Some people are easy on the eyes; no matter what I do, many potential clients will never see me as compared to some of my competitors. No amount of plastic surgery will make me Brad Pitt or Adam Levine.
In 1993 John Gray wrote a trendy book, Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus. A great quote from the book is, “Men are motivated when they feel needed while women are motivated when they feel cherished.”
Sometimes you are not the right person just based on your gender. So yes, some people break this rule for anything you can mention. The point is if someone is looking for a woman because of their comfort level for this particular job and I tried to get the job, I would have a difficult road ahead to get them to see me as capable of doing the job.
I could go on and on, giving many examples of things that are just out of your control. So what is a better use of our time? What can you do that you can control?
How you look
If we all listened to our doctors and cared for ourselves, we would all look healthy. But, instead, maybe we need to lose some weight or gain a few pounds.
Everyone can also control their grooming. The hairstyle [if you have hair] you choose can make a huge difference in your appearance.
Your wardrobe can speak volumes about you. The one thing I think you need to be aware of if you are in business for yourself, especially, is people are watching you. Wearing business attire is expected in many industries, and you must fit into those situations if you manage your appearance.
Just be aware of the unofficial uniform of the industry you are trying to work with regularly.
Photographer Dave Black has a casual, youthful style about him when working.
Social Media footprint
A couple of my photography friends have done an excellent job of maximizing their social media channels. I think of Esther Havens, who has more than 10,800 Twitter followers and 4,774 Facebook friends.
She has so many people following her because Esther has many things going for her, but at the core of all those qualities is she is excited, and people like knowing what she is up to and like being entertained by Esther.
Zack Arias is an Atlanta-based photographer who has over 88,500+ Twitter followers.
Zack has another set of qualities that has people following him. One thing that keeps people listening to Zack is he is authentic.
Back in 2009, Zack posted a guest blog on Scott Kelby’s blog, revealing much of why he is such a popular speaker. People can relate to him; he is pretty transparent, as seen in this post.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZYlQ4Wv8lE]
Zack and Esther compete against many other great photographers in their disciplines.
One thing is for sure many clients will reach more people by hiring Esther or Zack if they tweet about their photoshoot than if they hire another great shooter who doesn’t see the importance of Twitter or Facebook.
Besides Social Media, connect with people through networking events and being a part of your community.
Personality
Frankly, one of the biggest turn-offs with some photographers is their attitude; at the same time, it is so attractive to other photographers. They are just excited about life and make everyone enjoy their day by being around them.
“Fake it till you make it” is a common catchphrase that means if you do this, it will produce success and, in the process, give you the confidence to do even more.
A self-fulfilling prophecy is what you think is what you will become. If you feel you are a failure, then you will become one. If you think you are successful, then you become successful.
Take Control
- Take care of your body and health
- Practice the best grooming and hygiene
- Wardrobe—Be very intentional in the clothes you wear
- Maximize your network—know where your audience lives and works. Use social media or attend networking events.
- Smile—maintain a positive can-do attitude
