AIAP Newsletter 10/12/04

Dear AIAP Member,

For many of us the change of seasons also signals a change our business climate.  With the approaching winter, perhaps now is a good time to consider our marketing plan for the next few months.

Taking a cue from my photographer's representative, we've posted a very useful Client Contact Form under "FILES" in the AIAP Yahoo! Forum.  This form has proven very useful in organizing efforts with potential clients and new markets.

The AIAP Client Contact Form is posted in MS Word format, and can now be downloaded from the AIAP Yahoo! Forum:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aiapforum/

For those of you who haven't taken the time to register for the forum, you'll need to register before you can access the forum files.  Perhaps now is also a good time to encourage those of you who haven't registered to do so now.  As an AIAP member you're automatically qualified to access this forum--simply register now.

My rep (who also happens to be my beautiful wife) uses this form to keep track of sales leads and business contacts in my own business.  It's easy to use, easy to track and easy to update.   The form is set up to be used in an 8-1/2 x 11 three ring binder.  My binder also has alphabetical dividers to organize the pages.

There are several fields in the form which may need explanation:

Client Class:  This is simply the type of client, such as architect, interior designer, builder, magazine, etc.

Prospect Rating:  I rank prospects on an "A" through "D" grade rating.  "A" being most promising, "D" being marginal.

Next Step:  In my book this is the single most important field.  We often stumble with great new business leads when we don't take time to think of "what do I do next?".

This form has proven to be a great tool in staying on top of new business opportunities.  I hope you'll find it equally useful.

Best regards,
Alan Blakely, Director
The Association of Independent Architectural Photographers