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Unfortunately, the beveling in the mirror is an important feature and as you can see from the examples there is also mirroring within the frame itself...
I joined the private area last summer, but have never posted here before. I thought about posting in the public area, but some of my competition might be there. Do you, and how do you use ambassadors for the up and coming class of 03. I have tried running ads in the local paper, posting fliers at local businesses, and referals. I have not had the quality of ambassadors (except a few that were great) It seems that I get a lot of students just looking for a free ride. Of course, I tend to procrastinate and wait until the last minute. Thats why I am investagating it now, before April when I need the kids. I attended a seminar last year and they send out a flier to every senior on their mailing list in DEC. with an applacation. I am not ready to mobilize that kind of advertising at this point, but it is interesting. Do many of you use this type advertising?
How about this idea I picked up at the SPI convention:
Run an ad saying you are looking for "MODELS" who are between the ages of 16-18. Explain that this is for people who are interested in WORKING.
Explain WHEN you will be conducting INTERVIEWS and doing "POLAROIDS" (or just call it 'test shots').
Then when someone comes in that you think would be a good AMBASATOR. EXPLAIN whay you want. That you need them to ADVERTISE FOR YOU!! That you will in exchage for that advertising, photograph them for FREE. Then explain your program how if they get you x number of names you will give them $x value of images. That if X number comes to you they get $xx worth of images and so on.
The point is that you get them to interview. And you get to pick who's good and who's not. PLUS you even get to do a 15 minute TEST SHOOT. So even the people who do not actually become ambasators, well you get to photograph them and offer images to them at a reduced rate (liminted time then the price goes back up). AGain, some of the ones you PASS UP ON could actually become your best ambasators and you don't even have to Pay them. GET IT????
Do you put your studio name and a job description? I have seen the modeling school for only $xxx ads and the newspaper has perverts getting in trouble for photographing inappropriate pictures of minors.
I am considering ambassadors. A senior mom just called me because they were approached by another studio. She wanted to know what we would give her. THEY were offering free session and proofs plus for every senior photographed 10% off the ambassadors order.
My response was I would give her a mini session and make up cards, flyers OR something she could hand out. I would pay her $50 for a mailing list of her class on disk and $25 per senior that I photograph that brings in her flyer.
Apparently she likes our stuff better than the other guy because she is going to work for us.
Open to suggestions to refine my fledgling little program.
Robert
PS The seniors who turn in her flyer will get an extra 16 wallets or something.
I use ambassadors (we call them senior models) but quite frankly I don't expect much from them. Every once in awhile you get a good one but they usually seem to generate 2-5 referrals, which may or may not have called you anyway. I use them for their pictures which I then use in my marketing pieces. So when I mail to the class of 03 the images will be of their class mates. I use them to generate our mailing list.
If you are having trouble getting them ask some of your seniors from this year for referrals, or maybe sisters of this yr or last yr.
I've had poor luck in years past with ambassadors, but to be honest, I did it wrong.
This year I am putting a program together that will let me track the seniors a great deal easier than previously.
Before, I did a session. I selected images. I gave them tons of wallets. Then said thanks and tell everyone how much fun you had. That was it.
This year I'll do the following:
1) Speak with the potential ambassador & their parent(s). Let them know what is involved.
2) Do a session of what ever I want (like always).
3) Give the ambassador:
-20 Regular wallets
-100 Business Card styled wallets
-50 Letters of Refferal for them to hand out to other seniors
-the letters of refferal will be printed on regular paper, but I will print them with my new printer that I got from www.freecolorprinters.com.
-on the letters will be the ambassadors portrait in the upper left hand corner (this is because the letters will be inserted into special window envelopes, the type that you can get from marathon or your lab, that have the wallet sized window on the left hand side.)
-each letter will have a note explaining some of the discounts included on it. (For example, the senior spends $500, they get 10% off.)
4) If the ambassadors 50 letters of referral come in, the the ambassador will receive a $500 credit toward the studio. (Possibly more depending on how much their referrals spent.)
