by Gregory Daniel, Texas School Instructor
There has never been a better time to set yourself apart from all the noise in our profession than now. Swimming in the sea of sameness (doing the same thing that everyone else is doing), produces the perception of commodity, to the eye of your client and in the market place. There is certainly a need for commodities and there is much financial success to be obtained in that business model. We have chosen to walk a different direction from the flow and one of the elements we use is surprise and delight. Adopting this as a flagship culture and weaving it throughout all our processes has become paramount to our success. Let us take a look at just a few niceties we have incorporated.
Just a peek – Building excitement during the camera study is a very important aspect in creating a desire. Proper pre planning the purpose and design of a commission sets the stage for success. During the creation process I get very excited when all the elements are coming together. In every session, I know when our goal has been achieved and love to share a peek in the camera. Their excitement and confidence hits a peak during this time and builds until the confirmation / order day.
Home Design – Much of the initial design is accomplished prior to the camera study. Most of our pieces are commissioned for a particular purpose in their beautiful home. Often, we will project in their home to ensure final dimensions are proper. This builds more excitement as they see the first reveal of their personalized art coming to fruition.
Installation – This is the best day for everyone! As the artist, I get to personally ensure all handling and installation of our pieces are perfect. The client is elated that their investment is given the greatest of detail. In addition, we present them with lovely bottle of Gregory Daniel label wine.
These are just a few examples to represent a method we adopted to set us apart. It has become such an embedded culture for all of us that we don’t even realize the impact it has had on our brand. Now it is up to you to look at all our client touch points to determine if “Surprise and Delight” is something that would help set you apart from the crowd!
Greg and Lesa Daniel are internationally recognized for their artistry. Though he is one of the most awarded photographers in the United States, Greg has the utmost privilege of living out his passion every day alongside Lesa in operating their portrait photography galleries in both Indialantic and Titusville, Florida. He has achieved both the title of Master of Photography and The American Society of Photographers Fellowship. In addition, Greg is was one of the youngest members to be inducted into the prestigious Cameracraftsmen of America in 1991, proud founding member of the International Society of Portrait Artists (ISPA) and on the Board of Directors for Professional Photographers of America. To learn more about them, go to www.GregoryDanielPortraits.com.
