Finding Your Prime Clientele
This is generally a busy time of year for most of the AIAP membership. I believe that makes it a perfect time for us to plan ahead for slow times. I’d like to recommend taking some time now to analyze your business and honestly determine what it is you offer as an architectural photographer, and what type of client is most likely to value what you offer.
When I was in the advertising business I took all new clients through this evaluation process. It’s incredibly valuable as a marketing tool if you’re ready to be brutally honest with yourself.
Here’s what I mean--If we take a careful look at our clientele, we can draw some conclusions about our business by honestly answering a few questions:
- First, do you have a few main “prime” clients that account for a significant portion of your billing? If not, do you have a single significant client?
- Think of your prime client or clients—what is it that they’re really buying from you? This is a harder question than you may realize. The answer will almost assuredly NOT be architectural photography. However, it may be something such as time, peace of mind, style, confidence, reliability, competence, perception, etc. I can guarantee that if you are thinking of a prime client, price will not be on this list.
- What is it about these clients that you value? Is it the freedom they give you to do good work (this is usually the single most important factor that people identify)? Is it the working relationship/friendship that you have with them? Think long and hard about this—it speaks volumes about the type of new client that you’re going to be most happy to acquire, and most likely to retain.
- Next question: What is it that you bring to the working relationship with your prime client that you may be unwilling to bring to working relationships with other clients? This definitely requires some thought. You may find that you’re willing to tolerate more give and take with a prime client, or perhaps you’re more patient with their indecisiveness. You may also realize that there is a level of trust in this relationship that you don’t feel with other clients. In addition, you may be more willing to go the extra mile for this client knowing that they will truly appreciate your efforts.
- How exactly did you acquire this prime client? Did you win this account as a result of direct contacting, referrals, direct mail pieces, directory advertising, your website, etc.? Did you acquire your other prime clients in the same way? More likely than not, you’ll find a pattern in the type of marketing effort that is most effective for you in acquiring a prime clientele. This method will undoubtedly be different for everyone. For me personally, my best clients have been acquired by my rep—on the other hand, one of my most successful colleagues is particularly adept at acquiring new clients through networking with existing clients.
- Last question. What exactly do you do to retain this prime client or clients? Are there services available to them that aren’t customarily available to your other clients? Do you offer information to them that is of benefit to their business that may not have any relation to photography? Do you spend time considering how you might improve the product you offer them? Do you offer other “intangibles” that add value to the photography you create for them?
Okay, that’s it. No more questions, but some serious conclusions are in order. If you honestly answered the six preceding questions you now have a pretty good idea of what type of client is the best fit for your business, how to find them and how to retain them.
Yes, I realize that you may always wish for bigger and better clients, but the pattern you’ve just identified gives you a blueprint to use when searching out that bigger and better client. If you see definite commonality in your prime clientele then I believe that it’s safe to put all of your marketing eggs in the same basket.
Now, how to proceed? The key now is to create a list of potential clients that you feel have the possibility of becoming a new prime client. Focus your efforts towards companies that are similar to your prime clientele in the aspects you’ve identified through this exercise.
This isn’t an easy process, and will likely require refinement as you proceed. I think a farmer I met in Montana summed it up best, “When I shop for a pair of new boots I always bring along my old worn pair with me. I tell the store clerk to find me a pair of new boots exactly like my old boots—just as comfortable, but without the smell.”
Happy shooting,
Alan Blakely, Director
AIAP
©2008 Alan Blakely, AIAP
