Over the years I've conducted several surveys of professional full-time photographers and it's amazing that the results stay consistent from year to year no matter how the market changes.
The percentage year to year tends to stay around 80% of booked clients coming through word of mouth referrals from previous clients, vendors, associates, friends, and family. The other 20% tend to fall into website searches, social media, or trade shows. There are a few rare businesses who flip that number on its head with a strong sales push or limited-time-offer at a convention, conference, or some very heavy targeted social media or website effort, but most full-time creative professionals who aren't selling education online are actually making their living on a strong referral business.
Most people are referring the 1 person they have trusted experience with. Now, maybe a potential client has 3 friends who all refer different people, it still means you're only competing against those other 2 referrals. Which is why, with referred business, you're not competing against every directory listing or search engine result available on a public website- only with other people who have great referral business in your marketplace.
- What can your clients say about you as a professional that makes the experience of working with you stand out from working with other professionals?
- Did you set reasonable expectations and exceed them?
- Were you pleasant and gracious to work with in person?
- Have you stayed in touch outside of projects you've worked on together?
- Did you do anything special that made their work or life easier?
- Did you find ways to connect them to other resources or help they were looking for?
When you focus on doing great work and working in a way that feeds your referral business, the competition is more of an illusion than a reality. Each inquiry from a referral is exponentially more likely to book than an inquiry from a directory or search result. How are you eliminating your competition by increasing your referrals?
Survey Question:"When you look at the clients who actually booked your services, how did they find you?"
The percentage year to year tends to stay around 80% of booked clients coming through word of mouth referrals from previous clients, vendors, associates, friends, and family. The other 20% tend to fall into website searches, social media, or trade shows. There are a few rare businesses who flip that number on its head with a strong sales push or limited-time-offer at a convention, conference, or some very heavy targeted social media or website effort, but most full-time creative professionals who aren't selling education online are actually making their living on a strong referral business.
This is why competition is an illusion.
Most people are referring the 1 person they have trusted experience with. Now, maybe a potential client has 3 friends who all refer different people, it still means you're only competing against those other 2 referrals. Which is why, with referred business, you're not competing against every directory listing or search engine result available on a public website- only with other people who have great referral business in your marketplace.
Focus on referrals to eliminate competition.
- What can your clients say about you as a professional that makes the experience of working with you stand out from working with other professionals?
- Did you set reasonable expectations and exceed them?
- Were you pleasant and gracious to work with in person?
- Have you stayed in touch outside of projects you've worked on together?
- Did you do anything special that made their work or life easier?
- Did you find ways to connect them to other resources or help they were looking for?
When you focus on doing great work and working in a way that feeds your referral business, the competition is more of an illusion than a reality. Each inquiry from a referral is exponentially more likely to book than an inquiry from a directory or search result. How are you eliminating your competition by increasing your referrals?
Anne Ruthmann is a professional photographer in New York City. With over 10 years of success as a full-time photographer in weddings, portraits, editorial, and now architecture and interiors, she spends any extra time she has helping others find smart solutions to business problems. Stay in touch on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook.
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