I’ve said this a million times but honestly I can’t say it enough…there is no one way to do a rep program!  Rep programs are as varied as there are number of photographers.  Every photographers is different and no one person’s works for everyone.  So when it comes to the question….Do you charge your spokesmodels or not?  The answers are just as varied!

So how do you know the right answer for YOU?  Well, I think you first must ask yourself WHY?  Why are you doing a rep program?  Are you doing it to get your name out there and gain more business or are you doing it to fill your calendar?  Both ways are good reasons to do a rep program but the question of payment may be different for each way of doing it.

To Gain More Business

If you are starting out in photography or new to the senior genre, your goal for your rep program might be that you want more business.  You want reps to help you get your name out there amongst your target market – teens!  When I first started my rep program, that is what my goal was.  Most people in my area didn’t even know what senior photography was much less what a rep program was so I had to fit my program to my market.  Therefore, I couldn’t come right out of the gate charging my reps.  I don’t think I would have had anyone sign up!  I needed to get my program going, use it as a marketing tool and help get my name out there.  So the expense was mostly on my shoulders.  And it was great!  I worked my program, figured out what was good and bad about it and slowly but surely I was able to get a following, more people wanting to be reps and my name out there!  As a business, you have to incur some expenses and treating my rep program as my big marketing campaign for the year was part of the expense of my business.  Just like paying for advertising in a magazine, I paid for the expenses of the rep program.  That included hair and makeup, anything needed for the big shoot, rep cards, sticky albums for reps, etc.  My reps at the time did not pay for anything.  It was a major expense on my part but it was an investment in my business and I knew that I would get clients from the rep program to fill my calendar and make money for my business.

Does that mean you can’t charge your reps if you are new to a rep program?  No!  But it does mean that you can expect less people interested if they don’t fully know what it is and haven’t seen your results and what being a part of your rep program can mean for them.  So make sure to create a program that seniors want to be involved in, whether they have to pay or not!

To Fill Your Calendar

If you have been around a while, have a working rep program or are trying to fill your calendar, charging to be a part of your rep program might work better for you.  This way of doing a rep program means that your reps are treated as clients.  Meaning they pay for their session or they pay to be a part of your program.  You still get your name out there because all their friends are following along but you are getting business from your reps themselves.  They are reps but also your clients.

In this type of rep program, having a set amount for reps to pay upfront or along the way is a good idea.  You can have different levels of reps and different price points so that everyone that wants to be a rep can be.  You are not spending your own money but rather getting paid by your rep clients.

This type of rep program works really well if you are established, have a following and know that many girls want to be a part of your program!  They are interested in you, your work and want to be a part of your team.  They get the experience of being a rep – the big shoot, the fun activities, etc. – while also being your client and paying you for their photo session and products.

A Combination of Both

My rep program has grown over the years, ever evolving into what it is today and what it still will be.  I know that my program is adjusted every year because what seniors want changes and so must I to meet their needs.  Currently my program is a combination of both of the above examples.  I do want to continue to get my name out there and I also want to fill my calendar.  I went from paying for everything to now charging a fee to be a rep.  The fee covers expenses such as hair and makeup for the big shoot, rep tshirts, etc.  That way I am not spending a ton of my business money and I know that my reps are invested because they paid the fee.  I also structure my program so that if the reps do not get referrals, they then pay for their sessions just like clients do.  So I may not make money up front, but I do make money on the reps senior sessions if they have not done their job of getting referrals.

So as you can see, there are different reasons for rep programs and different ways to structure your program based on the WHY.  Figure out your why, share it with us in the comment section below or on our Facebook and Instagram Pages!  We love hearing from you!  No matter what your reason is for doing your rep program, make sure it works for you and your business!

xoxo,

Leslie

If you want to learn more about Rep Programs, Marketing and Client Communication and Organization, check out our newest Online Class – Seniorologie 101!  Registration is open!  Click Here for more information!