Take & Talk Pics

Earn While You Learn Photo World, there are many occasions throughout a career where you feel a down slump in your business. You work hard and things are going well but for some reason you see the work thin out, the funds slow down, and your "style" just isn't making the cut any more... Many photographers out there use this as their reason to get out of the biz. Especially those new photographers who couldn't get past it the first tie it happened to them. I can recall 2, maybe even 3, times when this happened for me and my business. However, as many photographers who fall apart from this issue there are many more who push past it. Education is a great way to re-invigorate your business or your "style" and put a fresh face on what you are already skilled at. This episode speaks to this specific dilemma and hopefully reminds us to persevere. They key is openness to the future and looking ahead to see how you and your business will fit in. Making the money while adapting to the unstoppable changes that are alway

Oversell 2 The topic is sales strategies. Not in their definition sense but their practical sense. I see three main sales strategies: (1) Oversell, (2) Undersell, and (3) Even Sell. This episode I want to speak more about Oversell… Photo World, I walked through some basic thoughts on overselling more than you need to for your clients. In some cases I have signals that work for me that let me feel comfortable trying to up-sell in certain areas of my services. True “Oversell” is to over promise and under deliver – that is the real definition of overselling. Where you say you can do something just to make the sale and then it turns out you can’t deliver on that. I knew I had to make this a 2 part episode because of how long a topic it was with the first portion but I should clear up that part 1 of this was oversell… when and where to up-sell your business. Rather, up-sell you to your clients. After all it doesn’t matter much what it is you’re selling… They are still buying into you. Happy Shooting! Get your FR

Oversell Photo World, I see much as I continually learn about business, especially my own, and the businesses around me. So many things like: marketing strategies, sales techniques, skill techniques, social media strategies, etc. Well one area of my learning has been on my mind and I think it is more of a 3 part kind of topic so I will have two more episodes devoted to this topic. I have not planned when the other two will take place but over the next few weeks I think we will have all this info out there. The topic is sales strategies. Not in their definition sense but their practical sense. I see three main sales strategies: (1) Oversell, (2) Undersell, and (3) Even Sell. This episode I want to talk about Oversell… Now after recording this episode a slew of ideas and thoughts came rushing back into mind and my notepad filled up so I will tell you that Wednesday will be part two of this 1 sales strategies. Today I speak to the idea that overselling can be damaging toward your relationship with your clients a

Romanticize Your Business   F.O.C.U.S. Follow One Course Until Success. If you put your mind to it, you can accomplish anything. When you constantly focus on one thing you are romanticizing that thing. You need to romanticize your business because what we romanticize grows.   I feel we all know how to go after our passions and really push to get through to our goals but I see so many of us small business owners, photographers, and artists fearing the wrong turn or not knowing quite how to move forward in any one direction. We need to stay the course because you never know what that next door may be opening too. Like my national speaking for podcasting and photography... I had no idea how to move in that direction nor did I even know it was something I felt passionate about but once I saw an opportunity I took it and that experience blew me away. I can't help but feel driven to seek out more. Same thing with those first few weddings I photographed. It was like I found why photography

Act Your Wage Photo World, Your income follows your personal development. That is a nice food for thought, especially if you have been overly stressed out. It's like: "thanks Rob now I have more to worry about." The great thing is we always have that small worry but we also have the power to change any time any where in life. I used to leave my part time job telling those I worked with "I'm going to go home and change my life." It would give them a chuckle but I can honestly say I no longer have a need for that part time job as my photography and teaching is what I get to do for a living. All the while many of them are still there at the same job. There is nothing wrong with that but we get stuck because many of us go Broke trying to look Rich when we should act our Wage. The real quote is: Don’t go Broke trying to look Rich act your Wage. Take it a step further and learn through the bord game by Dave Ramsey called: Act Your Wage Happy Shooting! Get your FREE business coaching call with Rob! Sign up for one

