How to Succeed in Commercial Photography : Insights From a Leading Consultant

client base and I knew that putting marketing efforts

in place would not be enough. I was convinced that I

needed to get out and sell the new work. I think it’s

absolutely essential to have a real physical presence in

the minds of as many people as possible rather than

be another name among the thousands out there.

Taking the time to personally meet art buyers was what

I needed to do. I choose to utilize drops only when I

absolutely can’t get in the door, and after a portfolio

drop I always try to get an appointment the second

time around.

While other shooters loathe selling and do everything to

avoid the process, Sherman sees the selling aspect as “good

business.”

We are all businesspeople. If you forget that selling

is a daily responsibility, you are bound to fail. As

businesspeople we have to sell our product to survive.

In-person visits give me the chance to connect with

buyers. The first rule of any sales experience is that one

has to position himself or herself first as an individual

worth doing business with. Creative work is no different

than any other in this regard. If anything, talent

positioning is more important in our field than in

others. You have to build trust in the client’s mind

before they will commit to hiring you.

As the marketplace has become more globally focused

and the Internet has become a huge tool, many photo-

graphers have chosen to eliminate in-person meetings, con-

tending that no one sees anyone any more. Sherman has had

little difficulty getting appointments and he cites his approach

as key.

I have a nonstop program. I use a targeted national

list. I send mailers out to the list and then start calling

my preselected leads a few days later. I make lots of calls

and send e-mails requesting portfolio visits if I don’t

reach prospects by phone. I am targeting art buyers

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