By Stephen Lowery
Communication between models and photographers is the most important single thing to any independent model, if your communication skills are bad, if you cannot improve on then instantly, then forget about being independent modelling.
The Internet has created an atmosphere "speed" everything must be done now, today and never tomorrow, therefore if you received, as an independent model an e-mail, whether it's direct or via your model network you must respond immediately, not tomorrow when you feel like it and not the next day or later after you've had your night out but immediately, if not the other girl will get the job is really simple.
On your model networking system you receive an e-mail it says:
"Dear Jane,
I have a job that requires a model for three hours working in fashion, I have looked at your profile and you seem to be perfect for my work.
Please can you tell me the levels to which you work and the rate you charge per hour?
Kind regards,
The photographer."
How quickly you respond and how you respond will determine if you get that job. Let's look at the facts, the fact is he's already chosen you, he actually likes your "Look" and likes your profile, he liked everything about you and your style of modelling, your pictures, you're in the right location and you appear to be perfect for his job, so, the job is already yours, all you have to do now is respond very quickly because he may have sent emails to two or three other people who are also right for the job so if you don't respond immediately he will choose one of those model.
The first thing you must do is read his e-mail, not answer it the way you think you need answering, just read the e-mail and say to yourself "what has he asked me for?" the levels at which I work to and my rate per hour so that's all you need to tell him at this point.
If there is something that stops you from doing that job, tell him now. But of course you don't know that, you don't know when it is, you don't know any details about it, all you know is that this photographer has already chosen you providing your levels and your rates are with in his budget so you respond with your levels and your rates but you put after your rates an option so he has something to come back to you for.
Some girls try and be clever and don't put in their rates, in they don't give you any reason, but simply put "it depends on how long the job is, where the job is and other things that complicate the process. If you reply like this you will not get the job.
Give him what he wants, give them the levels and the rates and now you say, "however if my rates do not come within your budget please inform me of your budget and I will see if there is something I can do to accommodate you within your budget" by doing this you have given him a reason to come back to you because if you put your rates and say I charge £50 top fashion per hour and this is not within his budget or he only has £100, therefore you can only have your services to 2 hours and he may need four hours he is going to send an e-mail back and say thank you very much responding but I can't afford you. Once you get a response like this it's a lot harder to get your photographer back.
Now you've responded to him and hopefully he will appreciate your speed in replying and respond to you very quickly, if your rates are too high for him he should now come back and say "Well, I have a budget of £150 and I need four hours, it will take me four hours to shoot her dresses" so at least you have a response you can then decide if you are willing do his four hours £150.
If you don't want to do it that is okay too but at least it was your choice.
After the end of this initial communication you have both agreed to do the job you will by this time find out the details of the job, the date very important make sure you don't have something on the same day or you're somewhere the day before or the day after which means your not going to make his day is job or various other reasons why you can't take the work, be absolutely clear that you are available for that job, there is nothing worse than stringing along a photographer for a long time whilst you check all your other people because you can't remember if you are available to a job.
Photographers want clarity, they want a good clear response, no ambiguity so my advice here is to get an organiser in the form of a little pocket diary or better still in this day and age an electronic organiser, either on your phone or a separate PDA to keep everything in so you can access it immediately should you be asked about a date for a paid job.
job, jobs, career
The Internet has created an atmosphere "speed" everything must be done now, today and never tomorrow, therefore if you received, as an independent model an e-mail, whether it's direct or via your model network you must respond immediately, not tomorrow when you feel like it and not the next day or later after you've had your night out but immediately, if not the other girl will get the job is really simple.
On your model networking system you receive an e-mail it says:
"Dear Jane,
I have a job that requires a model for three hours working in fashion, I have looked at your profile and you seem to be perfect for my work.
Please can you tell me the levels to which you work and the rate you charge per hour?
Kind regards,
The photographer."
How quickly you respond and how you respond will determine if you get that job. Let's look at the facts, the fact is he's already chosen you, he actually likes your "Look" and likes your profile, he liked everything about you and your style of modelling, your pictures, you're in the right location and you appear to be perfect for his job, so, the job is already yours, all you have to do now is respond very quickly because he may have sent emails to two or three other people who are also right for the job so if you don't respond immediately he will choose one of those model.
The first thing you must do is read his e-mail, not answer it the way you think you need answering, just read the e-mail and say to yourself "what has he asked me for?" the levels at which I work to and my rate per hour so that's all you need to tell him at this point.
If there is something that stops you from doing that job, tell him now. But of course you don't know that, you don't know when it is, you don't know any details about it, all you know is that this photographer has already chosen you providing your levels and your rates are with in his budget so you respond with your levels and your rates but you put after your rates an option so he has something to come back to you for.
Some girls try and be clever and don't put in their rates, in they don't give you any reason, but simply put "it depends on how long the job is, where the job is and other things that complicate the process. If you reply like this you will not get the job.
Give him what he wants, give them the levels and the rates and now you say, "however if my rates do not come within your budget please inform me of your budget and I will see if there is something I can do to accommodate you within your budget" by doing this you have given him a reason to come back to you because if you put your rates and say I charge £50 top fashion per hour and this is not within his budget or he only has £100, therefore you can only have your services to 2 hours and he may need four hours he is going to send an e-mail back and say thank you very much responding but I can't afford you. Once you get a response like this it's a lot harder to get your photographer back.
Now you've responded to him and hopefully he will appreciate your speed in replying and respond to you very quickly, if your rates are too high for him he should now come back and say "Well, I have a budget of £150 and I need four hours, it will take me four hours to shoot her dresses" so at least you have a response you can then decide if you are willing do his four hours £150.
If you don't want to do it that is okay too but at least it was your choice.
After the end of this initial communication you have both agreed to do the job you will by this time find out the details of the job, the date very important make sure you don't have something on the same day or you're somewhere the day before or the day after which means your not going to make his day is job or various other reasons why you can't take the work, be absolutely clear that you are available for that job, there is nothing worse than stringing along a photographer for a long time whilst you check all your other people because you can't remember if you are available to a job.
Photographers want clarity, they want a good clear response, no ambiguity so my advice here is to get an organiser in the form of a little pocket diary or better still in this day and age an electronic organiser, either on your phone or a separate PDA to keep everything in so you can access it immediately should you be asked about a date for a paid job.
job, jobs, career
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