This picture is of me.  Do you know more about who is writing this article now because I posted a picture?  You know that you are not reading something that a 13 kid wrote, posing as an expert.  Granted, you still don’t know about my credentials.  You would have to learn that in another manner.  My point is that you have a face to connect with what you are reading.  When that happens, psychologically, you compare what you are reading with the picture, and you are better able to judge if what you are reading is true.  It’s fact.  It’s all about trust.  Does the picture, along with text, instill confidence and trust in you?

Here is a concrete example of where this works well.  Lets say you are a contracting business and you send people out to residential customers personal addresses.  Lets say this potential customer is trying to work with you and they have never used you before.  In fact, they have a general distrust for contractors anyway because they just heard a bad report about a contractor (not you) on the news.  Lets say they found out about you from a search on an internet search engine.  Let me present you with two scenarios.  You tell me which scenario would instill more confidence in a single mother with young children who needs to have a scary new contractor out to their home to perform a selected service.

Scenario 1:  She calls up contractor #1.  The phone is answered after about 7 rings by a gruff sounding small contractor.  The background noise indicates they are in a restaurant or perhaps a bar.  The contractor says they will try to have someone out there tomorrow sometime, but they aren’t sure who it will be yet due to scheduling issues.  Their web site is plain with few pictures or customer referrals, but indicates they guarantee low prices.  They can do that because they have “low overhead”, which translated means that they work out of their garage.  (In reality, they likely wouldn’t even have a web site).

Scenario 2:  She calls up contractor #2.  She is greeted pleasantly on the 2nd ring.  She is handled courteously by a helpful and knowledgeable customer care person that schedules the appointment at a guaranteed, set time (or block of time).  The customer care person says “I will be sending out _______, and they will call you when they are on their way.  Further, if I can have your e-mail address, I will send you this person’s profile.  And on that profile is a friendly picture of a smiling person in a clean uniform, with an ID badge, beside a clearly identified clean company vehicle, along with a list of their credentials about why they are qualified.

In scenario #2, they are slightly higher priced.  Who do you really think that single mother will hire?  After helping contractors for years, I can tell you that overwhelmingly that single mother will likely choose the contractor in Scenario #2.  It’s all about trust and value.  Do you think these scenarios would never happen?  Think again.  I have seen a lot of contractors and heard a lot of bad stories over the years.

Web Sites

Given both of those scenarios, what role do you suppose the web site played in the customer’s decision making process?  What did the potential customer learn about the company?  What is your web site saying about your company?  You might be too close to your web site to evaluate this subjectively.  Is there a lot of jargon on your web site that only people in the industry understand clearly?  Is there tons of text, or are their pictures that clearly depict complicated concepts or processes?

Let me give you an example.  The picture below are of a geothermal heating/cooling system, an on-demand hot water system, radiant in-floor heating and a complex ductwork system.  (For a heating and cooling company).  If you wanted to demonstrate these complicated systems, would it be better to make someone read lengthy articles about the systems and processes, or would it be better to show clear photos with brief descriptions?  Isn’t the ultimate goal to get in front of the people, face-to-face, and explain things, answer questions, and to interact with your potential customers, finally closing a sale?  Closing sales is ultimately about developing relationships and trust.  It’s psychologically proven that pictures do that better than text.  Look at these photographs and decide whether they portray the concepts more clearly than lengthy text articles.  Again, this is a great way to add to your business portfolio and to demonstrate your excellent workmanship.  This is a good way to demonstrate a difference between you and your competition.

Customer Referrals

If your customers are open to it, and it fits your business model, why not include a picture of your satisfied customer, next to their new product or completed service?  It adds tons of credibility to you and demonstrates your great craftsmanship (if applicable).

Product Photography

If you display products on your web site (e.g. a Real Estate Company), or perhaps have product catalogs, you know the power of quality photography and post-shoot editing.  If you want to create brochures you will likely need pictures.  Let me stress the need for quality, clear photography when you put forth your products and services for sale.  We can help you with the photography and the editing.

Photography is a big part of business and every day life.  Let us help you.  We would love to develop a relationship with you to help you achieve your creative goals.

Allen Beck

AKOR Services

2229 NE Burnside Rd., #19

Gresham, OR 97030

www.AKORServices.com

Copyrights 2013, All Rights Reserved

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