No Matter How Good Your Photography Marketing Is, If You Mess Up On The Phone, You Lose!!

Photography marketing is one of the most challenging aspects of running a successful photography business. So because you and I have put so much time and effort into getting the telephone to ring, when it does ring, you want to be darn sure you are handling it correctly and most effectively. This way, you book as many callers as possible. Otherwise, you’re just wasting all your photography marketing efforts and money!

Many photographers think that “selling” is a bad word – they think that it means to manipulate people, pressure people, or force people to do something they don’t want to do. This is totally incorrect!

The fact of the matter is that no matter how “good” your photography is, it will not sell itself. And no matter how “good” your photography marketing is, if you mess up on the telephone, you lose.  In this digital age of photography, a prospect has so many options and choices for photography, that unless you know how to effectively sell yourself and your photography services, you’re not going to have enough business to stay alive & prosper.

Honestly, the most important tool you own is your telephone, because ALL of your clients are going to pass through this tool at some point in making a decision as to whether or not they want to hire you to create their photography.

So let’s take a look at several of the most common “stalls” you receive on the telephone every day of your photography career, and reveal the proven best ways to handle each one of them.

But first a quick definition: a ”stall” is something a prospect says so she can get off the phone and not have to make a decision, commitment or appointment of any kind at the moment. People don’t like to make a decision – because it might be the wrong decision. So they give you a “stall” and that gets them off the telephone politely and quickly.

STALL #1  :”I’ll have to check with my husband and call you back.”

YOUR RESPONSE:  “I totally understand.  Let me ask you this: What do you feel he’ll say when you check with him?”

SPECIAL NOTES:  Notice you say “What do you FEEL…” – not “What do you think…” Why? Because if you ask someone what they “think” it throws them into “left brain” which is the logical side of the brain. By asking, “What do you FEEL…” you are putting them into RIGHT BRAIN which is the emotional side of the brain. This is important, because people invest in photography for emotional reasons, not logical ones.  This may seem very unimportant to you, but I assure you, it’s extremely important if you want to build a successful photography business.

STALL #2:   “I’m just shopping around, I’ll call you back later.”

YOUR RESPONSE: “I understand. If you don’t mind me asking, what exactly is it that your shopping for? When you find the” perfect photographer” – what is he or she going to be like?”

SPECIAL NOTES: What this question does is start the prospect trying to describe what exactly she is looking for. By doing this, you are gleaming insight into her “Dominant Buying Motive” – which is the major thing she is looking for in a photographer.

STALL #3:   “I’ll have to think about it and call you back.”

YOUR RESPONSE: ” If you don’t mind me asking, what is it that you have to think about? Maybe I can be of help to you.”

SPECIAL NOTES: This question helps keep the prospect talking – and also shows her that you sincerely want to be of help to her.

STALL #4:   “I’m just calling around to get prices, I’ll call you back if I decide to go further with this.”

YOUR RESPONSE: ” I totally understand. But let me ask you this: How important are these photographs to you?”

SPECIAL NOTES: This question is what I call the “Qualifying Question” – one of the most effective questions you can ask a prospect – because the answer to this question gives you an excellent indication of how “qualified” she is. The word “qualified” does not mean that she has the money to invest in your photography. No. This question lets you know how much she VALUES what you do. And a highly “qualified” person values what you do very much!

Can you see that if you memorize these responses to these common stalls, you will be much more effective on the telephone? What you’re trying to do is to help the prospect FEEL, on an emotional level, and decide to take the next “baby step”  with you – which is to come in and “chat” with you in person, for no charge and no obligation.

Always remember that a big decision is made up of a series of small decisions. So you want to gently walk each prospect through a series of small decisions, one at a time, until she ends up hiring you as her photographer.  This is NOT trickery or manipulation – that is NOT what I’m talking about here. This is simply good human relations and great service. Understand that hiring a photographer is a big decision for most people.

Almost No Photographers Do This, & It's Costing Them Thousands In Lost Profits!

Photography marketing is extremely important to the success of any photography business. There is a huge photography marketing “trick” that almost no photographers know about, and if you use this trick, your photography marketing (and profits) will improve dramatically.

You see, marketing photography takes time. That’s right, if you want to be successful at marketing your photography business, you’re going to have to put time into the marketing every single week.

You and I did not go into the photography business just for the money. Of course not.  But making a great profit is extremely important – because if you don’t make the money, you can’t stay in business doing what you and I love to do – which is photography.

