Today marks PhotoShelter's third feature upgrade in just over two months. While we're constantly finding ways we can build photography websites that are better for business, we understand that having the right tools is only a part of the equation. The other, more critical portion, is gaining the skills necessary to open conversations with clients and close win-win deals.

In this newsletter you'll find advice from veteran tacticians Blake Discher and Ilise Benun on how to negotiate and talk budget with clients; sales techniques from career sales professionals inside our ebook The Photographer's Guide to Selling Like a Pro; discounts on PWD post-production and Blinkbid, two services many of us use to streamline our own photography businesses; and more.

- The PhotoShelter Team

VIDEO

The Right Way to Negotiate With Clients

Blake Discher is a Detroit-based freelance photographer, specializing in editorial, advertising, annual reports, and portraits. In his many years as an independent freelancer, he's developed a system of processes and tactics for negotiating with his clients. When he talks to clients, he's prepared - and this makes all the difference.

To learn Blake's tactics for estimating without fear, pricing with confidence, and how he talks with his clients to create win-win outcomes, watch the recording of his webinar with PhotoShelter co-founder Grover Sanschagrin.

» Watch the video

BUSINESS ARTICLE

Knowing When To Talk Budget

We asked marketing expert Ilise Benun for her advice on when, why, and how you should talk to your clients about their budget when pitching for a job. Ilise helps creative professionals grow their businesses. She is an author, consultant, national speaker and co-founder of Marketing Mentor.

» Read more

FREE GUIDE

Selling Like a Pro

In The Photographer's Guide to Selling Like a Pro we asked veteran salesmen from various industries to share their best kept sales secrets. Get advice on critical steps of the sales process including pitching, negotiating, closing, and renewing sales.

» Get the guide

PHOTOSHELTER TOOL

Trusted Client

PhotoShelter's Trusted Client tool is designed to help you do more business with clients you trust. It allows you to give select clients the ability to download a specific image size for any photo they can access. The client visits your website, downloads what they need, and you invoice them later.

» Learn more

PHOTOSHELTER TOOL

Instant Sale

The Insant Sale tool streamlines the process of selling a license for a single image. After negotiating the sale offline, you select the image from your archive, affix the agreed upon license and price, collect payment online, and have an automated delivery to your client.

» Learn more

New Member Profiles

Jimmy Williams, John Dunne, & University of Michigan Photo Store

We're pleased to feature three very different members this month: Jimmy Williams, a professional advertising photographer whose clients include The British Virgin Islands, Hyatt, and Harley Davidson; John Dunne, a fine art and landscape "hobbyist photographer" based in Dublin, Ireland; and Martin Vloet, Brand Manager and lead photographer for the Michigan Photo Store at the University of Michigan.

» Read the profiles

Member Benefit

25% off Post-production at PWD

Photoshelter members save 25% off their first PWD post-production or album design job.

PWD is a post-production studio created for digital photographers. They help you deliver outstanding images by offering innovative editing services, highly skilled editors and friendly customer service.

» Log in to get the promo code

Offer expires 8/31/2011.

Interested in selling prints from PWD? Send them your next order using the Print Vendor Network.

Member Benefit

$30 off Blinkbid

PhotoShelter members get $30 off Blinkbid estimating and invoicing software.

Shockingly easy to use bidding and invoicing software for creative professionals. From freelancers to full blown agencies, thousands of people use Blinkbid to manage the business side of their creative life.

Easy enough to produce your first bid in minutes, powerful enough to customize to the exacting needs of your business work flow. Try Blinkbid for free and see why it is heralded as absolutely the easiest bidding and invoicing software available.

» Log in to get the promo code

SYSTEM UPGRADE

More new Features

Today we're releasing another series of functional and visual system upgrades including the much requested batch replace function for pending sales, aesthetic improvements to themes, and manual sorting for self-fulfilled prints for sale.

Visit the forums view all the details.

»Visit the member forums

Business EVENTS

NPPA Business Blitz

August 11 - Denver, CO
November 10 - St Petersburg, FL

Join PhotoShelter co-founder Grover Sanschagrin at NPPA Business Blitz. Grover will demonstrate how websites must evolve to support photographers' online business goals, and shows real examples from the emerging trend in photographer websites; where blogs, social media, still images, multimedia, and e-commerce live together in one seamless customer-friendly environment.

» Register now