Listen Don't Speak As a man I am all too familiar with the fact that women assume I do not know how to listen... okay not just women, my assistance always tell me I never listen. My parents have said I don't listen as well. There is no time like the present to change for the better. See, I thought I was doing fine listening, but hearing and listening are very different. I have found through my listen don't speak exercises I have booked more clients, turned out more work, gained more followers, and accomplished more work than I have in recent years where I couldn't listen. There are countless ways to speak on how helpful this can be for things like sales. Sitting with a possible client and listening before trying to push a sale. Happy Shooting! Get your FREE business coaching call with Rob! Sign up for one of the last few spots here!

Business Overdrive This day and age our businesses really are a 24 hours a day - 7 days a week - 365 days a year job. We have little to no excuse as to why we can't get back to an email, return a phone call, or at the very least text someone. I know we all prefer different forms of communication but we are to connected for excuses. What does this have to do with our business? Well, our business is connected 24/7 to everyone and anyone who could be directly or indirectly a possible or current client. That means we have the pressure of our business weighing on our shoulders and looming over our every move. In short... We are working all the time. If you remember my Better Branded Business episode I went into how your business should be working for you and not you for your business. Especially during those times when you can't or shouldn't be working. Like while you are asleep or when you're on vacation. (Thank you "out of the office" automated email). So how do we combat this habit to be working all the time or

NEVER SCOUT A LOCATION To scout or not to scout a location for a photo shoot? That is a common question with 2 solid answer, one transitional option, and a few way to handle how you let your clients know your thought on the subject. You know Rob didn't hold back and he is fine telling you what he thinks as well as how he explains it to his clients. "I find honesty is the best policy when it comes to your clients." Rob shares, "If you want clients than be a real person first with all the same positive and negative aspects. There is nothing worse than a sales pitch from someone telling you how amazing the whole experience is going to be and then you find out it was all sunshine and rainbows. There is comfort in real." Rob Talking Here: Okay so that was fun to try with this post... act like someone important is really asking my opinion on the subject. The whole episode (like most) are my opinion. What I would like to hear is who disagrees with me. At this stage in my wedding photography career I say NEVER SCOUT

BBB (Better Branded Business) We hear about branding your business all the time, but what about your web brand? The one that 80% of your possible clientele is seeing first. Rob talk’s first impressions when you’re not even there and how to offer a more friendly hand shake that gives your clients a comfortable feeling to want to do business with you. If you can find a way to get possible clients to see your skill and personality while you are busy sleeping than wouldn't that be a better way to go for gaining more business. Setting aside time to meet with every possible client is a tall order but those first impressions can be mad through a better branded business online. Tradition is out the window! Business cards, posting flyers, and going door to door. What are the 3 new ways to be in front of more potential clients and gain business without the old sales techniques? Network posts Progress posts Target marketing within a niche in a specified target group within a small narrowed market. (How do I say Niche D

Dixie Dixon - Nikon Ambassador Dixie is a US Nikon Ambassador based out of Dallas Texas. To fill you in on how selective that group is… She is one of the sixteen original Nikon Ambassador for the US. She is a commercial, fashion, and editorial photographer who travels from Vancouver to Barcelona down to Miami and everywhere in between. She shoots for tv shows, commercial campaigns, editorial projects, and major brands such as: Nikon, Disney, Inside Edition, Profoto, and MAC Group just to name a few. Her works is seen in Rangefinder, PDN, Professional Photographers Magazine, Nikon World, and many more. Full Bio: Dixie Dixon is a Texas born and bred commercial fashion photographer. Just a few years out of college, this 20-something’s career is unfolding one adventure after another. She was given her first Nikon Camera, the Nikon FG, at just 12 years old, which peaked her curiosity in the field and served as her sidekick in exploring the world. She would continually clock seven to ten hours in the darkroom wi

