What values are clients considering? Most of the time the clients are not necessarily looking for the best photographer, rather they are looking at photographers who pass a good enough quality bar–whatever that is for them.
This means you might be the best quality shooter, but they can live with a level just below you considering all things.
Most clients that will hire you most likely will need to justify their hire to someone above them or just take into other things to make them feel good with their choice.
Your branding through all your materials can help set you apart. If you have a clean logo and design in all your materials this packaging of your photos will give you an X in your column if another photographer lacks this.
If they can remember you easily, it is most likely because you have defined your niche. He/She is the photographer that does X and thus this will go into your column again.
Clients will often direct others on their team or their superiors to the photographer’s website. This you can get an X if your website is something they would want them to see. You need to have a clean design that is easy to navigate and see your work.
Today having a blog is a way to help show your expertise in your line of work where a website alone is more of just an on-line portfolio. It also is something they may come to more regularly to see what you are doing and sometimes the posts will help strike a chord with them. Put an X in your column if you have a blog and post to it at least 3 times a week.
If you are on social networking like Facebook and Twitter give yourself an X. Take that X away if you do not post once daily or at least three times a week.
If you are personally marketing to clients by addressing things specific to them give yourself another X. Having a photographer write to a client and say you were thinking of them and had an idea for them. Your idea would be something specific like I know you have an event coming up or I noticed one of your employees just got recognized, how about a photo and story to let people know about them.
If you like to scout and have pre-consultation conversation or meetings with your clients give yourself another X. You are showing the client that you are trying to know all you can about their needs and taking this into account.
You like to keep in touch with your client. This could be through newsletters, emails, social media and traditional snail mail. Give yourself another X if you are keeping in touch in ways other than asking for more work only.
Clients like to get surprises. If you remember their birthday or add something that wasn’t in your estimate to your package that they receive give yourself another X in your column.
If your deliverable is professional like a printed DVD/CD and not just a sharpie on a disc for example, give yourself another X.
Hand written thank you cards are so rare today that this is another example of a way to separate yourself from the pack. You might choose to send one after a consultation and not just when you have finished the job.
If you have experience or a specialty that most other photographers cannot deliver, then give yourself an X if this is part of the consideration for a project.
Do your clients talk about you to their friends? If you have gotten jobs due to referrals in the past and continue to do so, give yourself another X.
Are you professionally groomed for the situation? You don’t need to be dressed in a black tie and sometimes being over dressed is as much a kiss of death as under dressed. So if you are fashionably conscious and well groomed give yourself another X.
These were just a few of the things that I know have helped me in situations get jobs and loose jobs to my competition.
When you buy fine jewelry they don’t just throw it in a plastic bag with the receipt.
The high end jewelers will clean the jewelry, place it in a very nice case that has their logo in the top lining. That case will go into a form fitting box that also has their logo on it. They will often put a ribbon and bow on that box. They will give you a signed certificate which puts their name behind the authenticity of the quality of the jewelry. They put all of this in a fine bag with their logo and often tie this off with a bow as well.
Compare this to how many photographers drop off a hand written CD with maybe Sharpie written text on it.
If you are struggling with your business model, what are things that you can do that really don’t cost that much, but give more value that the customer understands comes with every job you do for them. Establish your value and don’t try and add it later.