{ Sales 101 -- The Unconventional Approach To Sales } -- Mesa, AZ Photographer

{ The Unconventional Salesperson }

Photo courtesy of Beth Obermeyer of Lizzie Bee Photography / www.lizziebeephotography.com

This is me.

Beba.
(pronounced "Bee-Buh")

I'm probably the most backwards person when it comes to sales.

I am not a pushy salesperson.

It is not the most important thing for me to make sales.

Yet, I still stay in business and do make sales.

Why is that?

I think that it's a shift of focus that's totally unconventional from what traditional salespeople will tell you. Here's what I think makes the difference:

I'm more interested in making a connection than I am in closing a sale. I'm more interested in investing an experience and friendship into that person than I am in getting something back from them.

Scary thought as a salesperson, right?

Not really.

The truth is that people will be walk away happier because they will have been invested in and they will have products that they love and won't have buyer's remorse for being pushed into a sale.

Now, don't get me wrong. I'm a business woman, so I still set minimums on my packages that clients sign contracts for......They know ahead of time what they're going to be paying for when they hire me as their photographer, so there are no questions......but I don't push for more once they meet their minimum.

Wait!

Shouldn't I be? Shouldn't I be trying to "sell" them?

In my opinion, no.

Of course I want sales--I'm in business. But for me, it's more important for me to make a genuine connection with that person. My end goal is different. I want my clients to walk away with an experience--a happy memory--and not just pictures. I want there to be an incredible memory of, "We had so much fun that day!" rather than "That girl was such a pushy salesperson--I bought a ton of extra stuff that I didn't want."

Do my clients end up buying extra photos? In almost every case, yes. But not because I pushed them. After they meet their minimum, I leave it up to them to decide what they want.

Is it counter cultural?

You betcha.

But is it more satisfying and fulfilling as a business person?

YES.

I cannot tell you how wonderful it feels to know that you've made someone's day brighter or the thought that you've just made a new friend with someone who was a stranger just a week ago.

Many of my clients have now become my dear friends.

For me, that's the best "sell" in the world--it costs nothing and gives the greatest return.

Sales are momentary, but creating friendships and lasting memories are priceless.

So, go out there and sell....but make sure that you're investing more into the lives of people who are giving their business back to you. : )

{ More Sales 101 tips at my upcoming 1 Day Workshop for those of you who are interested }
https://www.facebook.com/?ref=logo#!/note.php?note_id=223103164403652

{ "1 Day Workshop" -- November 5th, 2011 -- Hyatt Place / Tempe, AZ }

More details on my Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/BebaPhotography#!/note.php?note_id=223103164403652

{ Be An Original } -- Mesa, AZ Photographer

{ Be An Original }

"Be a first rate version of yourself and not a second rate version of someone else."

--Audrey Hepburn

I love seeing all of the different styles that photographers have created and interwoven throughout their work. There is a magical charm about each style and it's fun to see the personalities of each digital artist coming out through the work that they are presenting. The truly masterful have created a style set apart from the rest.

As a photographer, it is vital to develop a style that is uniquely and intensely "you" -- something that sets you apart from the rest as different and something that echoes the ramblings of your heart at its very core.

Too often, photographers are tempted to go with the popular and many a time, a person will find themselves looking at a series of photos that look entirely beautiful....but all the same.

The same props.

The same lighting.

The same costumes.

The same poses.

Though beautiful, it becomes repetitive and in time, it's hard to distinguish one photographer from the next because everything is shared and the same.

When Anne Geddes first arrived on the scene, babies everywhere started getting put into giant flowerpots with flowers on their heads. It was a nice gesture to Ms. Geddes and I'm sure quite flattering....but the creativity of so many photographers became stagnated by copying ideas for their own work. It was probably just as beautiful as Ms. Geddes work, but the same, nonetheless.

That's not to say that a photographer cannot glean inspiration from photos that he or she likes.

But they key is analyzing what makes the photo so appealing -- the individual elements that unify together to make it so pleasing to the eye -- and trying to capture the essence of those things and put them together into his or her own work with a personal spin on it. The goal should be to glean techniques from and not to replicate. To capture the essence and the feeling of what's being displayed without copying it.

It's a challenge for sure!

But it's oh, so worth it! Each person and each photographer is so uniquely different and the variations in people's work is so refreshing and appealing to one's senses to see.

What makes you, "you?"

