iPad course created for Tony Sweet

Some of the latest projects that we’ve been working on are centered around the iPhone and iPad. One project was to create apps for a daily newspaper, as well as three weekly ones. Another was to create an iPad app for a photographer.

There are two ways to approach building apps like this – native and what are called web apps. Native uses Objective C programming and the other HTML5, CSS3, and Javascript. All of them were created as web apps, but the Recorder iPhone app has also been converted to a native app so that it can be launched in the Apple iTunes store.

The weekly apps are free, so if you’d like to see what they look like, you can download the Adirondack Express iPhone app or the Adirondack Express iPad app by clicking on this link. Just follow the instructions from that point on and you’ll be fine.

Available Now!

$5.00

How did I end up in the Adirondacks anyway? I love Texas – I’d been there almost 35 years. Why did I end up here? Those were just two of the questions I had when I first moved up into the Southern Adirondacks. It’s cold, they have six months of winter, what was I going to do?

Well, two and a half years later, and thousands of frames ‘processed’ on the computer, and the answer is clear to me – it’s about the images. The Adirondacks have to be one of the most beautiful and least photographed places in the United States.

The Adirondack Forest Preserve was established in 1885 by the New York State Legislature. Nine years later, the Adirondacks became the first and only wild land preserve in the United States to gain constitutional protection when New York’s voters approved the inclusion of Article VII, Section 7, the “forever wild” clause, into the state Constitution. Today, at 6 million acres and larger than Yellowstone, Yosemite, Grand Canyon, Great Smoky, and Everglades National Parks combined, the Adirondack Park and Forest Preserve is the largest park in the nation outside of Alaska. It is a photographers paradise.

In this first volume of images, I’m going to take you through my first year of discovery – of a land and its changing seasons and just how beautiful one of America’s last remote areas can be.

David E. Warner, September 2011

Inside every great organization, event, or cultural activity—is a finely tuned marketing strategy.

A finely tuned marketing strategy is one that resonates with selling the right goods/services, to the right people, at the right price.  While this concept sounds straight forward enough, the practice of it requires research, focus and an iron clad plan.  An effective plan requires strategy decisions regarding differentiation, competitiveness, pricing model, defined market segments, target audience, and a road-map of how the plan will be rolled out. This map outlines all the branding, positioning, advertising, and public relations activities necessary to fill the pipeline and capture market share.

Embella’s founders have first-hand experience with product commercialization having launched software, advertising and publishing companies over the past twenty years, and using arts and culture to foster economic growth. While some basic assumptions hold true for all great strategies—one thing is for certain—plans need to be flexible, tailored to the company, event, city, venue and to current market conditions.

Embella offers experience, flexibility, and innovative thinking supported by research.  We don’t recommend strategic ideas for the sake of being clever or winning awards. If they don’t have the potential to drive revenue, we’re not interested.

Our strategies are designed to intentionally create measurable economic opportunities for our clients.  We utilize a broad array of in-house services to achieve successful outcomes including marketing, advertising, public relations, strategic planning, Web site design, photography, search engine optimization, blog development, maintenance and content, as well as the creation of podcasts and video informercials.

“The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes.”

Marcel Proust

Isn’t it time for a new perspective?  Isn’t it time to look at your strategy for growth through “new eyes?” For more information about Embella, or to schedule a free consultation, contact us at 315-628-1214.

Have you been putting yourself on sale just to get the business lately? How many of you feel that twinge of guilt when you discuss fees with a new client? Feel as if you should apologize for your rate card?

In this economy, you’re probably not alone. There is a natural tendency to want to reduce fees in order to accommodate tight budgets. The truth is however, that when you dramatically reduce your rate (below 10-20%) you are diminishing your brand. You are teaching clients ‘bad tricks’ that they will use in future negotiations with you and setting yourself up for failure.

Pricing is always a tricky proposition. Customer psychology and market knowledge must be in balance in order for your pricing to work for you, instead of against you. Contrary to what you may believe, the lowest price is not always the most attractive to customers.

