Someone this week asked for a quote to photograph “a one day corporate business event” they were hosting on a specific date “at a downtown Toronto location.” No further information was provided.
The person used a Gmail address with a rather silly username instead of a business email address. Surely an organization big enough to host a “corporate business event” would have its own company address.
However the person did sign their somewhat unique name to the email.
A web search showed that the Bank of Montreal is hosting a one-day conference on that very same day at a downtown Toronto hotel. A search on the bank’s web site revealed that a person with the same name works in the bank’s “sourcing” department (i.e. they find vendors and suppliers). Coincidence?
This might not raise any eyebrows but it’s happened a few times before. Someone will initially contact me for a photography quote using a Gmail, Hotmail or Yahoo address. If I get the work, the person will then email using their corporate address.
My guess is that some businesses hide their identity because they think a vendor will raise their price if they know the customer is a large company.
Ironically the Bank of Montreal’s rules for vendors state that potential suppliers must use a valid business email address and not a personal address.
Procurement Sites
Speaking of large companies hiring photographers, some large corporations, municipalities and universities use third-party procurement sites to find suppliers. These third-party services help registered companies find suitable (registered) vendors.
Joining a procurement service might make sense if you sell commodity goods or services to large enterprise. But is it worth it for a corporate photographer to join a procurement service?
Perhaps joining is better than not joining simply because it’s another step in getting your name out there. Joining a procurement site is probably better than having a listing on an online photographer directory because procurement services have proven buyers. In any case, you still must have an easily findable web site.
