Korey Yamagato - Express Photo & Digital - Novato, CA - www.ExpressPhotoNovato.com

An old idea, I'm sure, but I have been very surprised.

We made up some colorful 4x5 info sheets on how to email us images or upload online with our website. I have been stuffing customer envelopes with same info and directly mailing for years and now my customers are grabbing those faster off the front counter than I can keep them. Even just shoppers. They don't buy a single thing or grab any other but that one. They aren't in a holder. Just fanned on the counter (different color borders)

Garry LaFranco - Photographs, Cameras, and Video - Sparta, NJ - www.photographs-online.com

Hello Chris,

This is preaching to the choir to tell you this one.

We all learned long ago not to prejudge our customer when they came in to purchase a camera. How many times have we seen what we thought was an unlikely sale walk out our front door with hundreds of dollars worth of equipment? We have to make sure that we keep that same mentality when it comes to services.

In today’s retail environment the customer that walks through our door is often times just looking for the answer “yes” and that answer can be invaluable to them.

"Can you print these old b&w negatives in-house? I don't want to see them sent out anywhere."

Don't respond with "I am sorry but we no longer have a b&w darkroom and the cost to scan them and then print them is too high." This customer wants you to say "yes." You know that the local grocery store, wharehouse, or pharmacy will probably say no. Do the job and charge appropriately.

Do not give these special services away. I am sure that most customers will be happy just to get what they want. We all used to routinely charge $5-$10 for a copy negative. Those same customers could have shot that copy negative themselves, but they didn't.

Why should we charge anything less for a scan and cd. "Yes we can do that for you. A high resolution scan onto a cd will be $--.-- per image and a 4x6 print will be $--.--per image." You set your price, but keep in mind in order to keep that front door open some of our services need to be considerably more profitable now than ever before.

"Can you develop this old 127 film it has been in the attic for years?"

Don't respond with "I don't think you should do this because the chances for success are not good." A better response and probably the one our customer is wanting to hear is, "Those could be some great family memories if they do come out."

Charge an appropriately high fee that makes it worth your while to track down a source that will develop them. Collect your money upfront. Tell your customer that it will take a loooong time. Underpromise, then overdeliver.

Where would you send 8x10 Tri-X sheet film that has been undeveloped for years? You can do it yourself in trays. You don't think it's worth your time? It may be - at $50.00 per sheet. Who would pay that? I know of at least one person who would and gladly did!

Competition for the sales of hard goods will never ease off. Make your real profit on the things that you are an expert in, those things that it may be more difficult to google search and get an answer to, and don't give those answers away for free. Your local attorneys don't.

Our knowledge is valuable and most of us are too accustomed to giving that knowledge away to build customer loyalty. You will still have the same customer loyalty as before if you charge for it, because you had the answer and the answer was yes.

Thanks Chris for a fine job with the newsletter.

Garry

Frank Ponder, DFD - Now retired trying to spend his children's inheritance

I'm writing this from an airport lounge, after an 18 hour flight.... So guess where my brain is. let alone my beautiful body. (No McCurry comments here, please!).

Here's a fun and crazy idea that could bring just the attention you need to promote 24/7 processing at YOUR LAB:

Dress the entire staff in PJ's (or at least PJ tops), and have them remind customers that they can send photos via email day or night. Play it up.

Have a Pajama party. Give away 10 Free prints to anyone who comes in their PJ's. Tell the local TV stations, radio stations and newspapers. Perhaps you can even get some local official to kick off Pajama Week. There are lot of tie in ideas, from the local lingerie shop to the local outlet of PJ's. . It would be lots of fun to hear all your ideas in this forum.

All the best, Frank

Editor's note - is it possible that Frank was inspired by the picture below, from MMIE #184

The PMA reservation forms are out now, so it's not too early to sign up for the wit and wisdom of Bill McCurry at PMA/DIMA/PSPA etc.

For those unfamiliar with all the alphabet soup, let's spell them out:

• PSPA – Professional School Photographers Association – March 6 & 7 – Renaissance Hotel
• DIMA – Digital Imaging Marketing Association – March 6 & 7 – Las Vegas Convention Center –
• PMA07 – Photo Marketing Association Convention and Trade Show – March 8 – 11 – Las Vegas Convention Center

• 4:00 – 5:00 - PGS2 - It’s Your People . . . Really! Focus your team and you can picture sharp profits . . . an unfocused team gives fuzzy results. Uncover the secrets of successful firms that you can apply to your business for immediate improvement in your bottom line.

• 10:30 – 11:40 D43 – Selling More For Less. If you’re looking to find ways to build net profit, come hear the secrets other retailers have found. These are real ideas, that are guaranteed to help your profit for 2007.
• 2:30 – 3:40 D63 – DIMA Marketing Idea Exchange. This session is always new, always different and always on the “can't afford to miss” list of DIMA veterans.

• 8:00 – 9:00am – 601 PMA Marketing Idea Exchange – Focused on marketing ideas for minilabs and those delivering photo services to consumers, you will hear how new services can be profitably and quickly added and dozens of ideas that can shape your profits for the year ahead. We’ll have more (and different) real world results from The Complete Picture Inspiration Center.

Stephanie Fisher of the Education Department at PMA has kindly shared with our readers a $5-off coupon for Business Resources.

It's a first ever forum, where women in our industry come together to exchange ideas. You are invited to participate in this dynamic face-to-face discussion at PMA 07.

Explore the new climate of women in the imaging business that is impacting the industry in a very big way. Moderated by Fran Herman, ellaprint.com, this session addresses the marketing, sales, and business challenges you face in addition to being an owner, daughter, wife, or mom while creating a network of knowledge and support among colleagues.

Whether you are a photo retailer, a professional photographer, a commercial lab owner, or a manufacturer, the Women in Imaging Round Table gives you the opportunity to share, ask questions, and grow as imaging professionals.

It's Session A4 on Thursday, March 8 from 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Speakers: Liz Cutting, NPD Research; Laura Oles, author of “Digital Photography for Busy Women”; and Jessica Sarber, Sarber's Camera

Moderated by: Fran Herman, ellaprint.com