Some years ago, I owned a health newsletter company built solely on direct-mail marketing. We typically mailed 350,000 pieces each month. The postage cost then was nothing compared to what it is today, but nevertheless, when you’re dropping that many pieces every penny counts. Price was something we tested…and tested… and tested again, before we got it right. The experience taught me a lot about perceived value and pricing. I always assumed that if we lowered the price we would generate more response, after all…cheaper is better, right? What I learned was just the opposite. More times than not, the higher price lifted the response rate…and did so by a substantial percentage. I know you’re thinking this is crazy, but any marketer can tell you there are subtle nuances to getting the price right. And, perceived value is oftentimes greater with a higher price.

Another example of my pricing education came one day at the gallery we owned. I watched the behavior of a top-end collector as he perused the gallery for something interesting to add to his collection. He was drawn to a piece from one of our best abstract artists priced around $2500. He remarked, “his work is really exceptional, but I don’t collect anything under $5,000.” I was floored with the notion that even if the work was great, he wouldn’t own it because it didn’t have a price tag that matched his idea of higher perceived value.

Price strategy is multi-faceted and even the number itself can elicit an emotional trigger telling the buyer that something is priced either too low, just right, or too high. Obviously, we all want to be in the middle range to capture market share and grow our businesses.

Economists would probably argue with me that price has to do with supply and demand. It does. However, it also has to do with the psychological balance of price and worth in the mind of the consumer. In today’s economic environment, it’s popular to be frugal. No one wants to be perceived by friends and family as overpaying for something. It’s a balancing act of getting the right price point to yield the greatest customer response.

Let’s take a look at a few examples of pricing strategy to illustrate my point about the exact number being keyed to an emotional customer response.

Odd Number Pricing Example

A photographer prices his wedding package for $4,783 rather than $5,000. Which price resonates better with you? Does the first number appear to be more carefully calculated and leave you with the impression that there is little room for negotiation? Does the $5,000 seem a lot higher to you than the $4,873, when it’s actually only $127 less? This is an example of odd number pricing with a twist of uncommon numbers adding to the perception of finely calculated pricing.

Some numbers just sound better to buyers than others, even though they are very close. It’s no coincidence that numbers ending with a 5, 7, 8, or 9 are more frequently used in pricing strategies than numbers that end with a 0 or 1. People rationalize that the price is under a whole number and thus they are spending less, i.e. $999 is less than $1,000 or $49.95 is interpreted as less than $50.

Bundling Pricing Example

A photographer packages portraits by the number of poses. A six pose package includes one 16×20, a 11×14, four 8x10s, 64 wallets, etc. for $599.95 (showing a value of $742). This is a good example of bundling and odd number price strategy. Additionally, showing the value next to the package price further illustrates to the customer that they are receiving an exceptional deal.

Unbundling Pricing Example

A documentary photographer seeking funding for his next trip to highlight the affects of global warming, “for only $3 per day you can help bring awareness to the problem,” rather than $1,095 per year. When you hear the unbundled offer of only $3 per day, it certainly sounds more affordable than a lump sum contribution of $1,095. This is an example of unbundling to increase the perception of customer value.

Prestige Pricing Example

A world-renown photographer with numerous heads of state and celebrity portraits in his portfolio charges $25,000 for a 3-hour portrait session. This is an example of prestige pricing. You often see prestige pricing in luxury hotels, exclusive clubs and resorts. The pricing is intentionally above market, due to client demand and exclusivity. In this case, the photographer’s reputation is so unique and distinctive that he holds a prestige value in the minds of the consumer.

As you can see, pricing is as much an art as it is a science. Once you arrive at the ‘sweet spot’ for pricing your products and services, tweak in small increments, bundle creatively, and continuously promote your unique value. Working price to your advantage will ensure your brand stays intact…and, your bottom line for that matter.

“Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep.”