What is your own personal style?

What do you look at and say, "That's SO me!

Everything about it describes my personality and who I am as a person!"?

What do people see in you and say, "That's so "you"?

That is an important key to finding your own individualized photography style. Finding out your own style first.

I'm starting to offer $15 mini style sessions to photographers who are struggling to find what makes them, "them." I accomplish this through a special questionaire and then spending time researching photos, colors, design applications and ideas online and putting them together into a style board on Pinterest which can then be repinned, placed into a pdf and/or printed out as a hard copy.

I did a test group with photographers and there were multiple style matches.

Here are two quick examples:

Photographer: V.G.

http://pinterest.com/bebaphotography/v-concept/

"I loved the images and they really reflect where I want my brand to go. I had already pinned some images on pinterest and the ones you found for me matched exactly the ones I had found already. I could help go ooh and ahh at every pin. Thanks again!"

Photographer: A.G.

http://pinterest.com/bebaphotography/a-concept/

No official statement has been written yet but she said it in a separate message that it was a perfect match!

If you would like to hire me to find your style and what makes you "you," then email me at:

alicia@BebaPhotography.com

{ "But I'm Not GOOD Enough!" } -- Mesa, AZ Photographer

{ Just Because You're at Point A & Not at Point Z, Doesn't Mean That You're Not a Photographer }

I hear the same lament of discouragement from SO many photographers:

"I'm not as good as they are."

"I'll NEVER be good enough."

"I'm totally fooling myself. I'm not a photographer."

"I don't want to say I'm a photographer and then have people say that I'm not."

"I don't want to sound like an American Idol wannabe."

A lot of photographers have convinced themselves that they aren't photographers just because they're not at the
place in their journey that they'd like to be or they feel far behind where others are at in their own journeys.

In other areas of life, this would sound silly, if not ludicrous:

Imagine an Olympian in training looking at the current Olympian and thinking, "He or she is { SO } far ahead of me. I should stop training. There's no way I'm going to get there."

Silliness.

The only way you can get from a training athlete to Olympic gold medal is by trying and training and pouring yourself out into making yourself better step by step.

I used to beat myself up so badly on the inside and would get so discouraged that I'd swear off ever shooting again. I'd think, "What's the point? I'll never be as good as him or her. So why try? I quit."

The problem is that I was not allowing myself to see the potential that has been invested into my life and I wasn't giving myself a chance to cultivate that talent and see what I could do with it.

A lightbulb that hasn't been plugged into an outlet remains a dead bulb. The potential is sure there, but without a power source, it remains useless. Wasted energy.

I didn't want to be that unplugged lightbulb. I wanted to plug myself into training myself as a photographer and trying to grow the talents that God has invested into my life. I wanted to dig my heels in and see what my life was made of.

The Bible talks about a master who gave his servants a certain amount of talents each. Each was to be responsible and invest those talents and grow them. Two of the servants invested them and yielded a return and were blessed with so much more. The third, however, buried his talents {$$$} and brought back only the unused amount he was given.

How many dreams are packed away on the shelves of people's hearts, collecting dust because they've been afraid to dream--because they feel like someone else's dream is so much bigger and better than their own? How many talents are we waiting to see and experience in our own lives because someone's packed them away and aren't using them?

When fear gets in the way and stunts growth, it takes away a piece of beauty that we all could have enjoyed and relished in.

Still not convinced?

Think back to kindergarten when you first learned how to tie your shoes. I'll bet you felt pretty clumsy tying them for the first time. You probably had to try several times before you could even get it CLOSE to looking like a decent bow. If you had gotten frustrated, you could have given up....but then you would still be wearing Velcro shoes even now as an adult because you weren't willing to be uncomfortable for awhile to learn and grow in your skill.

You are unique.

You are special.

You have a gift that no one else has.

It's up to { you } to discover, develop and cultivate those things and grow them until they reach their full potential.

How will you know what potential lies in something unless you try and invest into discovering it?

Here's my challenge to you photographers out there:

 { For all you who doubt your talents and who feel like you fall so short of other photographer's skills }

1. Stop comparing yourself to other photographers.

You should never want to be like them.

You have something unique of your own to bring to the table.

"Always be a first-rate version of yourself, instead of a second-rate version of somebody else."

-- Judy Garland

2. Be patient with yourself.

The photographers that you admire did not get to where they're at overnight and neither will you. It takes patiently applying yourself and getting better at what you do one step at a time. Commit yourself to growing and guaging your own personal growth.

