TRAINING PHOTOBUYERS
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Should you "hand-hold" your photobuyers through the process of accessing your website? Yes, says Jagdish Agarwal of the Dinodia Picture Agency in India.
The ever-changing advances in computer operations and software have made some photobuyers wary of learning to use the Web as a source for their photo needs. To overcome this dilemma, a stock agency in India, Dinodia, has come up with a free unique customer service: They enlighten photobuyers on the benefits of the Internet.
Jagdish Agarwal, owner of Dinodia, invites photobuyers to a one-hour free consultation at his agency. Clients not only learn of the newest software but, 1.) how to access sites and locate subject matter; 2.) which are the sites that offer them maximum variety; 3) how to judge quality of pictures; 4.) how to access specific pictures at lower cost and buy them on-line through one's international credit card.
Agarwal says, "All this is so easy, photobuyers wonder why they never made maximum use of the Internet in the past."
THE RESULTS
Jagdish Agarawal reports that the response to his invitation has been positive.
"But there’s a bit of psychology involved here," says Agarwal. "Some photobuyers are intimidated by the Internet, others know more than I do, so I have to be careful not to sound like a teacher, but like a friend who is there to help."
Some of the comments I have received:
"I never knew a computer can do so much."
"You have such a large choice of pictures on your site!"
"It will save us so much time!"
"You mean I can safely pay on-line by my credit card and download pictures immediately?"
He offers this free pre-arranged consultation with photobuyers any weekday between 12 noon and 1pm. "I point out to the buyer not only the speed and ease with which to access stock photos but also cite the benefits and economy of choosing stock photography rather than making an outright assignment," says Agarwal.
He even offers a Saturday hour for those who come long distance via airflight.
SHARE THE INFORMATION
If you have kept pace with the Internet, you are in a good position to share your knowledge with potential clients. Many of your potential clients may be resisting using the Internet because they feel the speed of software and computer changes has leaped too far for them to catch up. The Dinodia Stock Agency concept may be a way for you to introduce potential local and regional photobuyers to the benefits of the Internet.
In my own travels, when I would give a seminar in a particular city, I would also announce to a major publishing house in that city, that I was available to present a one-hour overview of stock photography that would highlight how to save time and money in their processes of purchasing of stock photography. The chief procurement officer would schedule a time for me to arrive that would match my own calendar. The result was these clients became aware of our services such as the PhotoDaily, the PhotoLetter, and the PhotoSourceBOOK. -RE
(Dinodia Stock Photography, Phone: 91-22-240 4126; fax: 91-22-240 1675; info@dinodia.com; web: www.dinodia.com ).
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