REVERSE
AUCTIONS
Models
can get the lowest portfolio photography rates!
Help yourself for low cost photography and other services by using our
online bidding system. Save up over 50% off of any service that you need
for your modeling career!
As a model, you will have to pay for these services. You might as well
save money while you do it.
POST
YOUR NEED
Post
what you need on any Internet message board.
GET
INSTRUCTIONS
IS
THIS ETHICAL?
This free
and easy to use online bidding board was developed by models who have
had photographers and other service vendors bid against each other to
win their business. The lowest bid wins, of course, and that's the idea.
They saved over 50% and more, and you can do the same! Follow the rules
and make them use the board, and this will work nicely.
This bidding
system is brand new and the first of its kind to be used in the modeling
industry. It was launched on Monday, October 18, 2004, and many people
do not know about it yet. Photographers cannot use something that they
do not know about, and you need as many as possible to bid in order to
lower the rate. Your success using this will depend upon how many photographers
post bids for your service need, and you will need to send them to your
post. The advantage of doing this is that you can screen most of the photographer
bidding for quality, and that will not be an issue. In the future, photographers
will be coming here to bid on their own, and the models will have to review
their work before allowing them to bid or accepting their bid as final.
Instructions
Follow these
easy steps exactly. Follow the rules for bidding and you will get the
lowest rates. Allow photographers to sidetrack the process by contacting
you directly and you will waste money that you do not have to spend- stick
to the script and you will save a lot of money. You do not need to be
in the Tampa Bay area to use our system. You can be anywhere in the world.
Shop for photographers and service suppliers in your area.
As a model looking for services, you are the customer and you call the
shots. Photographer have no right to overcharge you for services, and
you have the right to seek a lower rate and pay them a fair rate. All
the cards are in your hand. They have to convince you to invest in their
services, and that gives you both the power and leverage in any negotiations.
Do not let someone convince you to spend more than you have to. Use this
system like it is designed to be used and follow our simple rules and
you will save more than enough money to make the easy effort worth it.
Don't accept their rates! NEGOTIATE. Nothing is as cut
and dry as they would have you believe. Many photographer will discount
their services to get your business, ESPECIALLY when they have competitors
bidding against them for the sale!
For these instructions, we will specify that the model is looking for
a photographer, but this can be used for any modeling industry service
that they are dealing with.
Tampa Bay Modeling assumes no liability or responsibility for business
conducted on the bidding board. All participants accept all risks and
potential liability. For more, please read our reverse auction bidding
board DISCLAIMER.
Economic
Rule: Competition drives down prices.
Complicated? It's not! It's easy to create a competitive scenario that
will save you money. Try it and see how easy it can be. Many photographers
market their services with rates and are always trying to underbid other
photographers to get business. Make this simple fact work for you!
Models should
NOT reveal their real identity until they accept the bid that they want
and set up their service or shoot. Use a YAHOO or HOTMAIL disposable E-Mail
account. DO NOT use your real E-Mail account. Keep the
control where it belongs- with you!
MODEL
INSTRUCTIONS - PHOTOGRAPHER
INSTRUCTIONS - SERVICE
VENDOR INSTRUCTIONS
Model
Instructions
Just five minutes gets you started.
Quick
Process
1. LOOK
at our suggested RATE
INDEX to see what a fair rate is in Tampa Bay or Florida. Use this
to evaluate your bids.
2. POST WHAT YOU
NEED with a description of what you are looking for, what
city you are in, and when you need it. You can look at the posts of other
models on the board to get an idea of what to post.
3. GET LETTER
to E-Mail to the photographers and invite them to bid for your business.
The more photographers that bid, the lower your rate can go.
4. GET TIPS to improve the bidding
process and get a lower rate.
5. GET AGREEMENT to close the deal.
Don't know
the process or this is your first time? Take five minutes and learn the
process with easy instructions!
Process
With Instructions
1.
POST
A DESCRIPTION of what you need on our online bidding board.
First, get familiar with our SUGGESTED
RATES for model photography so you know what is fair. When you figure
out what you need, post it. Post a request for services on Tampa Bay Modeling's
reverse auction message board. Sample request would be like "I am
looking for four looks for my portfolio, and I'd like to do this between
November 3 and 15. I am a model in the Tampa Bay area. Please give me
what you would charge for this, and I will consider working with the photographer
with the lowest bid for my requirement. Do not contact me directly. To
be considered, you must post your bid on this board". Post WHAT you
need, WHEN you need it, and request the quotes (bids) to be placed on
the board (this is very important, and we will explain). When you post
your bid thread, give it the SAME NAME AS THE E-MAIL (Hotmail or Yahoo)
ADDRESS NAME YOU ARE USING so photographers can find your bid! You can
also cut and paste the URL of your thread into the body of your invitation
E-Mail to give them a direct link.
