You are a doctor, and I want to contact you about photos

shewolfnm wrote:

Hey!
Im black. I could pull of the Nigeria thing..

what'ya think?
Wanna go halfsies with me?

Is your name Mrs. Mamgambo from the city of Guggi? Did your deceased father work for the government and leave you 5 million dollars in secret funds? I got your letter this morning and I just sent you all my bank information. I am patiently waiting for my 20% commission.

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I'll add that the company who did the master plan for the Beijing Olympics was Sasaki Inc.. in my day, SWA, Sasaki Walker.

I'm following their building placement re the Beijing axis..

Why do I bring up what seems a self involvement point? That design at a student level and design on the world stage are not worlds' apart.
Neither are photography from someone with serious intent and interest and growing accomplishment...
well, there are zillions of photographers.

Photographers with text/context/texture - another level.

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I guess I'll look up that link. It was a good bit of writing about wedding photography.

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Re: You are a doctor, and I want to contact you about photos

shewolfnm wrote:

I pulled 60 bucks out of my ever so secret womans account to dedicate to written advertisements.

My idea is to get a hold of doctors offices and other family places to see about putting one or two of my framed photos on the wall. Give them a few business cards to put with it? Or should I include contact info on it? Dont know yet.

So...... Im not so good at " cold call" style communication.

What the hell do I say?
Would it BE more beneficial to email ? OR does written / typed /printed mail still have some charm?

Just thinking out loud: Doctor so-and-so doesn't much care what's on the walls in his lobby. You'll have better luck sweet talking his office manager and letting a picture or two be worth a thousand words (I've seen your work, and it is). Worry not about how good you are at cold calling; how good are you at working? Doctors in particular, will be a low close ratio... and the simple fact that escapes even most professional sales people is: the harder you work, the luckier you'll be. Volume, volume, volume.

Good idea, btw. When I had my restaurant in Cedarburg; virtually every piece of artwork on the walls was for sale. Simply add a small, unobtrusive price tag to each piece (and price it high enough to make it worthwhile), just big enough for someone who already noticed the piece and leave a stack of business cards with the lady behind the desk to give out when someone asks. Consider throwing the person behind the desk a bone in exchange for her trouble. Alternately, you could put your number on it with a bogus extension to identify the office that earned the bone.

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Cool!

One thing to remember though is that the cost of professional framing can be a big set back to getting started in displaying your work. You might want to find a frame shop willing to work with you for some kind of trade out. A lot of locally owned frame shops will display artists work because they need framed stuff up on their walls. Sometimes they'll sell it for you too!

As to doctors -- I used to work some good deals with cosmetic dentists and plastic surgeons. They always need great "after" photos and they like to give their clients a little gift at the end of an expensive proceedure. You sell them a session certificate for a steep discount that includes a couple of 8x10 prints (one for the office, one for the client). Of course you always have the opportunity to sell their client (now your client) more. (Not having a studio address might be a little problem.... thinking on that.)

Good luck!

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I see price tags as tack. Sorry...

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Um, a lot of locally owned frame shops do quite horrible work. One or another will stand out. Be discerning.

Framing is tricky. You need to pay attention re care of the photo. Simple is good, but also attention to archival.

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ossobuco wrote:

I see price tags as tack. Sorry...

So do most doctors, probably. Just makes for a lower close ratio on free galleries, which matters little. What matters is recouping her investments on the folks she closes. I like Boom's before and after photos idea. That could be huge.

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The doctors offices are not a real point of sale that I see.

What I see are new mothers waiting for their babies first check ups

Parents of toddlers bored in a waiting room

Other doctors , nurses, attendants with their own families staring at my work, my name, and my number all day.

I see the drug company reps , bored waiting in a room, and office chairs.

I see UPS men, FED EX women, and other delivery people staring at the walls while they wait

I see janitors, occasional electrician, plumbers, construction workers in the office after hours for repairs, seeing my work

I see eyes.
Not print sales.

My print sales are going to be at the bookstore, and the coffee shop.

http://www.ebookwoman.com/NASApp/store/IndexJsp;jsessionid=bac0cZEHybRU9-

http://www.rutamaya.net/

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Could you explain that more fully, as I don't get what you are saying.

I don't want to see price tags in my doctor's office.

I don't mind a list if I do ask the receptionist about a photo/print/painting/paper mache dog.

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Basically, I am not going to the doctors offices in hopes of hanging work for sale.

