CHAPTER 2
Do You Have
aProduct
to Sell?
If I were at a party and the room was filled with photo-
graphers, I would be the person asking each shooter, “What’s
your product?” “What are you selling to your clients?”
Chances are that almost all of the folks responding would
look perplexed and confused.
Commercial photographers rarely think the way a busi-
nessperson does. Fewer photographers than businesspeople
think that they have a product to sell. This is a major problem.
The reality is that your buyers see photography as a product to
purchase. As consumers they need to be presented with a
product that is easily defined and carries value. Your job is to
define, develop, and market your product, making sure that
its value is evident. Understanding, embracing, and utilizing
this one concept can radically change your approach to your
business.
Zave Smith, a successful lifestyle shooter based in
Philadelphia, has the concept down:When I think about what my clients are buying I tend
to think only in terms of my vision, my ability to create
wonderful imagery. My clients on the other hand have
a different perspective. They have a client to satisfy, a
campaign to produce. My imagery is just one part, a keyChapter 02.qxd 6/27/07 9:00 PM Page 10