2. SHOP
FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS or service vendors.
Go to a search engine or an online photography directory. Look for photographers
in your local area. Look at the pictures on their web site. Only deal
with photographers who do good work. If their photography is flawed or
that cannot demonstrate range, keep shopping. If they list their rates,
note that everything is negotiable and you should be able to reduce that
rate by a good percentage. We've had models get over 50% off, and in a
few cases they got over 75% off the photographers normal rate. Once you
have compiled a list of contact E-Mails, E-Mail all the photographers
an invitation to bid for your business by ending them a simple E-Mail
with a link to your post on our bidding board (cut and paste the address
on your browser window to make it easy for them, or add this general address:
http://www.network54.com/Forum/357360
. Get a sample letter HERE, and feel free to change what you need to.
Models do not have to disclose who they are when they use this, and should
stay anonymous until they actually accept the photographer bid and meet
with them to sign their agreement.
GET INVITATION LETTER.
3.
DRIVE THE BIDDING process.
This is critical. Don't just post and sit back. be proactive and take
the initiative. You're the boss!
Once you post your service requirement and a few photographers have bid,
you need to keep adding the photographers. The more photographers who
enter the bidding process, the more you will potentially be able to save.
If you only have a few photographers, there will be less incentive to
lower their rates.
GET AS MANY PHOTOGRAPHERS AS POSSIBLE TO BID ON YOUR NEED!
You cannot allow photographer to privately bid or to contact you with
a deal. You will be giving away money that you do not have to give away
unless you stick to the plan. They must post their bid on the bidding
board so the other photographers who are bidding can see WHO they are
and WHAT they are bidding. The photographers will look at the quality
of the other photographers work, and will look at their rates. Their competitive
nature will help drive the rate lower and lower.
Remember: There are a lot of photographers out there. There are fewer
models. Competition is fierce, and my making them post publicly, you facilitate
an environment conducive to competition and will get a lower rate. Most
photographers will be obligated to participate in this process simply
because their competition will be doing it and they would lose your business
by default.
Do NOT let the photographers bid anonymously. The other
photographers MUST be able to see who they are, the work that they do,
and the rates that they are bidding. all these factors will drive down
the bids and this process will save you money.
If a photographer that you did not invite to bid jumps into a bid, look
at their work. If it would not meet your needs, you do not have to accept
their bid as final if they underbid the others. Let them bid if they want
to, as it will help the process, but don't say anything to them. Simply
accept the best photographer at the lowest rate you can get.
4.
CLOSE the deal.
As their customer, you choose the final bid. It doesn't have to be the
lowest on on the board, but the lowest bid at the most ideal quality of
service. Announce on the thread "I have made my section. The bidding
has been closed for this job."
You do not need to announce who you have chosen, and there is no time
limit on the process other than the one that you have set.
Contact the photographer and set up a meeting to sign the service agreement
at your low rate. Check their references. If the photographer misrepresents
their work or misleads you, simply walk away and choose again from the
bidding board. If the photographer tries to convince you to book services
at a higher rate or tries to modify what was originally agreed upon, run
away and report them to the authorities! This is unethical and illegal,
and could be a case for fraud or using deceptive trade practices.
If you need an agreement to use for your booked rate, use THIS.
When you meet with the photographer and sign the deal, stick to the original
deal. DO NOT LISTEN TO ANY ALTERNATIVE DEALS. If they do good work and
you might consider working with them in the future, consider alternative
deals in the future. For now, insist on the quoted rate and your service
requirement.
DISCLAIMER
The results of this service are not guaranteed. Savings in services specified
were from models who have used reverse bidding techniques used in Tampa
Bay Modeling's Reverse Auction System. The service if provided as a service
free of charge for models, and no guarantees expressed. Results of the
use of this service vary case by case, and is mainly up to the model and
how they conduct themselves. In general, the more people that you get
to bid, the lower the bids tend to go.
Tampa Bay Modeling and its affiliates are not responsible for any interaction,
business conducted, or services booked on our Reverse Auction Bidding
Board. False statement, misleading bids, flaming, and defamatory posts
will not be tolerated, and will be removed upon discovery. Tampa Bay Modeling
reserves the right to remove or edit posts on our board at our discretion,
at any time, and with no reason given.
All participants accept full responsibility from the use of our bidding
boards, and waive Tampa Bay Modeling and our affiliates from any and all
claims of libel, slander, fraud, cyber stalking, and any civil or criminal
infraction.
Opinions on any public message board are the opinions of the author that
posted them, and may not necessarily be the opinions of Tampa Bay Modeling.
Q&A
File: Questions and Answers. Updated as we get them.
Tips:
How to use our bidding system to save money
Reverse
Auction Bidding Message Board Resources
Sample
service requests that models might place on board.