So what’s this “trick” to photography marketing? …

It’s to SCHEDULE  your photography marketing time. You need to look at your photography marketing as if it were an appointment with a client. You put it on your calendar just exactly the same way that you schedule a photography appointment.

The key is, rather than taking the time to schedule it every single week into your calendar, you simply put it on your calendar at the same day and time every week. Most photographers don’t realize that in order to be successful, at least 20% of their time absolutely MUST be devoted to marketing their photography business.

So simply make one day of the week your “marketing day.”  For example let’s say you decide that Wednesdays are going to be marketing day from now on. So you simply go through your calendar for the rest of the year and scratch off every single Wednesday so you can’t have any appointments that day – and just write on that day the word “marketing.”

This will mean (as long as you stick to the schedule) that if you work a five day week at your photography business, you will be devoting 20% of your time to marketing. (and that’s a minimum amount of time to put into your photography marketing. 30% would be even better!)

Don’t be tempted to cheat – and book a client on your marketing days. That’s a no-no. What this is going to do is force you, every week, to concentrate on that all important marketing aspect of your photography business. You’ll be making your marketing plan, refining it, and putting it into action on your marketing days.

Within a couple of weeks of doing this, you will find yourself planning exactly what you’re going to be working on during each of your marketing days. It just becomes the way the world is to you. You’ll find yourself much more organized, and more focused on the marketing aspects of your photography business, which will result in more clients – and more profits for you.

I know this may sound like an extremely simple” trick” – but I assure you that once you start doing this, you will be thrilled with the results and amazed at how much better your photography marketing is working. Photography marketing is an extremely important part of building a successful photography business, and if you don’t schedule it into your calendar, it will get pushed out of the way for something that seems more urgent at the moment.

All the best,

Charles J. Lewis, M. Photog., Cr.

One Of The Major Keys To Photography Success Is Your Marketing!

Photography marketing is one of the most important areas of your photography business.  You must become as effective with your marketing of your photography business as you are with the photography itself.

Here are five excellent, proven methods of marketing your photography business today:

1. Website – yes of course all businesses have a website of some kind. The key is to make sure that the website accomplishes the primary objective. What is the objective of that website? It’s either to get the prospect to directly contact you, so you can start building the relationship and implement the selling process, or at least to capture the name and email address of the visitor so you can stay in touch with her from that moment forward.

Most photographer’s websites are terrible – if you rate them based on the above paragraph. Yes they may be “pretty,” but are they also PERSUASIVE enough to get someone to …contact you, or at least leave their name and email address with you? This is way more important to your photography business success than you might realize.

2. Exhibits – one of the all-time best ways to market your photography business is to have exhibits of your photographs proudly displayed throughout your community. Your goal should be to have 12 permanent exhibits in your community +2 traveling exhibits. If you do this, you will be shocked and amazed at how many people contact you telling you they love your photography and want to work with you.

And just to be absolutely clear – even today, with all the Internet marketing opportunities, exhibits are STILL one of the all time best ways to market your photography business! Why? Because the prospect can take her time, look at your beautiful images in real life – beautifully enhanced, framed & signed.

3. Lift Cards on exhibits. One of the keys to successful exhibits is to not put business cards on your exhibits. That’s old technology. Instead you want to use what we call “Lift Cards.” Lift cards are approximately 6″ x 9″ in size. On one side is a compelling headline and three or four photographs along with raving testimonials from those clients – right underneath each of the photographs. On the other side of the Lift Card is another great headline and a whole bunch of persuasive copy designed specifically to get the prospect to take the next easy, “baby step” – to either call you on the telephone or visit your website or send you an e-mail.

4. Emails to previous clients & new prospective clients.  Once you start collecting email addresses of all the clients you work with, as well as interested prospects who you haven’t worked with yet, you now have a valuable marketing tool known as a “house list.”  This can be extremely valuable to you, if you use it correctly. Use email technology to stay in contact with, and maintain the relationship with these people. And occasionally to offer them very special exclusive offers to work with you.

5. Facebook & other social media – social media is all about relationships. And success in the photography business is also all about relationships – building and maintaining them. So obviously you’re going to use social media technology to further your photography business success. If you’re not doing it already, be sure you get the Facebook address and the twitter address of all the people you talk with so that you can request to become a friend or follower with them.

One of the all time biggest mistakes I made in my photography business back when I was just getting going, was I basically ignored the people I had talked with and/or worked with in the past. I thought I had to put all my marketing efforts into getting “new” people. But by ignoring those folks I had met with and worked with before, I missing out on one of the most profitable parts of a photography business – repeat business.

