Paul Scott worked in construction sales and marketing for more than 20 years before setting up Front Elevation in 2011. His company specialises in UK-wide project and product photography and marketing support in the construction sector.
Let me suggest a different but effective way to incentivise and reward your staff.
We expect 100% from our staff but how can (or should) you show your appreciation?
I have worked at all levels in the construction industry. I have managed sales teams and now run my own business, with a service that includes taking specialist architectural photographs. A couple of experiences on the same day recently reminded me how effective a good photo can be in so many ways.
I went out for a very nice meal with some acquaintances and when it came to leaving a tip for the waitress, I placed £10 on the table, rather expecting the people I was with to match it.
To my surprise (given the new BMW they turned up in) they said: “Oh, we don’t tip. They are getting paid for what they do.” (That might explain why they have a new BMW and I don’t.)
Earlier that day I had got up at some unearthly hour to photograph some landscaping carried out by one of my company’s clients. The guy I met onsite was absolutely delighted that his employers had chosen to photograph his work. He dutifully took me over every inch of the park, covering several acres.
At Front Elevation, we are not ‘just’ photographers, so when we show an interest in the work and demonstrate that we know about the processes, the overwhelming response is pride. My dictionary’s definition of ‘pride’ is: A feeling of honour and self-respect; a sense of personal worth.
I think that pretty much sums it up.
I went on to photograph some more amazing work by a façade specialist in St Albans, and was escorted around the very much ‘live’ site to see the innovative work the company has produced on the design, manufacture and installation of the stone on this prestigious development.
The same pride was obvious from someone who had sat down with the architects and designers at the early stages and was now overseeing the work being carried out.
Like our waitress, these guys are getting paid for what they do. But they were going the extra mile (literally in the first case).
At Front Elevation, we occasionally post our pictures on social media sites and, rather sadly, I received the following comment, clearly from a freelance designer. It read: “Thanks Paul, we really look forward to seeing your pictures because as the designers it’s the only time we see the finished project.”
We expect individuals at all stages of a project to give that little extra. But to me that comment really struck a chord.
High resolution photographs can be very powerful – some clients print them out and frame them. When staff come into an office and see pictures on the wall of their work, they are proud. “I did that,” they think, even if they don’t always say it. Surely that is both a reward and an incentive.
As good as the cameras on mobile phones might be, a snapped image on your mobile isn’t quite the same.