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Your Photo Shoot: Dressing To Impress

Increase your chances for true portrait happiness by following these clothing tips.

Think about the image you want to project in your portrait—conservative, friendly, artsy, approachable—and dress accordingly. When in doubt, professional is always good, and friendly usually is too. If you’re unsure what to wear for a business portrait session, it’s hard to go wrong with conservative business attire. Deep colors—such as navy blue, gray and brown—are great jacket choices. Avoid pure black jackets if possible, although it’s better than a jacket that’s too light. For shirts, try to avoid patterns or too-vivid a color. Yellows, blues, grays and off-whites are better than pure white.

Gentlemen, feel free to add a splash of color with a tie, but remember that a solid color—like red or blue—or a very minimal pattern will always photograph better than a distracting tie with multiple colors and a bold, eye-catching pattern. If you’ll be wearing jewelry, simple and conservative is better than big and bold.

To dress for a slimming effect, remember:

* Darker colors are slimming. Light colors are not.

* Solid colors are slimming. Bold patterns are not.

* A single color from head to toe is slimming.

* Vertical lines are slimming. Consider vertical pleats, thin stripes and V-necks. Avoid horizontal lines.

* Single-breasted jackets are more slimming than double-breasted.

* For full-length or group shots avoid a lot of pockets, especially those that are bulky.

* Heels add height and are slimming.

* Wear the proper size. Avoid clothes that are too tight or too baggy.

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by Matt Berkley

Every now and then Bill Sawalich gets a call from someone wanting him to shoot a family photo or maybe take a daughter’s senior picture. He tells them no. Not because he doesn’t like them. Not because he doesn’t have the equipment. Certainly not because he doesn’t want the money. “It’s just not my job,” he explains.

Sawalich is member of what some designate as a dying breed: professional/executive business photographers. As a manager of photographic services with Barlow Productions, he does professional work for professional clients. “We do different things and work towards different results than general photographers. We get a lot of customers who are putting the photos we take on their websites so prospective clients can see who they’re dealing with,” he says.

Ultimately, executive photos are promotional tools. They can be plastered on business cards, brochures, proposals, newsletters, direct mail pieces, etc. But, by far, the photos are most frequently used to accompany press releases. Carol Kovacik, senior vice president with Millennium Communications Inc., makes an effort to attach professional shots with every press release she can. Her reasoning is simple: Attractive images draw attention. And not only from the editors. “People don’t have time to read every announcement when they’re quickly browsing through publications, but when they see the photos, the customers get more comments about it and more recognition.”

It all boils down to a person’s image, says Mike Haller, owner of Haller Concepts. His firm also serves a clientele heavily invested in business-to-business transactions. These companies must decide whether they want to portray themselves as professional or second rate, Haller says. “It’s definitely more of a perceived value when you have something professional done to create that image, making sure it’s first class as opposed to a photo that’s a straight-on camera shot.”

But regardless, Haller points out, the professional business photography has taken a big hit; due in no small part to the introduction of digital cameras. “You can go out and buy a $600 camera right now and be at almost a professional level.”

Sawalich can’t help but shake his head when he sees amateurs at work. “Everyone who has a digital camera thinks he or she can snap a few shots and they’ll look great,” he says. But they’re not fooling anyone. Professionals, such as Sawalich, know not only about flattering lighting for different skin tones and body shapes, but also how to best pose subjects, how to elicit comfortable reactions, what angles look good, and how a subtle turning of a shoulder or tilt of a head can make a big difference.

“It’s certainly more about the interpersonal relationship and the knowledge that a photographer has about how to bring out the best in a subject, whether it’s how you light them, how you pose them and how you interact with them,” he explains.

In a fast-paced, high-tech world, businesspeople still enjoy personal connections, Sawalich says. “We get a lot of people who use business portraits to personalize their proposals, their marketing materials and business cards to show clients the person they will be dealing with. Ultimately this affects the bottom-line because you aren’t dealing with some faceless entity, you’re seeing a person, looking at his or her picture, and consciously or not saying to yourself, ‘I trust him, he looks like he knows what he’s doing.’”

Kovacik always recommends that her clients use a professional photographer. One of the reasons being image consistency. “If you’re going to have everyone in the company have a headshot, we like to have the same background and look to the photo. If you do it on your own, you’ll have people set against different walls and you won’t have consistency for use in a website or brochure, etc.”

