Creating A Table Book Of Photos Will Win You More Jobs

My wife, Leann, will be the first to tell you, “Ask Mike when you want marketing advice. But don’t listen to a word he says about investing!” That’s because I insisted on buying our “investment” beach house at the peak of the real estate bubble and since then the ROI has been pretty bleak. So when vacation time rolled around this year, I was determined to get a little payback out of our money pit and planned a family gathering there. Leann’s family flew in from California, the weather was perfect, and everyone from Grandma to Uncle Jimmy had a terrific time.

Mike “Sparky” Detmer is vice president of sales and marketing for Niles Audio and a member of the Consumer Electronics Association’s (CEA) Multi-Room Audio Video (MRAV) council board.

Looking back, there was something that set this vacation apart from all the others. It was the emotional impact of reliving the event through a coffee table book that we published ourselves. You see, after the vacation, we compiled the best photos taken during the week and published them in a book using an Internet printer. It was so simple, and the feelings it evoked were so strong, that I couldn’t help but think that custom installers would benefit from a powerful, customizable, and inexpensive medium like this. While showing potential clients pictures of installations is nothing new, presenting your company via a professionally published coffee table book elevates the concept to a much higher level.

In fact, the professional image that a well-produced table book can plant with your prospects will likely set you apart from the competition. And in today’s market, where desperate companies are leading with price, positioning yourself a bit higher than the rest is paramount to closing more sales and maximizing your profits.

Publishing your own picture book is an inexpensive, yet powerful, way to differentiate your brand from the other guys. Doing so will surely win you more jobs. Just follow these steps:

1) Know what you want to show in advance. Draft an outline or storyboard of how your book will flow.
2) Use dramatic photographs that you own. Feature compelling imagery (typically well-lit shots, not blurry or dark ones) that makes potential clients feel comfortable with your abilities and builds their desire to own what you can provide. Be sure to lead with a statement image on the cover, one that says “Something Special.”
3) Tell your company story on the inside flap. The first rule of sales is “Sell the Company,” and the inside cover is a great place to do this. You don’t need too many words; your regular elevator pitch will work just fine.
4) Get permission to use the photos that you take. I’m no lawyer and can’t give you legal advice, but common sense says to get written permission from the owners of the jobs that you document.
5) Caption the photos with benefit statements and/or satisfied customer quotes, i.e., “Enjoy living room quality sound outdoors!” or “Light up your house with sound!”
6) Print with quality. If you use a Mac, its iPhoto program has a builtin table book wizard and connects you to a printer that offers a variety of sizes. Choose a large size and print with a hard cover. The cost is about $30 per book. 7) Copyright your material. You’ve put your best work together, so make sure you protect your investment. This can be as simple as placing a “(c)Your Company Name” statement on the back cover of your book.
8.) Make a personalized table book for your customers upon job completion. The cost is about $10 and you are sure to get higher customer satisfaction and more referrals when you do.