Have you ever looked at some of the small business owners in your area, and thought to yourself, “Why can’t my photography clients be more like theirs?”
The good news is, if those businesses happen to serve the same people you want to reach, there’s no reason why you can’t also serve those same clients.
How?
The easiest solution is to recruit the direct help of those other business owners.
In fact, they’ll probably be thrilled to help you if they understand you share common business values and love to work with similar people, especially if it helps them to improve their own business.
Plus, it’s quite possible that they may look at your clients and wish they could reach them too.
Therefore, this is clearly a two-way street, and building productive relationships with other vendors in your area can lead to mutually-beneficial rewards further down the road.
For example, if you’re a wedding photographer, there are many other business owners you could partner with:
- Florists…
- Cake makers…
- DJs…
- Limo companies…
- Wedding planners…
- Local travel agents…
For portrait photographers, you have examples such as:
- Daycare centers…
- Locally-owned clothing boutiques…
- Dentists…
- Veterinarians…
- Locally-owned pet stores…
- Coffee shops…
- Specialty stores…
- Independent tourism-related businesses…
I’m sure you can find examples of these, and more, in your own local community.
There’s no better way to advertise your photography business than through the endorsement (implied or explicit) from another business owner with whom your ideal clients already have a relationship.
One way to meet these kindred-spirit business-owners is through networking events, and it’s easy to take those initial meetings to the next level by arranging further 1-on-1 meetings.
But what if you don’t know these people yet?
What can you do then?
Be proactive, of course, by taking the initiative and reaching out to them!
How To Build Business Relationships
The ultimate goal of any business relationship is mutual benefit.
And, of course, it’s only natural for any business owner to view any proposition through the filter of, “what’s in it for me?”
Therefore, your first priority when reaching out to prospective partners should always be concerned with how you can help them to improve their business.
Far too often, I see photographers who reach out with an “ask” of some kind instead of with a “give”, which is almost guaranteed to fail.
The correct approach is to introduce yourself to the other business owner with an offer to help them with something, rather than launching straight into a discussion about partnering up or having them refer their clients to you.
What’s The Best Communication Medium?
In most cases, the businesses you want to partner with will be located in your city or town.
Therefore, you have several options for getting in touch with them:
- Email…
- Telephone…
- Social media…
- In-person at their place of business…
- In-person meeting for coffee or lunch…
Of those, I would avoid using social media because it seems too impersonal (and, quite frankly, lazy) for someone who is literally just around the corner.
Email is a good option if you want to make a quick introduction and start the ball rolling, with a view to setting up an in-person meeting to chat in more detail.
The telephone is also a good option, and can feel more personal than an email.
The preferred options are the personal face-to-face meetings because there’s nothing more effective at building a good relationship than sitting down with someone in person for a friendly chat and to share ideas.
In the case of a coffee or lunch meeting, I suggest that you be the one to pick up the tab, since you’re the one organizing the meeting.
That said, if you have to resort to sending them an initial introductory email, what should you say?
A Sample Introduction Email
First and foremost, the most important elements here are politeness and being mindful of the other person’s time.
This means keeping your email:
- Professional…
- To the point…
- Brief…
For example, here’s a sample email you can swipe and adapt for yourself (just be sure to replace the items in parentheses with the appropriate information:
Subject: My clients also love what you do…
Hi {vendor name},
This is {your name} here from {your business name} with a very quick note to say “hello”.
I’ve recently talked with several of my clients who happened to mention your name, and they all told me how much they enjoyed working with you and the amazing level of service you provided.
As a {genre} photographer, high-quality service is also my primary goal, and it seems we serve many of the same people.
I would love to get to know more about your business to see if there may be ways I can refer more of your preferred clients to you, or help your business in some way.
Would you be open to a quick meeting over coffee or lunch (on me, of course), where we can chat about our mutual business interests and explore possible collaborative opportunities?
If so, let me know a good day and time to get together, and I look forward to meeting you.
Much appreciated.
{your name}
{your phone number}
This kind of approach is non-threatening, inviting, polite and respectful, and it demonstrates your desire to help them before asking for anything for yourself.
You can easily tailor the same message to approach any kind of business owner in your community, regardless of the kind of photography you do or what the other business owner does.
Next time you wonder where the next client is coming from, think about approaching another business owner who serves the same people to see if there’s a profitable partnership opportunity.