Scott Adams

I was listening as Dave was editing one of his live shows the other evening and heard a question come up about how to define creativity. Creativity has always been something hard to nail down in my opinion. It’s subjective and too often a personal perspective, yet it is the key measurement by which all work is judged.

I’ve struggled with the concept of creativity and how to describe it for some time. As a fine art gallery owner for a number of years, finding pieces that had the ‘wow factor’ was always a challenge. I needed exceptional pieces in the gallery to keep the high-end collectors interested and the doors open. Selecting work for the gallery was more art than science. I always hated to turn down an artist or photographer because their work wasn’t creative enough. I toiled with how to let them down without hurting their feelings, only to realize that I was doing them a disservice to send them out without trying to explain why their work wasn’t measuring up.

I began watching collectors and studying their behavior in an effort to better define creativity. What I found was that no matter the genre, great work was like a magnetic drawing people in. It didn’t matter whether they collected photography, abstract paintings or bronze sculptures; a collector would glance around the room, spot a piece that ‘spoke to them’ and immediately move to get a closer view.

I remember a conversation I had with an abstract artist friend of ours in the early days of the gallery that influenced my thoughts about creativity more than anything else. I was finding it difficult to select abstract pieces to carry in the gallery. I hate to admit it, but so many of them looked alike to me. I couldn’t pick out a sellable piece to save my life. So I was like a sponge when it came to learning what was collectable and what was not. My friend shared with me that most work is ‘flat and soulless,’ from his perspective. It’s simply ordinary. ‘What you need to look for is something that speaks to you,’ he said.

Well…something that ‘speaks to you’ was hardly the kind of concrete definition I was looking for, so I went to the dictionary. The dictionary states that “creativity – is the ability to transcend traditional ideas, rules, patterns, relationships, or the like, and to create meaningful new ideas, forms, methods, interpretations, etc.” Well…okay, that’s not exactly clear either. Does that mean that if you break the rules and create new interpretations of known objects that would be considered creative? I could imagine several ideas with a cleverly composed image, but so what? Clever didn’t equal collectable in my mind, so I dismissed this definition as well.

I decided that I would have to define creativity in my own terms and decided to go back to my friend’s interpretation of work that speaks to him. What I concluded was it is an emotional response to great work as opposed to a logical one. There is some emotional trigger that is set off when I look at a great photograph. I noticed the same thing when I observed the collectors. It’s not about capturing a historical moment in time or a beautiful scene. It’s more than that. It is the emotional reaction I have when I can feel the cold of the ice and steel from a winter lighthouse scene, the warmth on my face and the smell of leaves in an autumn scene, or the tears welling up inside when I see the face of the bride and groom looking into each others eyes. I see it in great portraits as well. It’s that split second when the photographer has captured raw emotion…I see it and immediately feel it. It’s the ‘wow factor.’

If you’re like most great photographers I know, you can shoot hundreds of shots to get one with the ‘wow factor.’ You might guess that luck has a great deal to do with it, but I would argue that it’s deeper than that. It’s the ability to see something in your ‘mind’s eye’ so clearly that you know when you’ve captured it.

Every photographer knows a great shot when they see it. Creativity is no mystery, really. It may be hard to describe, but we all know it when we see it. The ‘wow factor’ is the shot that makes the adrenalin flow and the rush to show it to everyone within view. It’s pure excitement. It’s pure art!

There is no faster way to improve your business prospects than to improve your portfolio. Be careful of what you are communicating with your ‘body of work’. If an image doesn’t speak to you, get rid of it. Your portfolio is your reputation and there is simply no greater asset.

Why is it that a Starbucks cup of coffee always tastes better than coffee at home? Or, that a 911 Porsche suits my personal style more than a KIA? Coffee is coffee, right? And, isn’t the point of a vehicle to get you from one place to another? Yeah, right!

Okay, what we are talking about here is the perception of value. Value and worth are not necessarily interchangeable. Value is actually a very emotional response to a product or service. Would I spend more on something unique, than something that I can get everywhere…absolutely! Electricity is a commodity. I really don’t care who sells it, I just want it at the lowest price. Gas for my car is another commodity. From one gas station to the next, they pretty much sell the same thing. Give it to me cheap and I’m a happy camper.