If you will make the commitment to invest the time and effort into the above five photography marketing areas, you will enjoy profits and cash flow with your photography business which are far beyond your dreams.

There Is A Very Powerful List Of People Who Are The Very Best To Market Your Photography To. Do You Know What List This Is?

Photography marketing is all about getting qualified people to hire you to create their photography, rather than having them go to some other photographer in your area, or doing nothing at all.

Did you know that there is a group of people who are by far the BEST people to market your photography services to? If you market to these people you will have amazing results! They will respond much better than ANY other group of people that you could ever find to market your services to.

Who are these people?…

They are the people who you have worked with in the past.

That’s right. You have already worked with them at least once in the past.  Why are they such a great group of people to market to? Because they already know you are, they like you, trust you and believe in the value of your photography.

Sadly, most photographers completely ignore these people!  They are continually going after “NEW” clients. This is a huge mistake.

Most photographers put so much time and money into getting new clients into their photography business, but they don’t put any effort into staying in touch with the clients once those people have been photographed.

I call these valuable people my  “V.I.P.’s” – for “Very Important Patrons.”

You see, success in the photography business is all about RELATIONSHIPS – building them and maintaining them. If you really want to be successful in photography you must understand that the people with whom you have worked before are extremely valuable to your future success.

I had to learn this the hard way. For many years I totally ignored my V.I.P.’s.(Other than maybe sending them a card or an offer around the Holidays.)

The key to success with your V.I.P’s is to continue the relationship for years to come on a regular basis.  You will be amazed at how the “life-time value of a client” will go way, way up for you when you do this!

Here are the four best ways to market to, and continue the relationship with, your “V.I.P.’s”:

1. The telephone.  If you are really in a bad situation financially, one of the all-time fastest ways to generate revenue in your photography business to pick up the telephone and make a friendly call to your very best previous clients.

Now, do not misunderstand me, I am not talking about making a “sales call” to them. What I am talking about is calling them personally and letting them know how much you enjoyed and appreciated working with them in the past. Then ask how their family is doing, and let them know you miss them.

If you do this with a really friendly tone of voice – and smile while you’re talking to them, you will find that many of those people will say something like, “I’m so glad you called. I’ve been thinking about having little Johnny photographed again – as he’s changed a lot in the last six months, and I so love the photographs you created of him last time.”

You’re not calling to sell anything. You’re just calling to maintain the relationship.

Also, while you have her on the phone, you can ask her for her current e-mail address and her Facebook address so you can stay in touch by email, and “friend” her on Facebook.

2. The second best way to market to, and continue the relationship with your previous clients is via E-mail.

(This is why you asked for her correct e-mail address on the phone call above.)

E-mail is an incredibly effective way to stay in touch with your previous clients. The key is to send her four or five non-business related e-mails for everyone one e-mail that has something to do with marketing to her. I call this the 5 to 1 rule.

Most photographers, bless their hearts, only bother to send somebody an e-mail when they’re trying to sell them something. Big mistake! Remember this is all about continuing the relationship. So remember the 5 to 1 rule.

3. The third best way to market to and continue the relationship with your previous clients is direct mail. Direct mail is extremely effective now – since most photographers have discontinued using direct mail.

One of the best ways to use direct mail is to send your previous clients friendly cards – such as Valentine’s Day cards Thanksgiving day cards, Christmas cards, birthday cards, etc. This is wonderful at continuing the relationship with them – especially when you write a quick, personal, hand written note on the card.

4. The fourth best way is through Social media. Social media really is all about the relationship, so it’s a natural tool with your previous clients. But again the 5 to 1 rule applies.

Begin today to rebuild the relationship you had with your previous clients when they were in your photography business and working directly with you. If you do this and stick to it, you will be shocked and amazed at how many referrals you receive, and how many repeat clients you end up photographing for a tremendous amount of profit.

All the best,

Charles J. Lewis, M. Photog., Cr.

Photography Marketing With Exhibits Is Extremely Effective Today!

Photography marketing is critical to your photo business success. If you market correctly, you prosper, because the photography industry is full of artistic people who don’t know much about marketing. (I didn’t know ANYTHING about marketing when I first got going in photography.)

So once you start marketing very smartly, using proven methods, you will grow and prosper extremely quickly.