3. Look at other photographer's blogs.

Find photographers that you like and look at their very first blog post ever. Then look at their most recent. I promise you, you will see an amazing transformation. This was one of the most freeing things for me to do because I realized that each of the people I was admiring had started off in a place that is very similar to where I'm at now. They are where they're at today because they tenaciously applied themselves to growing their craft and skill and didn't stop growing. Look at your own first post and where you are at today and you'll see growth.

"Don't get intimidated. Get inspired." --Jen O'Sullivan

The college president at the college I used to attend encouraged me to follow my dreams. I encourage you to do the same. A lot of times your success will be determined on whether or not you believe that you can { or cannot } succeed. We're more likely to succeed { or fail } based on what we first believed in our own hearts.

Believe that you can do it.

It will take time and a lot of effort, but commit yourself to learning and discovering your untapped potential.

I can't wait to see the gifts you share with the world one day.

And remember......

 

"Everyone starts somewhere." --Pati Pakulis

{ Photo Snobs }

{ Photo Snobs }

I may get some heat back for this one as a photographer, but it's something I'm sounding off about because I feel passionate about it.

Increasingly, I've come across friends who have been snubbed by other photographers in the profession because they lived within a certain zip code and and they didn't want competition encroaching on their territory. A friend of mine was denied a workshop because she lived "too close" to the photographer offering it. Other photographers have written to me and lamented about how other photographers were tight lipped with offering them advice. The photographers viewed them as competition and didn't want to be trumped in their own work.

As a photographer who's { so } graciously been given help by other photographers, it's disheartening to hear that some photographers are being snubbed by these "photo snobs."

{ Teamwork }

I always love sharing information I know with other photographers because I see us all working together as a team. I don't see other photographers as a threat--I see them as a blessing. My thought is, "If I give this photographer information and they end up being better than me or better a lot quicker, then that's because God gifted them to be more gifted than me." What I say or don't say won't be what makes that happen. That's something that will happen anyways because it's something that comes from the inside out. They will inevitably find their information somewhere and flourish anyway...and if they do flourish at a quicker pace, I can learn from them.  I want to encourage people to follow their dreams and to use the gifts and talents that God has given them and I love being a part of helping others find success in their work. So many other photographers have been so incredible in helping me with my own photography and I'm so grateful to them for their time and help. Why shouldn't I give back when I can too and help others?

I always want to be a team player and be an encouragement to others in the same way that others have been an encouragement to me!

{ Photo Snob. }

No photo snobs here. ; )

"In helping others, we shall help ourselves, for whatever good we
give out completes the circle and comes back to us." -- Flora Edwards

Do you have a story about being snubbed by a photo snob? How did you handle it?

Have you been helped by another photographer that you want to give props here to?
Give a shout out to these champion team players!

I'll give my own thank yous to some awesome photographers who have really poured a lot of themselves out to help me, whether through personal advice, mentoring or posting so much help information on their blog--thanks girls! You have gone more out of your way than others and I so appreciate your help. Gold star--you girls are the rockstars of the photo world!:

Thank you Pati Pakulis!

&
Thank you Melissa Jill!

&

Thank you Jen O'Sullivan!
&
Thank you Jasmine Star!
&
Thank you Brienne Michelle!

{ My Journey as a Photographer } -- AZ Photographer

{ Growing }

It's exciting to see growth in your work and have the satisfaction of knowing that you're getting more knowledgeable with what you're learning.

I see this whole photography experience as a journey.

I'm not where I want to be yet, but I'm definitely not where I was.

I wanted to write this blog to inspire other photographers who are just getting their start in photography. Obviously, I have a long way to still go to get to where I'd like to be. But I believe that I WILL get there. For now, I'm learning and growing into this role of "photographer" and I wanted to encourage others who were just getting their start, that they can get there too!

When I first started shooting photography, it wasn't a perfect start and there were a lot of learning bumps along the way. Now that I have started, I keep going and I hope that this encourages you to keep going too. This is my photo journey from where I started and where I am at today....and I can't wait a few years from now to post where I will be, Lord willing! : )

YEAR: { Pre-historic age....wasn't high school forever ago? }

When I first started shooting photography, it was years ago as a high school yearbook photographer. It was my first attempt at photography, but definitely not something I was considering as a career. { Looking back, I wonder why I didn't consider it then, since it gave me such a thrill and joy, even back then when I was 15 years old}.

