Feb 27
Feb 24
Megan
Last weeks cold weather shoot only lasted ten minutes. Yesterday, we made it 25! Whoohoooo....:-) Megan, I can't believe you went without a coat part of the time. Tonight Sarah and I are off to my niece's birthday party. -Scott ****************************************** Scott Berens Photography BerensImage.com Ohio based Destination Wedding Photography
Feb 23
Small Business Success
Some of you know that I'm involved in several businesses; BerensImage.com being the youngest. So, while I'm at my accountants this morning finishing last year's taxes, our discussions reminded me of how important setting up systems can be to the success or failure of a small business owner.
When I say success, I mean stress-free success, because there are plenty of small business owners who have achieved financial greatness, but at a great cost to the freedom and relaxation of their lives.
If one is always stressed about business I don't consider that to be a success story.
Not too long back I spent a couple weeks on a speaking tour, travelling across the country of Romania. It was with a couple collegues from other parts of Ohio, and we were speaking to small business owners in that new country.
I say "new country" because for most of the 20th century the Romanians were living under communism (until 1989).
What that resulted in was more than a generation of people who never had the opportunity to learn and engage themselves in a free-market enterprise. (Which is one of the reasons why we live in the greatest nation on earth, and never take it for granted. We have the greatest OPPORTUNITY for success, with the least number of barriers.)
Back to the tour: I wanted to keep things to the basics. The basics are what most businesses fail to do. I don't know why, but the core fundamentals are usually the easiest to grasp, but the most overlooked in just about anything. (I noticed this in my music career as well.) I think it's because most people let their eyes wander over to every obstacle that appears, rather than staying focused on their vision and goal.
Attached, above, are a couple slides from that presentation. I might elaborate more on them, and I'll try to include more slides later.
Take a look at the first part about being an entrepreneur. Ask yourself, "am I doing the things that an entrepreneur does?"
-Scott
Scott Berens Photography
BerensImage.com
Ohio based Destination Wedding Photography
Feb 14
Snowed In?
When I got to the office this morning the parking lot hadn't been cleared. The company that does the snow plowing for us said they were broke-down. So, out came the shovels. Man, it's really thick and heavy where the city plow trucks pile it up along the edge of the parking lot and the road. Fortunately I had some great help, from Mike, Nate and Nick!
-Scott
Scott Berens Photography
BerensImage.com
Ohio based Destination Wedding Photography
Feb 13
Speed in the Cold
Our winter has been rather mild until lately. Now, we haven't had the eight feet of snow like some, but it's been below freezing for awhile, and today we got dumped on.
Well, what do you do when you have to photograph somebody outside, in the cold? You've got to be quick! Photographers are notorious for being slow. You know the family relative, he's always got a camera to capture an historic family group photo, but takes forever to shoot, and of course, needs to shoot several more (I'm guilty of that, too), and the patience of people runs thin.
Outdoors in the cold you've got to shoot fast, shoot smart, and get back inside asap.
Saturday's shoot was outdoors, and it was freezing. I thought we'd do two outfits, but after the first my hands were frozen, and I didn't want to make us stay out. Fortunately we got over 300 shots made in just under 10 minutes. (no time for 'chimping')
A great practice would be to set a time limit, maybe 5 minutes, and see how many different shots, poses, etc, you can make in that short amount of time, and still making sure to get a great composure and exposure.
-Scott
Scott Berens Photography
BerensImage.com
Ohio based Destination Wedding Photography
Feb 07
Lacie External Hard Drive
Best Buy has a great sale on a Lacie 250gb external hard drive for only $99.
Scott Berens
Feb 07
Cold weather
Andrea modeled for me recently, and it was way cold outside. Someone needs to invent a skin tight glove that I can operate the camera with, but still keeps hands extremely warm. Maybe there's something out there one of you could point me to.
Anyway, today she's in Chile, where the weather will be up to 80 this weekend (according to Wunderground.com); and we're going to be having a heat wave come through Massillon, bringing our temps up to a whopping 20!
It's been so cold here (nearly zero for the past few days) Sarah and I scouted out vacation spots to run away for awhile. Have you seen Atlantis in the Bahamas? What an incredible place. They're running a great special right now, but you've got to leave immediatly to take advantage of it.
Thank goodness WPPI and Vegas are coming soon!
-Scott
Scott Berens Photography
BerensImage.com
Ohio based Destination Wedding Photography
Feb 02
Telephone Tips for Customer Service
Nancy Friedman is known as the "Telephone Doctor." We can all use some reminders on telephone etiquette, especially if we want to offer great customer service. So, take a look at these twenty tips, and see which one's you can improve upon.
-Scott
Smile! Right. Don’t kid yourself. Just as it can be seen in person, it can be heard on the phone. So as NIKE says Just Do It!
Say something nice at least once a day to someone. I was at the St. Louis airport a while back and the skycap came up to me and said, “Are you going first class; or does it just look that way?” That was over 10 years ago and it still seems like yesterday. People remember nice things; just as they remember the not so nice things.
Don’t ever argue with a customer. You’ll lose every single time. Don’t even get into the ring with them.
If you’re sending something to a customer via any method, consider adding a short personal note. Items received without any note or mention of transaction are perceived as cold and rude. A simple “Thank you” on company note paper will do the trick. It says you stopped to do something special.
Use “WE” statements when possible rather than YOU. We is consultative and feels friendlier. And it’s far less confrontational.
See someone walking into your store/branch/location/office? Say “HELLO” loud and clear. Ignoring people, even fellow employees, isn’t good customer service
Keep the fences in your organization low. We all know there needs to be rules, guidelines and policies. However, when there are so many of them, they can make doing business difficult. It’s not worth it.
Be a double checker. Often, we can miss something or not know all the details. Most people appreciate hearing, “The last time I checked, we were out of stock on that; however, let me DOUBLE CHECK for you.” That particular statement is so comforting. Everyone loves a double checker.
We cannot do 2 things well at once. If you’re working with a customer, on the phone or in person, then focus on that person. Trying to type, or file, or do some paperwork while you’re communicating with a customer is dangerous; and rude
If your attitude stinks. Change it. No one – absolutely no one – wants to be connected with someone with a bad or negative attitude.
Respond rapidly. When you receive information from a client, it’s a good thing to let them know you did receive it. That’s good communications.
Extend a firm handshake when being introduced to a customer. And FIRM is the key word. That loose, fish like handshake is not a sign of confidence. FIRM is key
Thank you notes are still thought of as GREAT. Take the time to jot several off a day to new or better yet; older clients.
Use your name when you answer the phone. Everyone likes to know who they’re talking with.
Use your listening skills more often. We all like to talk, mainly to show off how much we know. But listening to what the customer knows is much better. Let others have the stage.
It shouldn’t take 2 people to give good customer service. Learn how to handle the situation yourself rather than trying to get rid of it by shipping it off to a co-worker or supervisor.
Show some empathy or sympathy when a customer complains. Doing or saying nothing when they feel they have a problem will put you in the doghouse fast.
Learn to say, “I am sincerely sorry for what happened” or something that will allow the customer to feel that you are apologizing. That quick, “Sorry ‘bout that” statement sounds as though you’re throwing the statement away.
Be prepared. If you’re in customer service, or any front line position, expect things to happen. Be prepared is not just for the Boy Scouts. It’s for anyone who works with customers. Prepare for the unexpected.
When in doubt, leave it out. Writing a letter to a client? Or calling them. If you’re in doubt of using a certain word, leave it out or use something else.
Scott Berens Photography
BerensImage.com
Ohio based Destination Wedding Photography