How To Get Your Foot In The Door There is a question as old as time when it come to getting started... "How To Get Your Foot In The Door?" I think the worst part about this is so many people have no idea what door to go through or they attempt entering it but do it in the worst possible way. Today I am continuing what I look at as the planning stage for beginning your photography business and this bit is bullet point 3 of 4 or 5 when it comes to the planning of breaking into the photography industry. I have been having a lot of fun racking my brain from my start in the industry and there are thousands of small parts that have come together to make my journey what it was. How do we take that first step though? Well, there are literally hundreds of ways to start... I share a couple ways to avoid and the mindset you should be in to succeed. Although, assiting or getting your foot in the door is one part I really look at this as Building Your 2 Bags. 1 the knowledge and 2 the gear. Happy Shooting! Get your FREE

Greatest Game On Earth Photo World last weeks Monday Message was all about having a social life... Well for me it was about not having a social life. I felt using my time for work now will pay off in the end and help me to find true success. There is nothing wrong with hard work nor long hours to keep focused in hopes to make your career advance or your business grow. However, we tend to over work and not actually achieve much. I shot this image a few years back and it is fitting today because it is the Greatest Game On Earth. The mock up as an ad was just something I played around with. Puma Golf brand Cobra did not hire me to shoot this campaign nor have they used this image. © Rob Krueger Photography 2014 For me I would not stop thinking about work, the emails I need to send, the images I must edit, the social media I need to update, or the marketing that needs to be done. That is just the short list when it comes to owning/running a small business. How do we find balance between our work and our soci

Harry Potter Gone Wrong WARNING! Photo World Rob is mad today, or at least he starts out mad but anger can be a powerful tool. Let's see how this one wraps up. For now I can tell you why Harry Potter makes it into the episode and what is this ad for Nebraska all about. Well It started by accident more than anything else. A friend of mine who doesn't do much in the way of photography other than ask me to take the pictures for them from time to time, asked me "what is wrong with this picture". They were seriously wondering how a shot like this makes any sense and why it would be published. Well I don't know why or how it got published but I know my mind filled with rage over this Harry Potter sorting hat peaking in near center of the image take a Halloween spin in the midst of a camping trip. I do not know what magazine this was from, I have no idea who the photographer is, I can't tell you where they found their models, and I don't think this is a successful ad for Nebraska. However, I did learn a lot in a sho

Show Me The Money You have a business plan beginning but within that what about the money talk? What do you need for your new photography business? Are you a small operation and what would that really cost? How about buying used gear first to save a bundle? Is there a studio space needed or can this be done out of your home? What tax breaks are there for either the studio or even the home? Knowing how much money you need for this endeavor is one thing, acquiring it is another. A recent study from the National Knowledge Commission shows that 63 percent of entrepreneurs “self-financed” (bplans.com). Not a bad deal... no loans to take out, maybe work and pay as you go, while building something bigger and better. Start with the personal budget. How much do you need for your bills? The must haves vs the wants. Do you need all the cable channels? Will unlimited cell data be necessary in this wifi connected world? Driving a Mercedes may look good but would a Kia get you where you need to go with enough comfort? Ther

I Have No Social Life Are you surprised by this title today Photo World? That I, mister: national speaker, podcaster, college instructor, wedding photographer, blogger, swimmer, and singer has no social life… something isn’t right in there. Well, this week I turn back to clock to a time where my future led my thinking and I didn’t see the point in living in the here and now. There are so many takeaways in this episode but a couple I didn’t mention deserved some focus here in the written word. My past was filled with the abnormal. What high schooler has no social life? I get to that but let me tell you… the one who was willing to lose every meaningful relationship. The one who felt the world was out to get him so why not be selfish now while I have the option. That same one who couldn’t accept change or cope well with his own fears. I have no social life when I look back but I have a ton in my past that shaped who I am today. In short I had no social life and now I love my social life. Happy Shooting! Get you