YEAR: { 2000 }

I had a LONG period of not photographing anything. I was too interested in learning how to figure-skate and was too wrapped up and focused on becoming an animator. I wanted to be an artist and photography hadn't even entered my mind. But, my college was offering a class on black and white 35mm photography and I needed a creative class for my degree, so I decided to take it.

Something happened.

Something sparked inside of me and just like when I was shooting photography at age 15--I felt happy and alive. I loved seeing my pictures after they'd been developed and couldn't wait to shoot more and more pictures!

But I HATED developing pictures. The "stop" chemical stunk to the high T and I hated standing for so long in a darkroom. Oh boy, booooring. I loved shooting pictures, but hated developing them. So, photography went back on the shelf and I kept pursuing a degree as an artist.

YEAR: { 2003 } -- Enter Digital Cameras and My First Attempts at Photoshop....Gulp.

{ Be kind please }

I didn't know the first thing about digital cameras or Photoshop and my amazingly sweet photo subjects were so patient with me while I tried to figure out how both of them worked.  My first year was a little disasterous.....

I honestly didn't know what I was doing and I wasn't taking any classes to help guide and direct me. I was purely a try-and-fail student. And oi.....'nough said. ; )

BUT! { Yes, there is a but! Thank goodness! }

YEAR: { 2005 }

2005 rolled around and I had continued to try-and-fail with my camera and Photoshop and I started to get the hang of things more and more. I was shooting photography as a fun side hobby, but it wasn't something that I was considering as a career at that point, because my images still weren't looking how I wanted them to. Closer, but not close enough. I took a portfolio photography class, but failed it. A big fat "F." A photographer? NO. Definitely not at that point.

YEAR: { 2008 }

I continued shooting as a hobbyist and found myself liking photography more and more, but still hadn't considered it as a career...Until....I took a wedding photography class with Jen O'Sullivan (http://www.jenosullivan.com/) and learned the business side of photography. That was it! I could marry (no pun intended) my love for entrepreneurlship with my love for being creative! The perfect left-brain/right-brain balance which was perfect for me since I'm a left and right brain mix of person!

I was hooked!

I had my first "real" engagement photo shoot with Jen's class and found stuff just "clicking" (again, no pun intended, lol. I'm just full of those tonight, aren't I?). ; )

Suddenly, I wanted to photography everything all of the time!

Still, I didn't have the confidence that I could make it as a photographer. I was terrified that I would be like one of those people on American Idol that THOUGHT they could sing and really couldn't....I didn't want to say, "I'm a photographer" and have someone tell me that I wasn't, so I held back.

But with the encouragement of others, I started to look inside for confidence. I told myself, "No one is perfect when they first start. You CAN do this. You'll have to grow into your role, but you know that this is what God is calling you to do and you CAN do this."

I still wrestle with that sometimes because I'm not where I'd like to be, but I have to constantly remind myself that it's a journey and show myself just how far I've come. I don't have to look to the outward (people's comments) to tell me whether I can make it or not. I believe now that I can. It will take a lot of hard work, but I know that I'm called to this and will grow into my role, just as I have been doing all these years.

The President at my old college wrote me a personal letter that included that quote that says something like, "Shoot for the moon. Even if you don't reach it, you'll at least land among the stars."

That is my challenge to myself. I'm not in a competition with anyone else because we all have some special gift to bring to the table and all have a special way of interpreting photos. But I am committing myself to learning as much as I possibly can. I want to reach MY highest potential. I want to see where I can go with this.

I owe it to myself to try because I love it so much.

{ May 2011 }

{ May 2011 }

{ May 2011 }

{ August 2011 }

{ October 2011}

{ November 2011 }

What about you? Where are you at with your photography? If you love it, don't give up! Keep trying, keep growing, keep learning and keep burning the fires of passion in your heart and keep dreaming your dream!

If you try, you can only get better and better!

{ I Love Lists } -- Arizona Photographer

{ Lists }

These last few months have been quite a whirlwind for me! Lots of photo shoots, Photoshop tutoring sessions, blogging and fulfilling orders filling my time. I've got some new things stirring up in my mind that I'd love to accomplish by the end of this year. I love organization and love lists! I love the feeling of being able to cross something off my to-do list and say that I've accomplished it.

