The PMA team are currently working on the completion of the DIMA Conference progam, to be held this year in Melbourne, May 24th to 26th. 

Over the next few months we will highlighting many of the Conference sessions in this newsletter, allowing you a "sneak peak" at the broad range of topics brought to you by industry acclaimed speakers.

Today, our featured speaker is Chris Wilkinson 

Session E7: Thursday 24th May,

"Competing successfully with Online Stores"

How can retailers leverage the growing number of customers browsing in-store than shopping online? Chris Wilkinson, Managing Director of Business Strategists, First Retail, explores the impact of e-commerce on traditional stores and how retailers can fight back successfully. Chris will draw from his work across a wide range of categories to demonstrate trends, risks and opportunity for the photo sector.

Chris is looking forward to presenting this topic of bricks and mortor relevance in todays trading environment, and this session will conclude with a forum by local and international panelists. If you have any questions about online trading, then this is the session you should not miss!

Online registration to the DIMA Conference will be available soon at www.pmaaustralia.com.au

One of the quickest ways to motivate staff and get products selling is to get excited about them yourself.

When was the last time you got so excited about a new product that you grabbed one yourself and headed out the door to shoot?

One of the main ways specialty stores can differentiate themselves from the 'box movers' is in the passion they have for the equipment they sell. 

A customer can recognise the difference between someone who loves the products they sell and someone who is just looking for a sale.

When a salesperson then demonstrates that passion by showing off their own images you have not just got one step closer to a sale you have gone a long way towards winning a long term customer and that is far more important to a business than a single sale.

This week I popped in for a surprise visit to John Swainston at Maxwell International Australia in Sydney.

Now we all know John is a passionate man about our industry. I cannot recall a single event I have seen John at where he hasn't had a camera in hand. Sadly he is one of the very few leaders in our industry that seem to be as passionate about their personal photography as they were when they started out.

What struck me most with this visit though was John's enthusiasm for his latest product.

The Lensbaby Edge 80 lens.

Did he pull out product specs, brochures or open a website? No he pulled out a couple of images he had just shot with the lens.

That's right, he got so enthused about this new product that he shot right out and USED it.

The end result?

Well I am now eagerly awaiting my lens to arrive, I can't wait to put it to test AND I have promoted it to my 18,000 Facebook fans - many who run out and buy what we use at our Workshops.

A bit of passion, some personal experience has built this customer into a champion of the product before it has even hit my hands.

When was the last time you did something similar for your staff and customers?

Are you excited about something particular at the moment? Drop us an email with an image or two and share it with us!

 Image taken with Lensbaby Edge80 by John Swainston