Before committing your business to photographers, Sawalich says, make sure to take a close look at their portfolio. “See their work,” he advises, “whether that means doing it online or calling to schedule time to come in and take a look at samples or getting them emailed. Everybody’s idea of a professional looking business portrait might be slightly different.” Most importantly, he says, you shouldn’t have to compromise by going to someone without the right experience. Shop around. There are plenty of options.

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by Ted Twenter

The increased cost of doing business, globalization and the quickening pace of information all reinforce the importance of the face-to-face interaction with our clients and prospects. Over the past 10 years, nearly every industry has experienced changes in the way it does business. Furthermore, mergers, acquisitions, new technologies, evolving needs, voicemail, email and the Internet are among the many factors that have stimulated these changes in our economy.

The one thing that hasn’t changed, however, is the fact that people buy from people. Trade shows, conventions, conferences and other events bring together buyers with goals and needs, and sellers with products and services. This type of face-to-face contact is more important than ever in today’s business environment where most products and services are commonly perceived as commodities. For many attendees, a trade show or event is the only time they will have a face-to-face contact with a vendor in the next 12 months.

Why are trade shows and events so effective? Simple, they are designed to be one of the most efficient and effective ways to interact and engage with qualified prospects and vendors all in one location. After a quick conversation, demo or presentation, the buyer leaves the exhibit with an impression of the seller’s company, its capabilities and competitive advantage—all influencing his or her buying decisions. And for the exhibitor, he or she can meet with 6-8 qualified prospects an hour while working the show floor. So over three days, one exhibitor can potentially meet face-to-face with an average of 125 pre-qualified leads. It would take months of phone prospecting and meetings to achieve these results back in the office. So, it is easy to see that not only does the marketing department benefit, but the sales department is also a huge benefactor.

The key to success in trade shows and events, as with any sales or marketing plan, starts with clear, measurable goals and focused objectives. They must be timely, meaningful and quantifiable, so they can be measured. No longer will, “Yeah, I got a lot of business cards…so it was a good show!” be an acceptable measure of a show’s success. Your team must understand why you are exhibiting, who your target audience is, what central message you want to convey and what you want to take away from the show?

Most objectives should be focused on increasing the share of the customer’s business, positioning products, building brand and increasing your market share. Some objectives are more easily measured like; cost per lead, brand awareness surveys and ROI based on sales from leads at the show. No matter what your individual goals and objectives may be, they must be established early in the process. Planning should begin 6-8 months before a show.

The Budget

One of the biggest concerns on the minds of the decision makers are the costs associated with these types of events. Keep this in mind: The Center for Exhibit Industry Research’s (CEIR) Study on Economics of Exhibiting found that the cost of generating a qualified lead at a show was $212 as opposed to $308 when generating the lead from the field. Furthermore, that study concluded that the average cost of closing a qualified lead from a show was $705 as compared to $1,140. These numbers reflect a 30% lower cost to generate leads and close sales. So these types of events can be very cost effective if they are properly planned for and then executed.

Since expenses will be incurred, you will need to establish a budget early on in the planning process. A good rule of thumb for establishing a total budget is to take your booth space’s total sq. ft. times cost to rent/sq. ft. times 3 = Estimated Budget. You can use the following formula to establish a budget breakdown: space—33%, exhibit components—18%, travel expenses—18%, show services—12%, transportation—9%, promotions—8%, miscellaneous—2%. Obviously, a show in your city will have less shipping costs than your show in Bahrain, so take these variations into consideration when planning. Also, consider the following when planning to cut costs: light-weight construction, custom-modular exhibits, designs that are easy to set-up and dismantle, rental for more options, used exhibits for significant cost-savings and interchangeable graphics to give you more flexibility.

The Display

Since your main goal should be quality face-to-face interaction, one of the magnets that you’ll use to help attract attention is your exhibit. It is the first object that captures a visitor’s attention. On average you only have 3-5 seconds to attract someone’s attention in a 10-foot space, so your message must be clear and easy to ascertain. It is during this period of time that you have to quickly convey who you are, what you do and what you offer, or what makes you different. Therefore your exhibit design should be simple, objective-driven and should be designed with a specific audience in mind. Work with an industry expert, experienced design agency or exhibit house to create large-format, impacting trade show quality graphics that will standout from your competition.

Pre-Show Promotion

Identify the audience you want to reach, and then bring them to your exhibit. A well-developed, focused and creative approach to attracting attendees are keys to the overall success. Attendees will respond to invitations offering compelling reasons why they should visit a particular exhibit.

