Becker offered this quote to begin the meeting –

“The greatest gap in the world is between knowing and doing.”

All of his key points bear repeating but, more importantly, he challenged that everyone there take action and incorporate his suggestions into their business models. Each point represents a letter of his name B-E-C-K-E-R. Most of the audience has heard this advice in one form or another, so I’ve simplified provided the bullet points of each section below as an outline for success.

Better Photos
• Never be satisfied / Never stop learning
• Have artistic pride
• Know your stuff
• Learn new stuff
• Don’t worry about the gear
• Practice – second shoot, experiment
• In traditional sessions – go for the solid shot and then ‘swing for the fences’ (i.e.: take the photo everyone expects, then take some creative photos)
• Use your peers for feedback (easily done on our facebook/google pages)
• Pay attention to what’s out there in terms of new styles and techniques

Experience – Your experience doesn’t matter – the client’s experience does.
• Do whatever it takes to deliver an outstanding and exceptional experience to the client
• Always go for referrals
• Good enough isn’t
• Sell the sizzle, not the steak (benefits, not features)
• Find ways to be memorable
• Dare to be different
• Give clients the VIP treatment – exceed expectations

Cultivating Relationships
• Put your clients first – make them feel appreciated, be social, keep in touch
• Think ‘win-win’ with vendors
• With fellow photographers – collaborate, don’t compete

Killer Branding
• A brand is a person’s perception which creates a unique feeling
• Keep branding clean and consistent
• A strong brand will both attract and repel (you can’t win them all)

Efficiency
• Work harder not smarter
• Be organized when it comes to all areas of the business
• Protect yourself and your work with contracts, insurance and backups

Radditude
• Positive attitude
• People skills
• Personality
• Passion

“The Becker” System needs to be seen in person to really benefit from it!

You can read more about Becker’s perspective and view his work at www.thebecker.com. Thanks to Becker as well as our sponsors – Mandarich Studios, Vivyx, Bay Photo , SmugMug, KelbyOne, and ThinkTank – for a great meeting.

Happy shooting,

Sandy

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