Simple Outreach Tracking Sheet

Columns

1. Company / Client Name
2. Contact Person
3. Email / Phone / IG
4. Type of Business
   (restaurant, manufacturer, bakery, winery, etc.)
5. What I Noticed About Their Images
   (this keeps outreach specific)
6. Date – First Contact
7. Date – Second Contact
8. Date – Third Contact
9. Date – Fourth Contact
   (After fourth contact, automate them into a cycle of one email per month and only track them when you get a response.)
10. Response?
    (yes / no / maybe)
11. Local or ___________ (know where they are)
12. Next Step

• send portfolio
• schedule call
• follow up next month

Notes

____________________________________

The Follow-Up Rhythm

This is the cadence I talk about so much:

Contact 1 — Introduction

Short email.
Observation about their imagery.
Offer to send examples.

Contact 2 — 5–7 days later

Friendly follow-up.

“Just circling back. I had a couple ideas for photographing your products that might help them stand out online.”

Contact 3 — 10–14 days later

The helpful suggestion:

“Here’s a thought; I would love to add one of your [product/food/bottle] for my portfolio. I would borrow it, shoot it, and give you a shot or two for your Instagram (website, etc…)

Contact 4 — 20–30 days later

Soft exit.

“I know you’re busy — if photography comes up later this year feel free to reach out.”

After that they move into the long-term list.

Why Tracking Matters (This Is the Real Lesson)

Most photographers fail at outreach because they:

• send one email
• feel awkward
• never follow up

But most replies happen on the 2nd or 3rd contact. And on the fifth or eighth.

The spreadsheet makes outreach feel like a system instead of constant rejection.