December 7, 2013

Passive And Participative Marketing

You remember 20 years ago, right?  Marketing was passive.  You would run a TV commercial or have the local radio station pitch your product.  Consumers would either listen or turn...
December 6, 2013

Make Your Website The Same (But Do It Differently)

When it comes to website design (or any of your marketing materials), the unique, different and unexpected can work against you.  It’s the marketer’s paradox. Being different is your biggest...
December 5, 2013

Is Your Business A Source of Happiness?

When you leave your client’s site. . . After you provided the phone support. . . Once your customer opens your email. . . Are they talking about how happy...
December 4, 2013

Ask Your Prospects What They Predict

People are more likely to do something when they say (or write) that they will.  For example, if you announce to your family you are going to work out at...
December 3, 2013

Under Promise, Over Deliver, Repeat

Here's what drives me nuts - when my 2pm appointment calls me at exactly 2 o'clock to tell me they are running late. Why did they have to wait until...
December 2, 2013

Skype Small Business Profile: Wendy Kenney

In the olden days – you know, the 80s and 90s – if you wanted to do business, you had to live and work close enough to population centers so...
December 1, 2013

Skype for Small Business Profile: Dr. Sabrina Schleicher

e of the best ways to learn how you can get the most out of your business tools is by sharing ideas with the experts. I compared some notes with...
November 30, 2013

Skype for Small Business Profile: Peter Miller

I didn’t have time to jet Down Under to interview Peter Miller, Director of WeddingMC.com.au, so we connected over Skype instead. He told me about the exciting ways he uses...
November 29, 2013

Skype for Small Business Profile: Drew Gerber

Though it’s sometimes difficult to physically catch up with PR guru Drew Gerber, CEO of Wasabi Publicity, Inc., he’s always available virtually. He’s a citizen of the world who currently...
November 28, 2013

Skype for Small Business Profile: Todd Hunt

I’ve always been a fan of picking up tips and tricks from everyone I can. Todd Hunt, Business and Studio Manager for McCormick Photography was generous enough to share some...

Skype for Small Business Profile: Todd Hunt

I’ve always been a fan of picking up tips and tricks from everyone I can. Todd Hunt, Business and Studio Manager for McCormick Photography was generous enough to share some ways Skype has helped make him more effective.

McCormick Photography is based in Guelph, Ontario. They specialize in weddings, family, and modeling photography. They provide services to clients in the Toronto area as well as southwestern Ontario and points north. Given their proximity to Toronto – the largest city in Canada – there’s a lot of competition in their niche, so Todd and his team work hard to land and satisfy their clients.

McCormick Photography schedules face-to-face meetings with most prospective clients, but there are times when it’s just not feasible – whether it’s a busy bride-to-be whose schedule is overbooked or a grandparent from out of town who wants to schedule a family session for an upcoming visit.

This is when Skype comes in and provides some major benefits to Todd. Video calls save him valuable time and resources by turning a three-hour round trip drive to Toronto into a convenient, focused, face-to-face presentation. More importantly, Skype lets Todd and his team show the value of their products firsthand. It’s really difficult to explain the difference between one of McCormick’s $2,000 albums and an album you can pick up at Costco for $20 unless the client can see the difference in quality. Product demos via Skype makes it easy and affordable for Todd to show clients why his services are worth it.

With the help of Skype, McCormick Photography competes with urban photographers without the expense of a downtown office while still providing prospective clients a personal connection to their photographer.

Todd Hunt is certainly a digital entrepreneur who’s worth keeping an eye on as he continues to find unconventional ways to use technology to grow his business.

I wrote this blog post on behalf of Skype and received compensation for my time and research required to create this post, but the views expressed here are solely mine, not Skype’s. For additional information about Skype’s small business solutions, follow @skype4biz and visit http://www.skype.com/en/business/.