Sales and Marketing

I was just talking with one of my clients recently about the fact that his salesmen just don’t feel comfortable using computers, ipads, powerpoint presentations, anything digital for that matter to get their sales point across. My thought was they should think of this technology as a way to convey their point quicker and easier thus creating more sales. The bonus is that you don’t have the printing or mailing costs of producing a brochure. Using electronic devices is a very economical way to get your information to your clients.

It is a question of a comfortable workflow, contacting new customers, sending sales material, scheduling a face to face meeting and closing your sale. Photography should be an important part of focusing your clients on the products you sell.

Let my Photography do the heavy lifting for you, use Professional Photography to spark interest in your products.

Usage Rights!

    Usage rights refer to the way Photographers charge for an image, Portrait Photographers charge a small sitting fee for taking the original shots and then charge an inflated fee when you buy prints. Stock Photographers sell Usage rights because they can resell those images for many different applications, so it makes sense to charge based on usage. Commercial Photographers get their money up front with their Professional Fee. Commercial Photographers around the country will charge usage rights depending how you plan on using their photography. Basically if you use the shots for advertising and make Millions of Dollars, the photographer wants his cut! My philosophy has always been to get paid a fair price for my shots and when my client makes a lot of money with my photography they are more likely to buy more shots from me in the future. In fact I encourage my clients to use my photography in as many different ways as possible. I give my clients unlimited usage because I don’t resell those images, my clients are the end user,  I don’t sell that photo to another client. 

Introduction

www.dalehallphotography.com

I will be using my “Blog” as a way to communicate information to my clients. I get many of the same questions day in and day out. Hopefully you will find this useful. Also, I would like to generate a forum for discussion.

I am a Commercial Photographer and have been in the field of Photography since 1977, when I started College. After graduation I held the position of Photographic Assistant and Darkroom production for a Portrait Photographer. This studio averaged 50 weddings, 500 seniors and I couldn’t tell you how many Families, Babies and Pets we shot each year. I decided early on this was not for me. I then Managed a Professional Photo Lab in Florida. While working in Florida I met a Photographer whose specialty was Architectural Photography, I had found my calling and started working as his Photographic Assistant. We shot for Architectural Digest, Southern Living, Interior Design Magazine, Midwest homes, had an office in the World Trade Center in New York. Big time stuff, I learned a ton about shooting on Location, Traveling with equipment and Managing our time.

I started my Commercial Photography Business in Madison Wisconsin in 1987. Specializing in Architectural, Industrial and Catalog Photography. In those days I worked behind a 4x5 View Camera and still do on occasion. Spending time loading sheet film, unloading sheet film and making multiple trips to the Professional Lab for processing, proofs and prints.

I made the jump to Digital Photography in 2004; this was a big change from working with my 4x5. Digital made me much more portable, working without the humidity and dust concerns of film was a welcome relief. The biggest challenge for me was the Workflow at the Photo Shoot on Location and back in my studio dealing with the Computer aspects of working with the digital images. I reduced my shooting time on Location in half but doubled my time in post-production. Lighting and Composition are, and have always been, my forte. The capture device has changed, the workflow has changed, but what hasn’t changed is the ability to produce beautiful Photographs on Location that sell a product for my customers.