you owe them."

Going through this exactly just today. Really your taking thoughts out of my head!

[ngoduyviet]

tag to read later.

[Michelle C]

Nailed it! Thank you for the post!! It applies to so many parts of our lives. This is the route we are taking in our new venture into children, family, and seniors. Our story: I got a wild hair at the last second, already on the phone with a potential client, to up our fee. By how much? From $0 to $150! It didn't phase her. I said with complete confidence that we have a reservation fee and she accepted the amount without hesitating. Photography is our talent (youth sports action in this case) and she wants us to come to her event. That was an eye opener!

[toverman]

Thanks for the excellent information!

I love Nathan's hot dogs.

[HeatherLou]

Originally Posted by Michelle C

Nailed it! Thank you for the post!! It applies to so many parts of our lives. This is the route we are taking in our new venture into children, family, and seniors. Our story: I got a wild hair at the last second, already on the phone with a potential client, to up our fee. By how much? From $0 to $150! It didn't phase her. I said with complete confidence that we have a reservation fee and she accepted the amount without hesitating. Photography is our talent (youth sports action in this case) and she wants us to come to her event. That was an eye opener!

Haha, that's awesome, Michelle!

My favorite quote right now is "Act as if, and it will be!" I really had to take that to heart when I launched the re-vamp of my business this past January. You have to act as if you are Shelby Lane, and you will get paid like she does! That means you have to have confidence that your product is good, and that your worth the money people are going to spend with you.

[MDteX]

Great ideas. Great thoughts. Thanks for giving me something else the think about!

[patsy easley]

Thanks for the info Holly!

[toverman]

Reading over this again this morning, maybe I should stop wearing my "tuxedo T-shirt" when photographing weddings?

[HotHolly]

Originally Posted by toverman

Reading over this again this morning, maybe I should stop wearing my "tuxedo T-shirt" when photographing weddings?

only if its hillbilly weddings where they thinks that's all dressy and stuff. lol.