My all time favorite photography marketing method is to get free exhibits all over my community where my target market shops, eats, goes to movies, has her hair done, etc.

Let me give you an example of how you get a free exhibit.

Here’s three important notes:

1. Do not call ahead.  Just dress nicely, grab a couple of wall portraits in nice frames, and head to your first location where you want to get an exhibit.

2. Walk in and gently place your two framed wall portraits (16×20 to 24×30) up against … a wall where they will be in some light and look good when they person comes out to greet you.

3. You want to always talk in terms of how the location will BENEFIT – not what’s in it for you.

Let me give you an example. For this example, let’s use a restaurant.

Here’s the top 6 benefits to a restaurant for displaying your photographs on their walls:

Benefit #1:  The beautifully framed images will add to the decor, and give the patrons something to look at in the restaurant as they wait to be seated.  This puts them in a good mood, and they will be more likely to order more food, or wine, etc.

Benefit #2:  You will be changing these images every month.  So the restaurant looks fresh, and new and different every month.  This is good for the patrons, and good for the staff.

Benefit #3:  It gives your restaurant a “home town” look.  It’s obvious you are involved in the local community, as these are images of local people.  (By the way, I had one really upper scale restaurant in Grand Rapids which accepted my offer to put up images based solely on this point.  So don’t overlook it.)

Benefit #4:  You will be putting up, lets say, 10 photographs.  So when you go back to the studio after putting up the display, you will be calling these 10 families, and letting them know their portrait or wedding image is proudly displayed in this restaurant.

Now, each of these 10 families will very likely come down to the restaurant to see the photograph, and they will buy lunch or dinner, too.  And they won’t come alone.  You see, this is an ego thing.  They will bring some friends for lunch or dinner, so they can “show off” how their portrait is being displayed at the restaurant.

Benefit #5:  Every person knows approximately 250 other people.  So these 10 families are going to tell everyone they see and talk to that their portrait is being displayed at that restaurant.  And their going to tell all their friends on FaceBook and Twitter, too. Again, it’s an ego thing.  So, if each family only tells 20 other people, then that’s a total of 200 people who will be talking about the restaurant, and the owner didn’t have to lift a finger to get all this advertising – and it was free, too for the restaurant!  (10 prints X 20 people told about the portrait on display = 200 people minimum.)

Benefit #6:  Next month, this entire cycle repeats.  You put up a different 10 images, and call them, and they come down for lunch or dinner, and tell all their friends……etc.

You get the idea.  This is not nearly as difficult or scary as you think it is.  Plus, the more you do this, the easier it  becomes.

There’s a LOT more benefits you can point out to them, but what I just shared with you is EXACTLY how I sell my exhibits.  I rarely need to go any further than what I just shared with you above.

All the best,

Charles Lewis

The "Gift Plaque" Will Bring You In Lots Of Extra Cash You Otherwise Would Have Lost!

You work hard at marketing photography. Indeed, your photography marketing is probably one of the most challenging parts of your photography business.

So when people respond to your photo marketing, you want to be SURE you don’t lose someone who could have ended up being an excellent client of yours.

Believe it or not, if you do things right, you can bring in an enormous amount of extra cash to your photography business that you otherwise would have lost!

Here’s how:

The “Gift Plaque”:  A “Gift Plaque” is a beautifully done (but extremely easy!) item that brings in HUGE sums of money all year round!  It’s actually a “give certificate” but done much more elegantly and personalized for each recipient.  Plus, it mentions no dollar amount, which is so much nicer than the typical “gift certificate.”

Here’s how it works:

You and I will get many calls from people who have not planned ahead.  People who want to have a fine portrait created as a gift for the one they love, and who want it done right, but who waited too long before they called you.

Now, if we’re not careful, we can be so busy, that when someone calls we just say, “You should have planned ahead.  There’s no way we can do anything that fast…”  and send them away empty handed.

NO WAY!!!!!

Here’s what you do to bring in TONS OF EXTRA CASH: …….

…….First, you enthusiastically express what a wonderful gift idea a fine portrait is, and how much their loved ones will love and treasure it.  (Psychologically this let’s her know she’s okay to have waited this late to call us – this is very important to building the rapport necessary to help her become happily involved with fine photography.  It also begins the emotional excitement that is necessary for someone to invest adequate sums of money for photography!)

Next, you ask her the very same questions, such as the “Magic Question” and the “Qualifying Question” off of the Telecharts, just as normal.  (Remember, get her talking, by asking questions.  Don’t you do all the talking, or you will talk yourself right out of the sale!)