Letters for models to send to photographers
or service vendors.
Agreement for booking services at the agreed rates.
Suggested
Photography Rates
POST
A COMMENT - TERMS OF
USE - MODELING
RATE SHEETS - ABOUT US
Photographer
Instructions
Business
rule: This can be a great way to sell your photography services. Remember
that.
You might not like the fact that models are pressuring you to participate
in the modeling industry's first reverse auction program. You may even
try to ignore them. That would be like throwing away business, however,
and is not the way to deal with this.
The best way to deal with this program is stay positive and use it to
market your quality services! Think about it- there are models who like
your work enough to consider booking you for their portfolio. The only
thing that they want is a fair rate for your services, and we hope that
you understand.
Learn the process and embrace it. Your bank account will thank you!
Think about this: How many shoots have you lost to other photographers
who do not do work anywhere near as high quality as you do but charge
a lot more? There are photographers out there who can talk a good sales
pitch who have below average skill but can close a sale. Sometimes, they
will embellish the value of their work and try to pitch themselves as
a larger player in the modeling industry with connections to convince
models to pay extremely high rates. The insult to injury comes when the
model pays high rates for pictures that end up worthless, and when they
finally find you they no longer have any money left to invest in your
services.
Would you rather discount your services or not have the booking to begin
with. Not participating with this service is a mistake when you have models
looking for the services that you offer! Your competition will be bidding,
too, so at the very least you'll have to play the game to be in the running
to winning a job.
THIS SERVICE IS NOT INTENDED TO DRIVE RATES BELOW PROFIT MARGINS. We do
not want photographers to go out of business over this. You may have to
discount your rates a little to keep up, but even if the rate bids go
lower than you can do, you can still win the job! How is this? Because
if your quality is good, the models might still give you the booking,
even if a hundred other photographers have bids that are lower. The photographers
who bid too low will either demonstrate that they don't know what they
are doing or their work will be so bad that a lower rate will not do much
to hurt your consideration. Most models who are smart enough to use this
service are also smart enough to know the difference between good and
bad photography.
If you are as low as you can possibly go with your rate bid, let them
know. Post something like "I bid $400.00 for this job, and this offer
stands firm". Don't give up. For every post that offers a lower rate,
repost your offer even if it is more. If you stay visible in the bidding
process, at least you are still in the running for consideration even
if your rates are higher, that is if your quality is good, because you
are still visible to the model. Quality often wins out over rate pricing,
anyway, and wouldn't you rather compete on the grounds of the quality
of your work instead of rates?
Everyone can win with this program. The smart photographer will go here
often to check out models who are looking for services so they can offer
what they have to give. That's smart.
ETHICS
OF REVERSE AUCTIONS
We have already heard from at least one respected professional that
this may not be ethical. We disagree. This is exercising freedom in
the market at its best.
From
Webster's dictionary - "Ethical": Being in accordance
with the accepted principles of right and wrong that govern the conduct
of a profession. "Unethical": Not adhering to ethical
or moral principles; "base and unpatriotic motives"; "a
base, degrading way of life"; "cheating is dishonorable";
"they considered colonialism immoral"; "unethical practices
in handling public funds".
Models,
this is a changing modeling industry. You need to be open to new ideas
and the progress that doing this differently enables. There is nothing
unethical or wrong with open competition and shopping for the best rates;
we do it every day when we shop for things that we need. It's time that
we apply these strategies to model photography and modeling industry
services.
Reverse Auctions are considered to be ethical and are now accepted business
practices used by corporations to have subcontractors bid for jobs.
There is noting immoral or illegal about it, nor is it "cheating".
For proof, go to any search engines and enter "Reverse Auctions"
in the search field.
Reverse Auctions have been proven to work, and are revolutionizing the
way the business world contracts for work. We are introducing this proven
concept to the modeling world. Reverse Auctions are an alien concept
to the modeling industry, and people may not understand them at first.
It is a known fact that people who are uninformed automatically assume
the worst of anything that they do not immediately understand.
We challenge you to take the time to understand this process and make
up your own mind. If you still think that it is unethical, please feel
free to not use this and pay whatever rates a photographer dictates
to you.
Smart models will use this system, save over 50%, and realize that they
have the power and the ability to negotiate for what they need.
RETURN
TO INSTRUCTIONS
POST
A COMMENT - TERMS
OF USE - MODELING
RATE SHEETS - ABOUT
US
Tips:
How to use our bidding system to save money
1. Read
the instructions.
2. Communicate your needs.
3. Follow the rules.
4. Don't consider photographers who
do not cooperate.
5. Know what fair rates are for Tampa
Bay.
