Another brave soul has graciously shared their rep program with us, and I couldn’t be more excited!  My goal for these rep program posts is to share as much as I can so that you, the readers, will be able to build your own rep programs.  Each photographer’s program is a bit different and they all work for different reasons.  So when you read these posts, take away a little from each, and use that to build your own program that is unique to you and will work in your area.

Today’s rep program comes from the talented Hannah Gaul of Hannah Gaul Photography in California.  Hannah has been featured on Seniorologie before and you can see that post here.  I knew she had a rep program so I contacted her to see if she would share it!  I am so happy she said yes!

Below is an interview with Hannah regarding her rep program, how it works and her advice to anyone looking to start a program!  There is even a couple of questions answered by one of her reps!  Thanks so much for sharing this with us!

I would say that roughly 80% of my business is seniors. If I’m not shooting a wedding, I’m shooting a senior session!

There’s something about making a teenage girl feel absolutely stunning, that just makes my day. Senior year is such an exciting time in a girl’s life! I love that the images I give my clients are ones that they can look back on and remember those times, and remember how great they felt.

I’ve been photographing seniors since I was a senior in high school myself. So, about 3 years now.

When I first started it was wasn’t very hard because literally everyone I knew was a senior also. It started as practice and shoots just for fun, but then I fell in love with it and decided to turn it into something bigger. After I graduated high school, and had a complete legitimate business, I focused on making myself accessible to seniors. Facebook has been my best friend when it comes to getting clients. My clients spend a ton of time online, so I needed to be there as well.

This is my second year having a senior rep program. The first year was a little rough, and I really didn’t know what I was doing. I didn’t get nearly as many referrals as I had hoped.

YES! Word of mouth is truly amazing. When you make a senior feel beautiful, and when she has tons of great images to post on Facebook, she’ll tell everyone. There really is no better form of advertising.

My reps had to each fill out an application and participate in a meeting discussing all the details. If we were a good match, then they became a Hannah G. Photography senior rep!

It’s never been a priority to make sure I have a rep from each school in the area. Any girl was able to fill out an application, and the school they attended was not a deciding factor. I choose my reps. based on their personality and willingness to spread the word. I have about 6 reps per year, but that number is never set in stone.

The summer before they start their senior year.

This year my reps all participated in one big photo shoot (hair, makeup, and lunch provided). Instead of doing 6 small shoots, we made it one big exciting one! My reps. receive 20% off all products and session fees for their entire senior year, a gallery of their images to show off to friends, and 50 senior rep cards to hand out.

The most popular aspect of my rep program was the big photo shoot we put on at the end of the summer. It was a huge hit and the girls had a great time getting dolled up and becoming friends. It was hard work, and 104 degrees outside, but we did it! The least popular would probably be the printed material incentives. These days, senior girls want to share their images digitally, not by handing out wallet prints or business cards.

The reps you choose and how you follow up with them. Keeping the reps. motivated, reminding them of the incentives, and being present is very important. I’ll be offering special surprises and giveaways throughout their senior year so the motivation is always there, not just at the time of their session.

I’ve learned that if I want people talking about my work and my sessions, I need to create an amazing experience. By giving my reps full hair and makeup, a day full of pampering, and the total “model treatment”, they walked away feeling better than they did, and wanting to tell everyone they know about it.

I give my reps Facebook photos and personalized rep cards. When someone they refer to me books a session and brings in that rep’s card, my rep receives $20 credit towards prints or session fees. The Facebook photos are by far the most popular!