Products and services tend to become commodities in mature markets that are flooded with people selling the same thing. To a consumer, there is little difference between one provider and another. Once a product or service loses it’s uniqueness in the eyes of the consumer, price is the only differentiator.

Peter Drucker got it right when he said, “In a commodity market, you can only be as good as your dumbest competitor.” I’d hate to think that my only business edge is a dumb competitor. Although, I have to admit to thinking that my competitor is an idiot on more than one occasion.

While I don’t think that commoditization is running rampant throughout the photography industry, I do see hints of it creeping into some areas. Take the stock image market for example. Every soccer mom with a digital camera thinks she can shoot stock these days. The tremendous volume of images flooding the market has created a lot of price pressure for the guys who have been making a good living at this for a number of years. When you consider the amount stock agencies are willing to pay for an image and the cost of getting to the location, the equipment, lodging, assistants, etc., you have to wonder whether it is worth it.

Another example is the senior portrait market; look at the price options out there…$50 for a 2-hr session… please. And, let’s not forget wedding photography. Who hasn’t heard of an Uncle Bob story with his newly purchased digital camera? What about lighting, posing, composition? Think Uncle Bob is doing a great job with that? Of course not, but people are drawn to deals…especially when they don’t understand the difference and value of a professional.

What we are seeing is a lower perceived value for what we do for a living. So, how do we stop it? We simply start selling ‘value’ and stop selling ‘price’!

Do you think that Porsche is going to drop the price of their 911 from $70k to $20k because GM or Toyota is cutting prices to get inventory sold? Not likely. What about Starbucks? Are they going to reduce the cost of a caramel latte just because the diner down the street dropped their coffee fifty cents? Not a chance. They are selling ‘value’ not ‘price.’ They know that not everyone can afford them, and that’s okay. They understand their market and they are constantly innovating, bundling and segmenting their product lines to increase the perception of value.

The more valuable something is, the more it is worth. Unlike a commodity with fixed and comparable price points, a ‘value’ transaction is always subject to negotiation. Your perceived value to a customer is directly related to how much you will be able to charge.

Let’s look at our industry for a minute. Do you think that an Uncle Bob wedding is comparable in value to say, a David Ziser wedding? Of course, not…there is no comparison. Do you think that a soccer mom’s video presentation is comparable in value to Philip Bloom’s ? Of course not…there is obviously no comparison. So why, then are customers using these people, thinking that their delivered product is ‘good enough?’ The answer is pretty simple in my mind. We’re downright awful when it comes to communication! We tell people that we bring quality and service to each project and think that is enough to convince them. Do you know any photographer that doesn’t have those exact words on either their website or brochure? Exactly! People have become numb to those words.

Instead, why aren’t we describing the value we bring to a project with the number of years in the business, the highly-recognized clients who have entrusted their business to us, the investment in equipment and training that makes us better at what we do than the next guy, or how about the unique artistic style that is brought to each shot? How we communicate these things to clients in terms of presentation and packaging will determine our ‘value’. And, value in the eyes of the customer will determine price, not the market.

I know what you’re thinking. That ‘dog won’t hunt’ when you’re face to face with a client who is shopping for deals. Okay, you’re right…you will always have to negotiate some deals, and in this market probably more than any of us would like. However, wouldn’t you rather negotiate from a position of strength than weakness? In my mind, strength is value and weakness is price. If all I have to negotiate with is price, than I’m no better than the soccer mom with a new HD-DSLR thinking that I can shoot like Philip Bloom. (I can just hear Dave now, telling me that the soccer mom has a better chance of getting a good shot than I do!) The reality is that when you only consider price you are failing to realize the value you bring to the project. When you lower your price to close a deal, you’re basically saying one of two things. Either you’re saying ‘I don’t believe I’m worth it,’ or ‘I was too high to begin with’. The solution is to leave your price where it is and look for value adds (soft dollars) to sweeten the deal. Or, reduce the amount of time or the scope of the project to meet their budgetary requirements. Both solutions offer negotiating strength without downgrading your ‘value’ in the eyes of the customer.