6. Don't disrespect the photographers.
7. Drive the bids.
8. Be professional.
9. Handle rejection.
RETURN
TO INSTRUCTIONS
POST
A COMMENT - TERMS OF
USE - MODELING
RATE SHEETS - ABOUT US
Read the instructions.
Take five minute and read the instructions. This is not hard to do, but
you need to know the rules. How can you play the game and win if you don't
know the rules? If you are reading this, you probably just read the rules
and understand them. Read the rest of these tips and get ready to save
some money.
TIPS
MENU
Communicate
your needs.
POST YOUR REQUEST. You need to
post exactly what you need so you don't have to clarify yourself. The
photographers need to know what they are bidding on.
INVITE THE PHOTOGRAPHER. Send
an E-Mail like this or copy it and fill in the blanks to get the photographers
to bid on your request for services.
TIPS
MENU
Follow
the rules.
You need to stick to plan, and do not get tempted to go off course. Don't
allow photographers to convince you to accept a private bid for their
services. Why? Because if the other photographers can see their bid, they
will try to underbid it, which will cause them to lower their bid to keep
your interest. The rules are there to help you get the most out of this.
TIPS
MENU
Don't
consider them if they do not cooperate.
Some photographers might get angry that a "model" is asking
them to bid on services. They will explain that their rates are listed
on their web site and that's what they are. They will tell you that you
are unprofessional. Remember- You are the buyer, and they are the seller.
It is a buyers market. They are in business to sell their services to
you. If they complain and refuse to cooperate, delete their harsh E-Mail
and keep looking for other photographers. There are plenty of good photographers
out there. If they threaten you, keep their E-Mail on file and report
them. Most photographers cannot follow through on their threats, but since
they do not know who you are (until you accept their bid, of course),
you're safe.
If they see that their competition is competing against them, they will
lower their rates for you or risk losing a sale.
TIPS
MENU
Know
what fair rates are for Tampa Bay.
CHECK
RATE SHEET. You need to know what a fair rate for model portfolio
photography is in Tampa Bay. If they go too low with their bids, you need
to find out the reason that they can offer you low rates. If their rates
are too high, use our bidding boards to bring them back down to earth!
That's a good photographer. Good boy.
TIPS
MENU
Don't
disrespect the photographers.
You're trying to get a fair rate. You are not trying to make them lose
money. Be polite and professional, and realize that it's not wrong for
a photographer to make a profit. That's why they are in business as a
professional, and you really don't want to work for a photographer who
runs a charity. Don't talk down to the photographer and don't be condescending;
they will be more open to respecting you in return.
TIPS
MENU
Drive
the bids.
The more photographers who bid on you, the more competition, and the lower
the rates can go. It can really be that simple. Go find as many photographers
as you can and send them your E-Mail message! Once you write it for one
photographer, you can sent the same one to others, too. Ah, the joy and
the power of the Internet! Use this E-MAIL
LETTER TEMPLATE.
TIPS
MENU
Be
professional.
Be polite and professional. Keep your opinions to yourself. Don't get
into arguments or debates with the photographers- just go to the next
one if they have a problem with you. If you are professional you will
be treated and respected as a professional.
TIPS
MENU
Handle
rejection.
You're a model. Rejection comes with the business. No matter what you
do, you will have to deal with it. You will get some photographers annoyed
with this, but remember that you cannot make everyone happy, and in the
end the money that you will save will make any trouble worth it.
TIPS
MENU
Sample
service request that models might place on board.
"I am a model from Tampa, Florida, and I need a six look portfolio
session in the month of October. Please place your bid for what I need
in order to be considered."
Letters
for models to send to photographers or service vendors.
"Hello! I am a model who has seen your work, and I am interested
in you providing the photography services that I am in need of. I am inviting
you to join a group bidding process known as a reverse auction on the
Internet for the job that I have posted there. While I respect your work
and your rates as a professional photographer, I am looking for the best
rates and the best quality of photography work.
If you would like to bid for my business, please do so by going here:
____________________.
Although I look forward to the chance of working with you, I cannot consider
your services unless you participate with my bidding process.
Thank you for your time, and I look forward to seeing what rates you can
offer me on the board."
___________________________________________________
"Hello! My name is (First name only, preferably made up), and
I have seen your work. I am interested in you providing the photography
services that I am in need of. I am inviting you to join a group bidding
process known as a reverse auction on the Internet for the job that I
have posted there. While I respect your work and your rates as a professional
photographer, I am looking for the best rates and the best quality of
photography work.
If you would like to bid for my business, please do so by going here:
____________________.
Although I look forward to the chance of working with you, I cannot consider
your services unless you participate with my bidding process.
Thank you for your time, and I look forward to seeing what rates you can
offer me on the board.
Sincerely,
(First name only, preferably made up)."
RETURN
TO INSTRUCTIONS
UPDATED
10/11/09
|