WOW-was 2009 a year to remember or forget? Part of me wants to forget it and then the other part takes over and says to learn from it. As a whole, we cannot complain. Both of our daughters graduated from nursing school and are set in the job market-that’s a BIG relief! And no, neither one wants to follow in our footsteps which is fine too. We just want them to be healthy, happy and financially stable. We are still standing which is an accomplishment as many of our dear friends have had to leave this wonderful profession for monetary reasons. We are healthy, still love each other, have our wonderful bull dog to come home to every night-what could be better?

Anyway, as I promised on our Facebook Fan Page (please join us if you haven’t already at Walden’s Education for Photographers), I am writing the five top things we learned in 2009 which I know will help us have a better 2010, so here goes.

1.  We realized that our top clients of the past were no longer our top clients of today. Why is this important? Well, we touched base more often with these clients, writing them personal letters and keeping up with them. What happened? Their kids got older and it became less urgent to get them photographed as often. In fact, the main reason they returned at all was a new baby which then put them back on our “top” client list once more, but no baby, no client! It’s ashamed, but our clients just don’t come as often when their kids get into elementary school (the upper grades). We now work more on scouting out new (qualified) moms with young children by working closer with our partners.(see point #2)

2.  Partners have always been important, but now are critical in connecting us with the clients we want. We have put new emphasis on nurturing our partnerships including closing the studio on Mondays in order to visit them (and take goodies of course), work on marketing materials such as cards for them, calling on new, potential partners, etc. We do a couple of interesting things here-we make each partner a beautifully designed card for them to give to their best clients for a Studio Session. We photograph their child/children to use on these cards and ask them to only give them out when someone spends a certain amount which they determine. We also make clothing tags for them to use on outfits that are perfect for photography. Working more closely with our partners will be part of our success in 2010!

3.  Direct mail to both clients and non-clients isn’t as effective as it used to be. However, we do send special mailings when we have been given names either by our Senior Reps or as part of a partner event as we feel these people are both super qualified and currently interested in our products. If you keep sending mailings to people who aren’t interested, all you do is interrupt them at a time when they are not ready or primed for you (and you waste a ton of money). We also are doing a lot more social networking and feel this is a part of our future success as well.

4.  Change is inevitable and needs to be embraced which means our minds needs to be upgraded much like our computers. We cannot keep doing the same thing the same way and expect different results-we must learn to think in a new way. How? Read books, join a forum you trust, talk with others who are doing what you want to do, hang around successful people who uplift you and on and on! In desperate times, amazing things are invented. Click on this link and be inspired by those who turned their situation around during the Depression.  http://images.businessweek.com/ss/08/12/1205_sb_necessity/1.htm

5.  We learned that what we listened to the most in 2009 filled our minds and changed our attitudes, but with doubt and fear, not hope and success. We are addicted to (and still love) Fox News, but when the message on the economy was bad, bad and getting worse, it started to create FEAR (False Evidence Altering Reality) and then we had to combat that along with everything else. We started to listen to more positive messages such as our church’s sermons, motivational speakers, etc., giving our minds something new to focus on. This has made a huge difference in our attitude. We also make it a point to hang out with positive-speaking people as much as we can.

So, this is our list…brutally honest…may God bless all of you in 2010!

Bev

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