Selina Maitreya

OneView

Become One with Selina.

by Selina on September 1, 2010

Your Clients are not just buying photographs they are now buying VALUE! With the onset of great stock images, royalty free visuals and lots of competition from other assignment photographers,

your clients are looking to you to assure them, that you are the visual provider that they need to get their assignment completed.

They want VALUE!

For your clients VALUE Looks like:

YOU having a specific vision that you bring to their project.

YOU working with a team of support professionals who work together seamlessly to produce the shoot.

YOU providing an environment on set that will enable all team members to work at heir highest level in the most comfortable setting.

These 3 Value oriented expectations don’t just apply to photographers producing large shoots.

They apply to every photographer.

It’s all about Vision, service, attitude.

YOURS!

In order to see where you stand in the value equation check out his months video challenge,

It’s all about VALUE!

http://selinamaitreya.com/video-ps.html

Tags: service, team, value, vision Comments: 0 Leave a Comment

Sealing The Deal:Agent Frank Meo Guest Blogs!

by Selina on August 9, 2010

Our first Guest Blog is from NYC Agent Frank Meo

For 25 years Frank Meo has represented photographers from all over the world. Still life to photojournalist he’s produced photo shoots around the globe for every major ad agency, design firm and client. His reputation is one of fairness and unsurpassed integrity.

In addition to his rep firm, Frank has created a new company to service photographers who seek help in “CLOSING THE DEAL” Check out his website at:

www.THEPHOTOCLOSER.COM

Today Frank shares his wisdom on the negotiating process.

SELINA

“Do you want my photographer to shoot this job?”

That is how I start each conversation I have with an Art Buyer or Creative Director. The answer I get to this rather straightforward question is key to the negotiating process. From this moment on I know exactly where I stand and what my legitimate chances are in securing this project.

I know it can be a difficult question for a photographer to ask – however for an Art Buyer it’s a perfectly normal conversation to have with a rep. Actually most Art Buyers welcome the candor.

So depending upon the response I get I can then move in a direction that will best help the photographer I represent. The question could be answered in three ways; the first answer could be “yes, you’re our first choice”. The second answer might be

“Well we’re not sure at this point we’re looking where the estimates come in”. The third response might be “to tell you the truth

they really want to use someone else – I just need a third estimate”.

So there you have it, Good, Bad and Ugly. The question now is, how does a rep take each of these situations and get a positive result for the photographer. (I love this part of the job) So lets take each scenario and make it “work out” for the photographer. Note: Photographers must realize that relationship building is a tedious and necessary art and everyone must play a part in this process. Also take note you sometime don’t see rewards for month, years or never. However you must be involved!

Let’s do last first. They want to use someone else. Fine. This way you have zero chance in getting the project – but you’ve put

Yourself in the position of them needing you for a favor. It won’t take much time for you to do an estimate that’s “over” a number that they provided. In this case you’re not wasting your time figuring and noodling numbers. You knock out numbers and done.

Most times the client is rather thankful. And if the first choice photographers come down with a case of malaria you’re in!!!

Wishful thinking is cool.

Next, number one, they want to use you. Yippie!!! You make the numbers work, be pleasant on the phone and the job is yours. How simple is that. I’ve never lost and nobody should ever loose a job in this scenario.

Now for the fun one – THEY’RE NOT SURE! Get the zanax and hold on. These projects are usually tedious and only a really patient Art buyer and a non-annoying rep (does that exists?) with a positive minded photographer can live through this process and come out with landing the job. Part of this process understands the pressure the Art Buyer is under. They’re working on five other projects and on “your” project nobody’s is making a decision. What aggravation! So the job for the rep is to get as much information as possible in the fewest amounts of calls. Have the photographer doing something positive towards the process. Such as writing a treatment, creating a light-box of similar images, getting front row tickets to the world cup final.

Even if you don’t have a rep it is YOUR responsibility to do your due diligence. Find out something about the agency and their clients- you want to engage yourself without being a pest. It could be the agency anniversary date – Christmas party – charitable /pro bono projects – something that says to your contact that you want the job bad and did some creative research. It’s dicey, but

It usually helps in securing the project.

all you can really do is to be ready. Ready to answer any question quickly and delivering the “dead on answer” to what may

be a pretty mundane question. Ready takes on many forms and it isn’t always understandable to the folks who don’t get the job.

Sometime ready really equals lucky.

Gerald Ford, former President said “it seems the harder I work the luckier I get”

Frank Meo

Tags: Frank Meo, negotiation Comments: 0 Leave a Comment

Video Challenge #2 VISION

by Selina on August 3, 2010

My new video challenge is up and posted for YOU!

To view your new challenge,go to the vdeo section on my site

http://selinamaitreya.com/video-ps.html