Last year, when I decided that I wanted to pursue photography as a career and start a business, I created a list. It included things like:

1. Get business cards made.

2. Write a Terms of Service contract

3. Get a website.

4. Start writing a blog.

5. Etc, etc.

It was about a full page of things that I wanted to accomplish before the year was over. It felt so amazing to cross those things off my list and do what I only used to think about doing.

I was committing my thoughts to action.

Now 2011 is in full swing and I am doing the same thing. At the start of the year, I wrote a list of things that I'd like to accomplish. Some of the goals that I've already accomplished are:

1. Get licensing.

2. Become Trademarked.

3. Be part of the Ultimate Women's EXPO.

4. Switch from a full time to a part time job.

5. Get business cards made (this one took me some extra time). ; )

6. Book almost every Saturday.

7. Blog at least once a week.

8. Etc.

There is a { LONG } laundry list of other things that I would like to accomplish this year, some of which I am already putting into practice. Some little dreams, some bigger ones. But whatever size they are, I'm dreaming and putting them down on paper.

I've found that as I've committed my thoughts to action, that I get more done. I accomplish those things that I had only "thought" about doing. It forces me to stretch and grow and accomplish those things I was thinking about doing and to go out and actually DO them.

What would YOU like to accomplish this year?

Have you written those things down?

Imagine how much more you can get done this year if you do!

1st Magazine Article -- Mars Vs. Venus

Super excited! Aieee!!!! Finally! : )!!! Scottsdale Health Magazine put together and came out with the October edition that has the photos I took in it! : ) So excited! They asked me to find 2 people to interview and snap some basic pictures of, then they put things together and made this fun little article:
Mars Vs. Venus:
(Who's side do... YOU take?)
http://allyouneedforhappiness.com/issues/2010oct/index.html#/50/

Still can't stop smiling--my first magazine article, yay! : )

I am back!

Hello all,

Wow! Time has certainly flown by! It has been a little over 1 year since I last wrote a blog! I took some time to develop my photo website and to pack up and move here to Arizona. But now, I am back! ; )!! And boy, does it feel good!

I find blogs...or rather, the people who write them...fascinating. I follow a few blogs almost daily because the personalities of the people who write them really shine through and I find myself wanting to read what is going to happen next. Almost like reading a good novel, only it's in real life.

I'm a visual person, so this blog adventure is going to includes lots of pictures for you to see. There may even be more pictures than there is text at times, I'm sure.

I'd love to invite you alongside me in this beautiful journey called life and share with you the ways that I see life. Come peek through my glasses and see what I see. From my vantage point, it's pretty beautiful! : )

Visit my Flickr page : )

Hello all! : )

It's been quite some time since I've last updated my blog...I'm still working out some of the bugs with sizing issues on this website. In the meantime, I wanted to let you all know about my Flickr page which has oodles of pictures and is constantly being updated with new work! : )! You can visit my Flickr sets page at:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/14597095@N08/sets/

From there, choose which set you'd like to visit and see new pictures. Enjoy!

--Alicia ("Beba") : )

Bridal Portrait Time -- 1st shoot

Here is another photo shoot that I did of another friend of mine--equally as beautiful and fun to work with. : )

Bridal Portrait Time! : )

It's that time of the semester when bridal portraits are due. I took these tonight of a friend of mine who was willing to put on her dress and veil and pose for me. I think that she is a lovely person and it shows in these pics. : )

New Website and Updated Flickr Account

I just purchased a website where I will post my pictures soon--that way you can view them at full size! :) I also updated my Flickr account, so you can check things out there while the website is still under construction.

--Alicia

BLOG: http://bebaphotography.blogspot.com/

WEBSITE: www.BebaPhotography.com

FLICKR CONTACT NAME: Beba Photography

Some More Pictures From the First Set

Hi everyone! :)

Here are some more pictures from the first set that I posted a couple of days ago.







This last image of the tiara in black and white is my favorite and the picture that I chose for my class assignment.

My very first blog post!

I'm so excited to finally be posting my very first blog post! I'm currently working on an assignment for a wedding photography class where we have to highlight a wedding "detail" (such as shoes, rings, champagne glasses, etc.) I've chosen the bouquet from my sister's wedding that I was recently in, a sparkly tiara and a rhinestone cross necklace. I love capturing the small details of things--those tiny details really seem to make you stop and enjoy the beauty in the small things.