How you price your work has more to do with the ‘perception of value’ than what most people realize. Each photographer brings something unique to the market in terms of artistic talent, skills and experience. Effectively articulating this uniqueness to customers is the difference between a business strategy that is built on value and one that depends largely on your competitor being dumb, as Peter Drucker would say.

Deborah is a contributing writer for LensFlare35.com. She can be reached on Twitter or via her Website.

Turning the love fest into cash…

You’ve heard it and seen it. The number of followers on Twitter and FaceBook that many photographers have is simply astounding. It always makes me wonder how they manage to find the time. I struggle, like everyone else, with too few hours in the day to accomplish half of what I need to do. So, to say that I’m in awe of their numbers is an understatement.

I do wonder, however, how many of their contacts actually result in increased business for the photographer. I would guess that while their reputation is soaring, the cash register is still a little empty. I know what you’re going to say…it’s the network that will ultimately result in referrals to new clients. But does it? I’m not seeing as much of that as I’m seeing fan clubs that are great for the ego, but do little to help the bottom line. And, in some cases, that is good enough. Many of us post to social media sites for the entertainment and fun associated with staying connected to people we value. If that is the case, then read no further. What I’m talking about is the business use of social media and measuring results.

I know I’m opening up a can of worms when I suggest that if you are going to spend a number of hours doing anything for the purpose of advancing your business…shouldn’t it generate a positive outcome? There is nothing in shorter supply to a small business these days, than time. When your days are spent trying to juggle cash flow, staffing, inventory, taxes and staying ahead of the competition, every hour of time spent must translate into earned income. If not immediately…certainly, within a reasonable amount of time.

So, say you buy off on my suggestion that social media for business should have a positive return on the investment, within a reasonable amount of time. How would you measure it? How would you know that your efforts and time spent communicating is resulting in more business. Just because you are popular, doesn’t mean you are making money!

It’s interesting when I ask photographers who is in their list of followers. They often reply that there are numerous other photographers that follow them and that they are building a list that will be important someday to their business. I like the idea; however, it does make me wonder why they are talking to their potential competitors instead of their customers. Here’s an example; say I’m a wedding photographer and I’m prolific about posting to all the major social media sites. I have a following of 10,000 people – all photographers and emerging photographers who love my work. I have great friends all over the world as a result of social media. Is it likely that any of these photographer friends will send a wedding my way? Or, is it more likely, that they are looking over my work in order to get inspired to create better work for themselves? Just a question…

It seems as if this social media craze has placed the ‘cart before the horse’ when it comes to marketing. Many have built huge followings without a product or service to sell to them, believing that someday the right thing will come to mind that will be perfect for these new found friends. Instead of using the medium to learn more about their current customers and potential customers, they have a love fest going on with many people… just not people who can bring anything to their immediate bottom line.

Okay, I can hear you now… it’s always about the almighty dollar with me isn’t it? Not always, I promise. But when it comes to maintaining and growing a business, the bottom line is cash.

It seems as if social marketing, for many of us, has occurred simply by happenstance rather than a well-thought-out plan to better connect with customers and potential customers. We often follow people who follow us, right? It has become a list of family, friends, competitors, and people trying to sell you something without making it appear they are selling anything – bloggers in search of a storyline, and emerging photographers looking for ideas. How many clients and future clients are following you?

If you were to rethink your social media approach to growing your customer base, how would you approach it? What would you talk about and what articles would you link to? Would you consider links to stories that would explore 2010 wedding trends, if you are a wedding photographer? Or, collecting fine-art photography, if you are a landscape photographer? What about building a senior portrait business? Would you post your ideas about capturing the perfect image from a student’s perspective?