I want to hang it so that everyone who SEES it sees my work, and hopefully.. if they are looking for a photographer, they call me.

Advertisement.. but not blatent..

make sense?

I may , for example, just hang a few photos of a mother and child, then have the doctor leave my card at the front desk if anyone should ask.
Or, find a way to have my web address visible on the frame or even the photo ( small) so that people can write it down on their own...

but they will not be for sale. I would not just expect a doctors office to do that.

Bookstore? Absolutely. It will be for sale.

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ossobuco wrote:

Could you explain that more fully, as I don't get what you are saying.

I don't want to see price tags in my doctor's office.

I don't mind a list if I do ask the receptionist about a photo/print/painting/paper mache dog.

I agree that some people will think it's tacky for the Doc's office to allow it. However; those aren't the people I'm concerned about. Neither is the Doctor. My concern is for Shewolf... so my advice is heavily slanted towards maximizing her risk/reward ratio. It matters little how many people find it tacky. What matters is how many people make a purchase whether it be the piece displayed, or a new shoot. Displayed prices would be better to sell the displayed piece. A discreetly sized phone number with bogus extension would be better to sell a new shoot.

Just my opinion; I could be wrong.

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Ah, you answered that. You could add an extension to your web address just as easily (for bone purchases) if you wish.

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oh holy hell.

how in the world did I not think of that before??

I could have these prints for sale on my site too.

Wow.. what a real "duh" moment

Thank you Bill.. Laughing

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I agree with Shewolf, re the name of the artist being appropriate.

Pah!! I don't go to an md to be sold something, and may change md's if that was going on. Mostly though, the art in such circumstances is not interesting, almost by request.

The usual reason for art in an md's office is to provide a comfort level instead of you-are-now-in-an-institution, and not there, except for the unusual md, to be provoking.

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from my point of view-having been in sales for many years, it is appropriate to send a letter. Follow the letter up with a phone call w/in 2 days of the letter's reciept. The letter should be typed, a formal, block-style, business letter.

Cold calls work-if you are trying to sell youth candids or portraits I think the
pediatrician offices are a super choice...

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Check out various charity fundraising auctions too. You could donate a certain dollar value of portrait photography in exchange for the advertisement and promotion of your name on the auction brochures.

You could also do this with many non-local fundraising auction events by donating a print for them to auction off.

For example, your local PBS station. Does it have an art auction like mine does?

Here's a link to my local PBS station's art auction website so you can get an idea of what's involved.

http://www.kvie.org/events/artauction/default.htm

Here's the link to their call for artists page with all the forms and legal stuff involved. For this particular auction, the submission deadline is coming up in a few days, but use this as an example of what else to look for and what other possibilities may be out there for you.

http://www.kvie.org/events/artauction/callforartists/default.htm

One good thing about this particular auction is you don't necessarily have to donate the framing. They have framers donating materials and services for that too.

Here's a description of the call for artists from their website:

Quote:

Participate in the KVIE Public Television Art Auction 2008 juried open competition and your art will receive unprecedented exposure in a televised event seen by up to 60,000 motivated art-buying viewers. The Art Auction will be heavily promoted through television, direct mail, web, and live events well in advance of the 3-day telecast.

Enter your best work and you'll have the opportunity for recognition in this highly competitive, prestigious juried show that attracts the very best Northern California artists. Emerging artists as well as established artists get the opportunity to win valuable cash prizes.

The art that will be offered includes works from the juried open call, along with pieces from selected participating galleries, and from a group of established artists who contribute to the artistic excellence of our region.

Enter your work and be a part of our community's most comprehensive art event of the year.

And here's a link to their online auction website where you can view the art, bid on it and watch live streaming of the auction show when it is broadcast on TV.

http://www.kvie.org/events/artauction/art_auction_07/default.htm

If other PBS stations have these, there's a lot of opportunity for exposure and name recognition for your work.

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What about major car dealerships that service vehicles? They usually have a waiting room and the walls are usually quite bare. At least where I live they are.

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I've barely adjusted to Doctors and Lawyers advertising and would be most distressed to encounter any signs of commercialism in any professional waiting room.

Ambitious brides can be stressful, but two weddings a month would give you lots of money for a PR budget--and the cost of gas for more artistic pictures.

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I would be quite put off at finding merchandise for sale in a doctor's office. I think a few good portraits, with a business card attached would be just fine.

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You are a doctor, and I want to contact you about photos

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