The invitation can be in many forms including direct mail, attached links to the show’s or your website, telemarketing and email campaigns, and advertising promotions—just as long as it provides accurate and concise information. Tie the look and feel of the promotional materials back to the exhibit’s graphics and/or themes, to help reinforce the brand both during and after the show.

Remember that just because you may have a huge budget and a display with effective, eye-grabbing graphics, it is the interaction with your staff that has the most influence on people’s lasting impression of your company.

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by Susan Friedmann

Booth staff selection is the single most important factor in your exhibiting success. More than graphics, signage, literature, giveaways, or any other variable, it is the people you put on the show floor that influence a visitor’s opinion of your organization. They are your ambassadors, representing your company for the whole world to see. It is impossible to stress enough how crucial your team is to your overall success.

To ensure a top-notch performance, begin preparing your booth team four to six months prior to the event. You will need the answers to the following questions:

1. How many people are needed to staff the booth?

A number of variables need to be considered. How big is your exhibit? How many hours/days is the show? Will you need employees to give product demonstrations, work the hospitality suite, teach seminars or supervise contests? Ensure you have enough staffing to have your booth manned at all times, while giving your team a break every four to six hours. No one can be “on” for twelve hours at a time.

2. Who are the best people to represent the organization?

Working a trade show requires a unique mix of skills. You want employees with excellent product knowledge, superlative people skills, killer sales instincts, and a warm, engaging personality. These people should be motivated self-starters, able to think on their feet and work with little or no direction.

3. Has staff training been organized?

To ensure success, prepare your team with all the skills and tools they need. Training should cover assessing visitor types, asking qualifying questions, handling difficult attendees, lead generation and follow up, and many other factors.

4. Has a pre-show meeting been scheduled?

Pre-show meetings play a critical role in ensuring that your team understands their goals and objectives, expected roles and duties, and is adequately supplied with background knowledge to handle any unexpected surprises. Use this time to clarify any areas of confusion and to address any staff concerns.

5. Is the booth team familiar with the products or services being displayed?

To effectively sell products, you need to have thorough, complete product knowledge. Too many times, organizations send out rookie employees who only possess rudimentary knowledge. This is frustrating for attendees, who won’t come back to find another employee who might have an answer—they’ll go to the competition instead.

6. Has a practice demonstration session been organized?

Never assume that your employees know how to use the products that they sell. It is entirely possible that they are not completely familiar with every feature, especially if you are introducing a new product. Take the time to thoroughly train your team, and have your employees practice demonstrating the product to familiarize themselves with the show floor routine.

7. Will a technical representative be available to answer questions?

Depending on your product/service line, it may be entirely appropriate to send a technical representative to handle specific product questions. Train this person in the basics of salesmanship, but keep their duties largely relegated to providing technical answers. Make sure they are aware of the possibility of trade show espionage, to prevent them from sharing too much information.

8. Has a dress code been established?

Well before you arrive at the event, a dress code should be established. Uniforms may be appropriate for your company, but if they are not, clearly specify what you want your team to be wearing. “Casual business” gives far too much leeway. Instead, spell out “Black trousers or skirt, white shirt, black blazer, red tie,” or the equivalent.

9. Have badges been ordered for all booth personnel?

Everyone on your team needs a badge to enter the show floor, access hospitality areas, and move freely about. Order these badges well ahead of time, so that any errors or omissions can be remedied in a timely fashion.

10. Do booth personnel have sufficient business cards?

It is amazing how many business cards you can hand out during the course of one trade show. Make sure your team is adequately prepared.

11. Has a booth schedule been planned?

A complete schedule will cover every moment from show arrival to departure. Include who will be staffing the booth, break times, technical support and assorted responsibilities. It may be a good idea to include “check in” time into the schedule, so sales people acting as booth staff can check messages back at the home office and make needed phone calls. This will alleviate a great deal of staff anxiety.

12. Who will oversee booth installation and dismantling?

Often overlooked, these two items can quickly become logistic nightmares if no one is prepared to address them. Delegate two people to this detail. Many show organizers provide this service for a fee, but you may still want to have staff members on hand supervising.

13. Does that person understand the move-out procedure?

Someone has to arrange for moving the exhibit out of the convention center, ensuring it is properly packed, and coordinate shipping the whole thing back to the home office. Again, a team should be clearly delegated this responsibility, and provided with all the tools and resources they’ll need to succeed.