There is no doubt that the happy talk churned up with a large network will, in time, result in more exposure for your business. But why wait? Why not take a proactive approach to using social marketing and talk directly to your customers? Any time you put control of the sale (or referrals) in the hands of another person, you end up waiting. If you are a control freak like me, waiting is hard to do.

Deborah is a contributing writer for LensFlare35.com. She can be reached on Twitter or via her Website.

The growth of workshops for photographers we’ve seen lately was the subject of conversation over coffee this morning. There are so many great courses out there, one wonders…is it too much for people to digest? Are we, as an industry, experiencing information overload?

My mind wandered back to 2002 and to a workshop Dave and I planned in Costa Rica. It was going to be a fabulous workshop with great guest speakers, hands-on training, and a gorgeous setting to shoot. We planned very structured days of field work, then back to the lab, more shooting, and back to the lab again. The hours began before dawn and ended at 10 PM. It was going to be a very intense 5-day workshop, but by the time they left, they would be stars! Or, so we thought.

What we discovered, after experiencing weak (putting it mildly) results from our marketing initiative was that we had crafted a workshop that involved way too much ‘training’ and not enough ‘fun.’ Our marketing materials were centered on outcomes and how intense this program would be. We forgot one of the basic tenants of any learning experience and that was to ‘inspire’ the person first to want to learn!

The premise is that when someone is inspired, then learning becomes fun. Without the inspiration there is no curious mind and you end up with simply more ‘work’. Lesson learned? For busy professionals, more work is not as enticing as more fun! It seems so simple in hindsight! In fact, I’m now so sensitive to even using the word ‘workshop’ that I look for other words to use when I’m writing promotional materials. Life lessons that hit your wallet tend to stick with you a bit longer, if you know what I mean!

One of the nicest compliments we routinely receive after a LensFlare35 podcast is that ‘your guest inspired me’. Those four words are so powerful, especially to Dave and I. We know what an inspired and curious mind can do. In many cases, this inspiration causes people to propel forward in new directions that they had never dreamed of before. Shoot, we’ve altered course many times in the past as a result of being inspired!

I believe the inspiration people are talking about comes from the visuals as well as the stories. We are in the midst of some amazing talent. When we look at the images before posting them, we are often just as ‘blown away’ as members of our audience. I’m not sure that our guests realize their contribution to the industry and how important their stories are to emerging photographers. Or, how they are opening curious minds each time they share examples of their work. What a great gift to give to someone…inspiration!

Deborah is a contributing writer for LensFlare35.com. She can be reached on Twitter or via her Website.

Do you ever feel like you’re in idle and can’t seem to get your business moving forward? In this economy, it’s happening to all of us. Yes…you are not alone!

An investor in one of the companies we founded once asked about our revenue projections. When I told him that they were a bit flat, he commented “if you’re not going forward, you are sinking!” The thought scared the hell out of me. There were over 100 people and their families depending on us to meet revenue projections. We were just entering another economic crisis, or at least it was for software companies. It was the beginning of the ‘dotcom’ bust. We were all flying so high that it never occurred to us that revenue would come to a screeching halt when the public market enthusiasm for tech stocks began drying up. We were trying to file our IPO (initial public offering) before the window closed and there was intense pressure on hitting revenue projections to achieve the desired valuation. It was a time when investors, board members and our executive team were not sleeping nights. Contracts that we considered ‘sure bets’ were suddenly delayed or canceled. Everyone from our customers to our vendors was in the same pickle. There was no cash flowing.

While we finally recovered from those days, it got me thinking about the economy today and how many of us who own small businesses are trying to figure out how to keep the ball moving forward. No matter how talented you are as a photographer, the current economy has created some obstacles that are affecting your bottom line.

I guess the good news is that you’re not alone. We are all experiencing the same thing. Knowing that you’re not alone is of little comfort when you’re trying to balance the checkbook. I guess that is equivalent to saying that everyone on the Titanic should have felt better just knowing that they were not alone.

