Know-How Exchange : Strategy

If you are looking for "magic words" there are none. But I do love your idea. I think your issue is that you aren't hitting a business at the right moment. Target businesses with grand openings, anniversaries and other events. They will be thinking of something special and you must might be the ticket.

Pitch? Please, don't pitch. The notion that one can "sell" with a pitch is as outdated as deely boppers: it was once popular, but it's been done.

What you need are willing buyers, not a pitch, and sadly (for you) the relevance to your market of the product in questions is something that really ought to have been on a list of due diligence points before you invested.

Now that you have your images, one way to position your product might be through a connection with a trade organization, or through some kind of real estate agent in which you combine a copy of an antique map or survey document with your image: perhaps by offering the history of the plot of land or building. This might bear fruit but the only way to know is to test it.

I think the problem here is one of defining the value of what you have to the person you are trying to sell it to. There is urgency on your side to recoup your purchase price, and to make a sale before your "stock" goes off - i.e. the business moves on or changes so much as to make the photo irrelevant.

The question you need to ask yourself is what would make a purchaser buy the photo of their premises? To whom else (if anyone) does the photo have any value?

Dear AerialPics

You have the solution. But you seem to have challenges to identify the need and desires it supplies.

As ASVP/ChrisB, PhilGrisolia4Results, and Gary Bloomer put it, there are some gaps in what you described. You need to:

1) do some research until you
2) know exactly the value you present and
3) think about your sales approach.

Now, even with my recommendation there is still a high chance that you have been tricked into investing into a scam, especially if promises of big and fast paychecks were made at “sells itself” – no risk. I wish you best of luck to succeed despite such probability.

Here are my simple recommendations:

1) Go back to whoever sold you the material and request a list of people who purchased such aerial pictures before. Talk to them. If you don't succeed here do some research (websites, simply ask businesses) and find some. Your mission: Why do people buy these pictures? At what price did they buy? Did they feel that was a great deal? (Nobody will say I would have paid more, but their reaction to how great of a deal that was for them will give you a basic indication if there was room for higher value pricing).

2) You and I can deduct many reasons why people might buy, but nothing beats talking to real customers that did buy. Note that some that would buy – that is total waste of time in my eyes.

Also key would be to find validation for your price points because a helicopter cost might not be a good measure. What about HD drone pictures etc… Price is a measurement of perceived value, not alternative cost of supply. Drop the argumentation about the helicopter – instead focus on what value it would bring to them.

My guess above all why people would buy such a picture is vanity. Owners want to show off and boards want to impress with the size of the business (hint: especially those with big warehouses which means large spaces or those doing international business). You need to come up and test what value you really bring to the table. You find the answer in the talks with customers that have such a picture. Try indirect questions such as “How do you use this picture in your everyday business? Where do you display it? …”

Potential Value Propositions:
a) Create a nice art piece as sign of ownership or status symbol (owners /CEO/ COO)
b) Supports the credibility of a business (int’l or b2b companies, hidden champions, warehousing). For those additional product ideas could be black/white versions or other styles optimized (by a graphic artist) for letter head or business cards.
c) Used for achievement awards, websites, PR, communication or other official use (HR , Marketing, Communication)
d) Used in combination with ISO, other certifications... (again head of Mfg, COO, CEO)
e) Special events anniversaries, openings, milestones,... (CMO , marketing, HR, Owner, CEO)

The next logical step would be segmentation.

Small businesses are maybe more emotional and for them it is pride and vanity rather than ISO certification or impressing international clients.

For big businesses it might be a form of credibility as "look we are not a mailbox company". Hint: any manufacturing director or head of mfg also enjoys to have a lay of "his/her land" in the office or at least for power point presentations.

One such example is a former company I used to work for: https://www.good-practice.org/out.php?idart=17&dbstart=10&dbid=259&...
The first picture was used every time size, restructuring, total figures etc were discussed.

3) Sales approach. The better your value proposition matches the needs and desires in combination with great segmentation, the better your sales efforts will be.

The power of your value lies in the presentation. I think it is key to demonstrate that value in terms of examples. Visualize it.

But instead of printing a sample for each business you visit at high risk due to costs, I would create a master sample of all your offers: 1) big wall picture 2) variations for power point 3) letter head 4) business cards ,... of one business. Best if it is a customer that paid for it (no additional costs) and even better if it is a well respected business (once a leading business does it others might follow).

Then you should contact the local media (print and TV) with an offer that you can provide aerial shots of businesses for their reports (not for free at first - ask others what the going rates are). Get your name published as source (better even your URL) as free advertising.

Once you have awareness and interest and enter the purchasing stage, use all sorts of bundle pricing in your presentation to drive business.

For post purchase customers, use reward programs for referral customers. Key is to give something to both the existing customer and to the new one. That way existing customers can do a favor for a new customers. Dropbox for example increased business manifold when offering something extra to both not just the referring party. It makes the referral look better.

A targeted 1 page mail campaign to those businesses you have a picture of might be a foot in the door. But here you need to be a bit creative not just a flyer. Maybe a teaser - Seen this business picture (example of great shot and well respected business - or competitor maybe )? I have one for your business, when can I come and show it to you?

Remember that people do not jump from awareness (knowing that you exist) to interest (wanting to know more) to perceiving value and having desire (recognizing the value you offer and liking it) to evaluation between you and competitor choices and finally buying (selection and moment of purchase ).

Instead of expecting to knock them dead and close the deal in a pitch, maybe a more “guided” approach to motivate them to transition from one stage to the next might work better for you.

Create curiosity to come to your web site or contact you, then show via testimonials how your offer has been valued by others, then ask them about their needs and desires and offer a customized solution, add a little special deal and close. All with a smile.

Maybe you should not reveal that you already have the picture and lower your bargaining position, but rather get some commitment and interest in seeing what a great shot of their business would look like. Then come back and do a "big revealing" (you need to add as much value to your product through presentation , e.g. in a nice frame, or red cloth as used in museums , a little drama and show)

Last not least: ask others who succeed in aerial photography. Find yourself a support group and learn from their experience. (For free!)

PPS: A last thought - ever thought about leasing the pictures for limited time as alternative to at least recuperate the costs of the negatives? Price should be (acquisition cost negative + other fix costs per picture + production cost picture & frame + variable costs + margin ) / months. This might reduce sticker shock as margin is lower since ownership remains with you.

What was the response you did get? Did they reject the price? Were you able to show how your images were far better than any of theirs'? Another suggestion - upload all of the images with visible watermarks over them (with your contact info in the watermark), and tag all the images with the names of the businesses. Then, if/when the business searches itself, it'll see the image and be able to reach out to you.