Build a Vendor Network
We all know that the best way to grow your business is through referrals. Great products, customer service and frequent client contact is just one way to keep your clients singing your praises and giving referrals. Another way is work your vendor list and your competition. As the saying goes, ‘what comes around goes around.’ A good vendor referral system can mean increased business and the trust and respect of your industry peers. Here are some tips to developing a good vendor referral network.
1. Get to know the people doing business with your target market.
2. Offer ideas of what you can do for them – at no or very little cost. This could be photography services or creating a book or wall collage of their work or even creating postcards.
3. Offer to leave some studio info, promise to follow up occasionally and get some of their collateral material for your studio.
4. Continue to nurture that relationship and keep their images fresh.
5. Get your studio blog going and feature vendors in your network and ask for a reciprocal link.
Don’t Forget Your Competition
Other photographers in your market can also be a great source of referrals. More than likely, you have a limited number of dates available for photography and most of your competition does too. So why not help each other out by referring each other when you are booked. When doing this remember these few tips.
1. Know who you are referring: What is their style, price range, experience and personality? When you refer another photographer to a prospect, you are giving them your endorsement. Why would you send a prospect who wants traditional photography at a bargain price to a photojournalist who is out of their price range?
2. Know the availability of your referral. When making a personal referral, what good is it if everyone you refer is booked? Work with you referral network to develop a calendar, on Google Calendar for example, to keep track of all of your availability so you can confidently refer one another.
3. Keep you referrals exclusive. Don’t refer 15 names to a prospect, it looks like you are just giving them a call list and it can be overwhelming. If you have just a few names or a couple in each style or price category, you give a more personal referral that will more closely fit your prospect’s needs.
Most importantly, keep in touch with your network and ask for referrals. If you don’t ask, you will never receive, and the more you give, the more you’ll get.
