How to write an introduction mail to a potential client?

I am starting out with photography business, I think I have a nice portfolio and a few clients, but I want to get more clients. So I put together a list of potencial clients I want to contact I would like to write them an email first. I want to ask you, how would you wrote an introduction mail to possible client? I suppose "Hi, I am a photographer. I have an experience in event photography and I want to work with you. Look at my portfolio." wouldnt be enough, because they most likely recieve many boring mails like this :) How would you attract their attentions? Thanks for any tips ;)

I am surely not the only one who would consider unsolicited e-mail of this sort "SPAM" and with the settings I have, it would probably go direct to the trash without my ever seeing it.

 

 

I wish I knew how to answer your underlying question of how to get people's attention these days.

Not to be obnoxious about this, but whatever you send needs to be proof read first. Potential, not potencial... Business solicitation e-mail that I get that does make it through my spam filter gets dumped immediately if it is ungrammatical or has misspelled words. My assumption is that literacy and competence are related, based on past experience.

I'd be inclined to print some images 4x6 with your information and link to your portfolio, tailoring the image to the particular business you are contacting and use snail mail. The more specific information you use to address the card, the better chance of result. Tag line Alan Kovarik Photography to meet your needs. Rates on request, available for meetings or via internet. A bit of research and work,low cost, and a way to get things started.

 

Though I am not in "business", I carry business cards I made on photos I have taken with contact information overlaid.

I had postcards printed. One side a quality reproduction of one of my portfolio photos, the other side a two-line "tag line" and my contact info. I mailed them to specific people at businesses whose business I was interested in getting.

An artist friend of mine had color postcards of a painting of hers. I'm not sure how she distributed them, but the group had a studio and she probably put them there for the public to take home

Unless you know the client or a friend of yours, who knows the client, recommends you do not send cold emails or phone calls especially if you are new and trying to generate work. Like it was mentioned here get some post cards and send it as mailers. It takes a while for a client to finally find you. Most of those mailers go straight into the trash can. But every now and then somebody will like what they see and will keep it handy and when the time or a right project comes up they will contact you. But make sure that whoever you are trying to work for, your images have the style that they are using. Do some good research about each client first and see who else has been shooting for them and what they are bringing to the table. Is your work better than what you see on the client's magazines or website? Why should they hired you & take a chance on you when they have been working with great shooters already?

My suggestion would be to build a good Facebook page with your portfolio and then send a post card with your page address mention in it (like an informal marketing mail) as suggested by Manuello. However its very true that un known mailers get least attention. Better to be introduced by someone to that particular client you want to touch. One more suggestion is that spending a little on advertisement on Facebook or google yields more attention than old method of mailing.