tasks related to marketing your studio that you choose to give to
him or her, or that you have little time to do yourself.
Generally, assistants will do the following:- Research new account leads
- Call and make appointments for you to show your portfolio
- Oversee and facilitate a drop-portfolio program
- Develop a database for new prospect leads
- Facilitate your direct mail and e-mail database
As there is no central place to find marketing assistants,
photographers generally cull prospects from a variety of
sources. When looking for marketing assistant prospects, look
at business graduate students, recently retired senior citizens,
or previously working mothers who are looking for work that
requires only a few hours outside of the home.
These are all people that may have past business experience
and are not looking for full-time employment.
Look to local community groups, business network groups,
university placement offices, and religious and spiritual groups
that you may belong to. Usually after accessing these options
most photographers do not need to run an ad in a local paper.
This is, however, an option.
Knowing what tasks you want a marketing assistant to per-
form is critical, as you will then be able to articulate the types of
skills your assistant must have in order to perform the job well.
Take time to clearly list your service goals and make sure to
share them with serious prospects.
In addition, create a short list of personal and professional
skills that any potential prospect should exhibit. Spend time
here and decide what type of personality you would be most
comfortable with.
I remember a situation years ago when I was training new
agents. We were talking about energy and the different types of
personalities that seemed to do best with sales. As we were talk-
ing, one woman, a very shy person, shot her hand up and stated
her concern.
“Do I have to be like you, Selina? You seem to be really ener-
getic and almost pushy. That’s not me!” She blurted this out and
seemed almost apologetic. I laughed, realizing that she, as a quietCHAPTER12 / WHOISRIGHT FORYOU?Chapter 12.qxd 6/25/07 7:10 AM Page 73