hear from. I have written about teamwork and the
creative process as I see it. Prospects e-mail me back
their opinions about and reactions to what I have said
in my e-mail. It’s wonderful. Sure, I get people who
opt off the list and some who are less than pleased to
get my e-mail, but they are such a small minority
compared to those that seem to really like my
correspondence.Zave is clearly happy with the results.
“Immediately after my e-mail goes out,” he says, “I get
several hundred hits on my site and numerous requests for my
portfolio.”
Zave started with a few advertising actions and has continu-
ously built his program each year, adding on new efforts.
During the last four years his efforts have been continual.Marketing is not like booster shots. It’s more akin
to taking vitamins. You take vitamins daily for optimum
health. You need to market every day in order for your
business to stay healthy. Look around at other types of
businesses. The most successful companies in the world
market continually. Its not a once-a-month effort, it is
an integral part of daily life. There’s a lot of competi-
tion amongst photographers and lots of amnesia on the
buyers’ side.For those of you who may be thinking that Zave must have
a huge team to help him, think again. With the exception of his
graphic designer and me, Zave handles the tasks by himself. His
plan when he is busy shooting is quite simple.I work with Selina and set my yearly marketing tool
calendar twelve months ahead. It is one that I can keep
up with in busy times. I plan mailers before I need them
and write my e-mails when I have down time. I am not
perfect and I occasionally do trip up; however, having
a plan in place allows me to get right back to where
I need to be. When I looked at how I spend my time
I realized that I spend approximately 30 percent of myCHAPTER29 / ZAVESMITH’SCONSISTENTMESSAGEChapter 29.qxd 6/25/07 7:26 AM Page 179