Voicemail I got today

[oskar_ojala]

<p>Don't ever recommend anyone you are not familiar with and can recommend with a good conscience. Giving bad advice to potential customers is doing a bad job.<br>

Recommendations go both ways, otherwise you need a cut for recommendations that end in bookings. I don't know about wedding photography in particular, but business in general. As someone said, there needs to be a win-win solution.</p>

[picturesque]

<p>Missy--posting the link to her website is not advisable.</p>

[flietyer]

<p>Missy,<br>

Are you at all interested?<br>

If you are and what I would do is ask if you could attend one or more of her bookings, so you can watch her work. It seems you've seen her product but how does she get there. Some people can have great finished product but, like me, don't do well with people. (customers say I'm grumpy, but they still let me work on their cars)<br>

If you're not interested, then you're not interested. What can you say? I'd let her know but always be profesional, and gracious. Never know when you might change your mind.<br>

All the best to all,<br>

wlt</p>

[john_h.1]

<blockquote>

<p>Some people can have great finished product but, like me, don't do well with people. (customers say I'm grumpy, but they still let me work on their cars)</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Hmm. Spending hours interacting with people, their emotions and sometimes the challenges they present on one of the most important day of their lives all meant to be a joyous celebration. Perhaps the "do well with people" might count a wee bit more here.<em> <br /> </em></p>

[William Michael]

<p><br />DShilling's answer is hilarious and I love JH's use of the words <strong><em>"totally clueless"</em></strong> - I like the tautology of being <em><strong>totally</strong></em> clueless, as opposed to just being "clueless".<br /><br />I would have just pressed the [delete] button. <br /><br />Her directive <em><strong>"So if you could send me the bride's contact at my e-mail XX@X.com. I would appreciate it. Thanks!"</strong></em> did it for me. There's no latitude given to a cold call, which has a line in it like that.<br /><br />It's just business and this person needs to understand she just scored an "F".<br /><br />WW<br />BTW guys and girls - it was a voicemail (via telephone - I guess) - Missy did not receive an e-mail - it was a cold call - we get about four or five a week - they drive me (more) nuts than I am now . . . I have never had one leave a message though; gotta give Doreen credit for that.</p>

[john_h.1]

<p>I am wondering now if there are milder cases of cluelessness or if its like being "kind of" pregnant. I admire the more succinctly phrased... <em>I would have just pressed the [delete] button </em> which was all the attention the phone message probably deserved.</p>

<p> </p>

[William Michael]

<p><em>"milder cases of . . . "</em> [Laughing] . . . Language is a moveable feast - I am now getting my head around "fully sick" - which apparently is much better than just plain old "sick" which was, seemingly only yesterday, "cool".<br>

<br>

WW </p>

 

[lee_richards2]

<p>Wow. Aren't we all oldtimers? We were never young and inexperienced. If we had once been young and inexperienced we would understand that someone, somewhere took the time to give us good advice and council.. Perhaps they did it because it was the kind thing to do. Maybe they did it because they thought it was the responsibility of oldtimers to pass along the knowledge that someone gave to them. Whatever the reason they took a few minutes to be kind to us and that is a big part of why we are here right now.</p>

<p>I admire this young person for taking a shot at it. So many new people are just posting on CL and asking us how to build a web site. They don't get out and market themselves at all. So she did a poor job at marketing. At least she tried. I would call her back and have a chat. Several reasons. You might meet a good second shooter you can give a chance to. You might need her help one day. It is the kind thing to do. It will make you feel good to help someone out. </p>

<p>I have to keep reminding myself of the old saying. The people you meet on the way up are the same ones you meet on the way down. </p>

[William Michael]

<p><em><strong>"So she did a poor job at marketing. At least she tried."</strong></em><br>

I agree: <em>"I have never had one leave a message though; gotta give Doreen credit for that."</em><br>

***<br>

<em>"I would call her back and have a chat. Several reasons. You might meet a good second shooter you can give a chance to. You might need her help one day. It is the kind thing to do. <strong>It will make you feel good to help someone out." </strong></em><br>

<strong><em></em></strong><br>

I do feel good, I gave my opinion to Missy.</p>

<p>If Doreen asked me for my opinion, it would not change - I would say I would not have rung her back beacsue her marketting was poor - and I might have given her advice as to what better marketting approaches to use.</p>

<p>WW </p>

[nick grove photography]

Quite shocked by some of the responses to this discussion. I personally would never recommend or even direct enquiries

to another photographer I don't know would provide the same service and results as I would myself. It's incredibaly

unprofessional to be approached in this way and I don't spend a lot of time and money on my marketing to just give away

my leads to somebody else. It wouldn't happen in any other profession so why photography? Are some of the post here

defending this approach from those who don't see photography as a career or profession I wonder!

It's very cheeky and slightly disrespectful.

[john_h.1]

<p><em>I admire this young person for taking a shot at it</em></p>

<p>We can all admire someone being pro-active but the manner in which it was done is approaching outrageous in social and professional terms and surpasses mere "poor marketing". Even for the "inexperienced".<em><br /> </em></p>

[William Michael]

<p><em><strong>"the manner in which it was done is approaching outrageous in social and professional terms and surpasses mere "poor marketing". "</strong></em><br>

<strong><em></em></strong><br>

Oh OK . . . "really dumb and crappy marketing" - I did push the [Delete] button . . . :)</p>