So what are your colleagues doing about it? Everything you can imagine and then some! I’ve never seen so many workshop sites, podcasts, blogs, e-learning, and e-books cropping up over the past few months. And, why you ask? Photographers who have mastered their craft are sharing what they know…and for a profit. That’s certainly good news for all of us interested in improving our skill. However, they wouldn’t be doing it if there wasn’t such a large market of hungry photographers who are looking for the ‘quick fix’ to their business problems.

The panic of reduced income to many small and mid-sized studios is a reality. The knee-jerk reaction to the economy, while giving the business owner the illusion of going forward, is oftentimes taking their greatest resource (their time) away from what will really generate income…their core business.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not advocating that you stop learning. In fact, I’m suggesting just the opposite. There has never been such a body of great work out there to inspire you to refine your skills. However, you don’t want to throw the baby out with the bath water. Stick to what you know best, and leverage that to differentiate and generate a new crop of prospective customers.

Anne King (Dapremont)

Rarely, do entire segments of an industry dry up during an economic fluctuation. That’s not to say it can’t happen, but let’s think about it for a minute. Is it likely that brides and their families will not want the best wedding photography that they can get their hands on in a recession? Is it likely that seniors will not want the edgiest, hippest, coolest shots as remembrances of their high school experience in a recession? Is it likely that people will lose their interest in collecting art (landscapes, wildlife, etc.) during a recession? Or, is it likely that companies will no longer need great commercial images to sell their products or services in a recession?

The truth is that each one of these industry segments will experience different obstacles in capturing revenue in a down economy. There is little doubt that clients’ expectations are higher today than they were a few years ago. They want ‘more for their money’ and they will hold onto their wallets until they find someone who will give it to them. It doesn’t mean you go out and immediately reduce your pricing, in fact that could hurt your business more than you may realize if you are constantly chasing price points to draw in customers. But, it does mean that you look at value and perceived value in the eyes of your clients. Are you missing opportunities to add value to your packages through technology advancements (HD DSLR’s), style differentiation (taking a workshop to enhance your skill), or added-value packages (leveraging existing client relationships) that will meet or exceed these new expectations?

The fastest way to jump-start revenue is to look at your core business and leverage what you know. Go back to your existing client list and look for up-selling opportunities. When was the last time you had any contact with them? Your database of clients is your greatest asset in a difficult economy. It is much easier to inspire a customer to return for another engagement or project than it is to find a new customer. They already know and appreciate your work. Give them a reason…a good reason…to want your service again. Show them your recent work! Show them how you have refined your skills (workshop, specialized training, new equipment, etc.) to produce even better results! There is simply nothing more powerful than an image with the ‘wow’ factor to motivate a customer to contact you.

If your strategy today is the same as it was five years ago, you are missing the boat. There are opportunities in every market, even this one. The trick is to “go forward so that you don’t sink” but to do it in a very focused, very deliberate way. Jumping at every opportunity that crosses your path is time consuming and at the end of the day may not get you where you need to be. You’ve spent years developing your business. Certainly, a little downturn in the economy doesn’t mean you should toss away everything you’ve built and start over again. Look at the ‘low hanging fruit’ in your business first, and then branch out from there. For most of us, it’s our customer list and then our prospect list. You may be surprised with what you find.

Deborah is a contributing writer for LensFlare35.com. She can be reached on Twitter or via her Website.

AUSTIN, TEXAS — The recent book release of “Nine Lords of the Night” by E.C. Gibson, is sure to appeal to thriller fans and archaeological aficionados alike…especially those with a penchant for details. Author, E.C. Gibson, masterfully moves the reader through a web of mysterious activities surrounding a murder at an Ivy League college, the inner world of the antiquities trade, and an imminent political uprising positioned to strike a blow to Mexico’s ruling class.

This riveting journey by a group of archaeologists is set against the background of the Zapatista uprising in Chiapas, Mexico in the early 90s. Betrayals, disappearances, murders, and a labyrinth-like conspiracy reaching from academia to Belize, Guatemala, and Mexico, gradually unravel as the protagonists apply their professional skills to solving larger mysteries.