5) I will give each ambassador a folder that will have copies of our price list and pages for them to fill out as to who they gave the letters to.
That's about all I have so far. As for getting ambassadors, I usually just ask kids I know. Usually I've worked with them before, or I know their parents, that's how I know them.
I had this typed out a couple of times but haven't been able to get it posted, and it never seems quite right the second or third time around but here goes: I think referrals are one of the best marketing methods out there. Instead of just handing your current crop of clients their finished portraits and hoping they send all their friends to you after they walk out the door, implement a real referral SYSTEM. Have everyone sit down for a few minutes and make a list of their friends with addresses and phone numbers that you can contact. Much better than a cold mailing list because you now have a name to use as a reference. Even better (if you have the time right then) is to have them call their friends to come down to your studio while they are looking at their proofs or delivered pics. There will be a level of excitement at seeing their friends' cool photos that will be almost impossible to duplicate with a mailing piece, and it is the perfect opportunity to book an appointment with them right then and there. There have been entire business books written about the importance of referrals and how to get and use them. This will work much better than an ambassador program as long as you get some kids in early so you can start building up your program. There was more in my original response but I'll post some of my other related ideas later.
I like the referral idea. Not sure how well it works for proofless studios. Still we find that given the right tools like slide shows, composites etc ambassadors can work big time. Of course it is always a hit and miss getting the right ones.
Do you have your Senior Ambassadors sign a contract of any kind?
We do simply because we don't want anything misunderstood. Plus we also get their model release at this time as well. If they can't handle their portrait in print, internet website or advertising. They are not the person for us. This also requires the parent to come in and see what we are all about.
We have had one person that absolutely refused to have her daughters picture on the internet for fear her daughter may be raped, stolen or otherwise disemboddied. We did not use her for an ambassador. They did have her Senior portraits done by us, but they paid for them, instead of earning them.
To be honest, I had thought about doing it this year.
I thought I'd have the senior and their parent sign something I'd call an "agreement" not a contract. Contracts sound cold, evil, and coroporate. Not warm, fuzzy, and me.
I will also require the parent to come in and sit down when I consult with the potential ambassador. As a matter of fact, but I just made a consultation appointment with a potential ambassador for Friday, which since it is just past 12 midnight, I guess that makes it tomorrow.
When I put together the "agreement" I'll post it here so all can read it, in the "agreement" it will simply say that we ask that the only other professional portraiture done of the ambassador should be images exclusively for the yearbook photo and the such.
Thanks for a great post and WELCOME! to the Pro4um & PDA (Private Discussion Area).
Yes, I said contract, but I believe ours is called an agreement as well. I agree a contract sounds cold. But on the other hand it sounds serious. I know less about cameras (sorry to admit) and more about running the business and marketing. My husband has failed miserably this year in those areas (sorry husband). He's an excellent photographer though. He had to market this year while I was . . . (I had a nervous breakdown in Jan of 2001) Too much going on and my thyroid medicine was screwed up. (That has nothing to do with anything). I am back at it again 300% as usual.
On the issue of contract versus agreement. For most adults I feel and agreement is sufficient. Especially since an agreement in writing is considered a binding contract, says the lawyer. But, as I have a seventeen year old myself, I know that most of them don't take life seriously anyway. I remember those days. So, I have thought seriously about changing those words to contract. Sounds a little stronger and more serious. Just exactly how I want them to take it.
I usually work from home (hubby works the office), so if I can think about it. I will see if one of my disks have the Senior Representative Agreement on it and I'll post it here for you to look at. If you have suggestions for changes, feel free.
I started working at home late last year to keep an eye out on that 17 year old. Takes more time than a two year old I'll tell ya.
For those who don't use a contract/or an agreement. I'd suggest it. One of these days, you may get caught with a he said/she said thing and that spells trouble.
Sheila Pauley
P.S. Kirk, how can I post it here if I don't have a working website? Yet.
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