All Eggs One Basket This topic came to me in the form of an email I received asking about a particular memory card and a camera compatibility question as well. I took the liberty to question the memory card size and bring to light that you should not have all eggs one basket. They say to never place all of your eggs in one basket. Whoever "they" are... I feel the same way about not capturing all of your images on one memory card. There are a few things to consider when selecting your memory cards, price, Class, read speed, write speed, capacity, card type, version, etc. for instance: a common memory card type is an SDcard or Secured Digital Card, but there are SD cards, SDHC cards, SDXC cards; then you have Class 1, 2, 3, 4, ... 10. The higher the class the better the card (typically). from mesysco.it A short list of different memory cards: Secure Digital card (SD) (SDHC) (SDXC) MiniSD Card with an SD card adapter CompactFlash (CF-I) (CF-II) Memory Stick MultiMediaCard (MMC) SmartMedia xD-Picture Card X

Business Plan Make a clear path to the business Summary – Business overview Business Details – Brand, who, what, why, customer, location, key employees Marketing & Sales Strategy – do your homework, target market and how you will sell to them Management Team & Personnel – is it just you or are you building a team, your and their credentials Setup – what space do you need? Store front, studio space, or can you run it out of your home. Management systems and IT Financial Plan & Projections – translate the plan to numbers. Is this viable, will it grow and support growth? K.I.S.S. – Keep It Super Simple. Be real and honest. Creative to set yourself apart. This happens over time however the earlier you address it the sooner you find sustainable business operations. There is no rule on how to make a business plan and especially this falls apart for most new photographers because they just want to take pictures. However, if you can prepare yourself for a better beginning, imagine how well you will do tow

Is Hard Work Worth It Photo World, I would like to straight forwardly ask you: Is Hard Work Worth It? I don't know the best answer for this question but I did come across a quote I think offers an unclear and helpful answer... "Hard work is only worth it in the right conditions." Francis Underwood - House of Cards writers would be a better credit here. Ever hear of the 80/20 rule? Now, that is a great example of the worth while portions of our work. The 80/20 rule is easy enough to understand and perhaps I will do an episode with my take on the rule, but for today I am more focused on mutual beneficial relationships and how we need to be careful with our business so our hard work is worth it and we are not taken for a ride being used because of our passion. In the early stages of business everyone is just trying to get their foot in the door and so many are taken advantage of because of this. We need to understand how free can be okay but only in the right conditions. Happy Shooting! Get your FREE business c

How to Charge So you see "How to Charge" and many would assume I am trying to say how much to charge. I have touched upon that subject in the past and I am sure it will come up in the future. For now I am speaking about the actual payment transaction possibilities we see in our businesses today. Have you ever had a questions and then thought... "Maybe there is an app for that." a quick search later you find many apps out there filling in the blanks of your original question. Well, I had a similar question a couple years ago about payment options for my clients. I wanted to offer as many convenient choices as possible and most of all I wanted to retain as much of the money as possible. An easy way to go would be asking for a personal check. It is no additional coast for them do write a check and I do not need to accept less than the amount due because there are no fees for depositing and/or cashing a check. Credit Cards come at a cost but may be even easier for your clients. Listen to this episode for a more i

Giles Harrison - Chase The Fun Giles is the Founder of London Entertainment Group based in Los Angeles, California. It is a full service agency focusing on News, Events, Celebrities, and Pop Culture. You may have seen him recently featured on the latest Jimmy Dean commercial. Since then the Blogosphere has been blowing up with Giles and his work. Being featured on TV is only a drop in the bucket from his over 17 years, as a journalist and the one million plus photos he has captured during that time. Giles has taken over a million photos and had his pictures appear in hundreds major magazine, newspapers and web sites. London Entertainment, the agency he built from the ground up, has grown into one of the biggest producers of professional image in the world, syndicating over 1000 images each month. Giles himself is today one of the biggest earning photographers in the business. Under Giles’ direction, London covers a wide range of events including: the Golden Globes, SAG Awards, Grammys, Cannes Film Festival, V