This is non-fiction writer E.C. Gibson’s, debut into fiction writing. Gibson, a Harvard trained Ph.D. in anthropology, has directed archaeological research projects in Central America, France, Polynesia, and North America and authored over fifty scientific papers; blogs, book reviews, technical monographs and papers presented at scientific society meetings. “Gibson’s first-hand knowledge of archaeological digs and the political climate of Mexico and Central America bring depth and credibility to the characters,” stated David E. Warner, CEO of Embella, Inc. “Gibson is a master storyteller,” added Warner. “He balances the creative interpretation of events with factual details that archeological buffs will really appreciate,” concluded Warner.

“Nine Lords of the Night” is available in paperback through Embella, Inc. at www.ninelords.com/ and www.amazon.com/ websites. “Nine Lords of the Night”; E.C. Gibson; Paperback; 416 pages; ISBN 0-1890184160; 6” x 9”; $24.95; Fiction; Publication Date: April, 2008.

Reviews:
“The characters are intelligent and interesting. The plot is possible and complex. The dialogue is actually speakable and the scenes are from real places accurately portrayed. The bad guys are very real – they are modeled after the bad guys that are every archaeologist’s real nemesis in professional life. These are the evil doers who will sacrifice anything for a trinket or a chance to get rich – or famous. I have met them and I know the names of several. Most of them think they have every right to do what they do. After all, what are a few laws, or even a few lives, where “art” is at stake?” Karen Anne Pyburn, Professor of Anthropology, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana.

An “archaeology thriller that follows the adventures of several young Harvard doctoral students through a thicket of intrigue that takes them from the ivy-covered environs of Harvard to Florida to Belize, Guatemala and Chiapas State in Mexico. Against a background of the Zapatista rebellion in Chiapas in 1993 and 1994, the young archaeologists face a brutal band of antiquities smugglers whose tentacles stretch back to the hallowed ground of Harvard Yard. He artfully weaves throughout the story the brooding presence of the ancient gods of the Mayan peoples, particularly the Nine Lords of the Night, who rule Xibalba, the Mayan underworld.

Gibson is a Ph.D. anthropologist from Harvard with excavation experience in Central America, France, Polynesia and North America. His technical expertise in archaeology is evident throughout the story…. His descriptions of various locales are vivid and true to life, whether it is Cambridge, Massachusetts, or its working class and student affordable sister city, Somerville, or more exotic environs like Belize or archaeological sites like Yaxchilan in Chiapas State or Tikal in Guatemala.” Bill Gresens, Chair, Mississippi Valley Archaeology Center, At the University of Wisconsin – La Crosse.

“Exciting, interesting, a good read for the true mystery lover! The next John Grisham? Written in the tradition of J. A. Jance, learning (about Maya civilization and archaeology) served up in a good thriller. Those in academia will enjoy the inside look at teaching and tenure.” Brenda S. Nichols, Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences, Lamar University.

About E. C. Gibson

E. C. Gibson grew up on Air Force bases in Tennessee, Maine, Oklahoma, and Arizona. He was educated at the University of Oregon, University of Kentucky, University of Bordeaux, and Harvard University where he obtained his Ph.D. in anthropology. He has directed archaeological research projects in Central America, France, Polynesia, and North America (Massachusetts, Kentucky, Florida, Louisiana, Texas, New Mexico, California, Nevada, Oregon and Washington). He has authored over fifty scientific papers; blogs, book reviews, technical monographs and papers presented at scientific society meetings. The Nine Lords of the Night is his fictional novel.

About Embella, Inc.

Embella, Inc. is a communications company representing emerging fiction and non-fiction authors who are looking to get their books into the hands of readers and reviewers. Embella offers a variety of services to authors, from non-traditional marketing, manuscript development, book tours, and book publishing. Embella provides expertise in marketing, branding, product positioning, collateral, Web site development, advertising, publishing, and press review package design. For more information, contact David E. Warner at 866-505-3400.