Next, you describe with great emotion what a gift plaque is, and what a beautiful gift it makes.

For example:

“I can tell how important it is to you to have a beautifully done, custom portrait!  That’s what we are all about.  We have the PERFECT gift for you!  It’s called the “Charles Lewis Portrait Gift Plaque.”  (Obviously, you insert your own name here.)

You continue:  ‘This is a wonderfully created, custom plaque, beautifully printed on fine parchment paper, with the name of the person you are giving this to, and your name, of course.  It has some beautiful words, which you can personally write to the person, or we have some wonderful wordings you can choose from.  Then it is framed in a fine golden frame.

“Then it’s placed delicately in a beautiful black box, with tissue paper, and with a large silver bow.  You give this on the day, and it tells your loved one how this beautiful portrait is going to be created – in the future – and that he or she is going to receive it after it is carefully crafted and created.”

Then you ask the caller a trial close question:  “How do you feel about this?  Isn’t this exciting?”

Then, based on the response, you continue with your normal telephone techniques and questions from the Telecharts, and set up a time for him or her to come in and talk about this, etc. etc. etc.

See how powerful this is?  What you are doing is making it possible for a client or prospect of yours to invest in a finely crafted portrait now (yes, you collect the money now) and give it for a gift NOW, and then have you create this beautiful portrait after later.  But, YOU GET THE MONEY NOW!!!

Here’s a sample of one of our most popular wordings for our Gift Plaques:

Words on paper could never show
The wonderful you I’ve come to know.
Yet on this very special day
I have so many words to say.

A portrait is worth a thousand words
and so I give this gift to you…
A memory captured forever in time
Of this loving family…yours and mine.

This is the basic wording we begin with, and then we modify it to fit the specific situation or gift occasion.

Believe me, this brings in ENORMOUS amounts of money that would otherwise have been lost – and it’s SO MUCH nicer than a simple “gift certificate!”

Do this!  It will mean thousands of extra dollars to you!  Just be SURE every person answering your phone or emails knows exactly what to say, and how to say it!

Go for it!

Chuck

Posting Your Prices On Your Website Cuts Your Profits In Half! (At Least!)

Photography marketing is a lot of work. You put so much time and effort into the marketing of your photography, don’t screw everything up when someone responds to your marketing and visits your photography website.

Never, ever post your fees on your website.  If you do, you’re (at least) cutting your cash flow and profits in half!

This is a HUGE mistake I see so many photographers making right now. It’s really sad, because photographers think they are doing the right thing, but instead, they are losing so much business that should have and could have been theirs!

You know why this is such a bad mistake?  Three reasons really.

Reason #1.  If you give your prices online, it removes the single biggest reason for people to contact you.

Think about this. What’s the most common question you and I get from people who are emailing us or calling us? …. …. “What do you charge.”  Right?  So if you tell them what you charge, there’s absolutely no reason for them to contact you.

And if they don’t contact you, then you can’t “build rapport and trust” with them, and help them decide to hire you now.

Now, I totally understand that you may not agree with this – but I urge you to think about this very carefully. Building a successful photography business is all about relationships. And the only way you’re going to build up that relationship so that prospect becomes a client is by talking with her. So if she never calls you to find out what your fees are (because they are clearly posted on your website) then you’re never going to work with her.

Reason #2.  Your prices (numbers) are “left brain” analytical items, and we know that people invest in photography for “right brain” emotional reasons.

Almost no photographers “get” this.  For most people who contact you, the price is NOT the most important thing to them. I know, they do ask you how much right away, but that really isn’t the most important thing to them – there’s something else.

What is this “something else?” It’s the emotional reasons – why does she want the images created? What’s she wanting to express with the photography? What’s she want to capture and remember? What’s she want the images to say about the people in her life?

All these emotional things are way more important to most people than the prices. (At least to those “Warm Fuzzies” who we want to work with!) But if she sees all your specific prices on your site, she is “forced” into “left brain” and so she will usually not contact you about working with you.

Reason #3.  Most photographers pricing is very confusing to prospects.  And one of the major “rules” of marketing is that a confused mind makes no decision.

You and I know all the prices by heart – we deal with them every day.  But for our prospects, the prices are confusing, and because they are confused, they don’t go any further.

So you are miles ahead if you do NOT put your prices on your website.

I urge you to carefully consider what I’ve talked about here today. It will have a HUGE positive effect on your photography business if you do NOT put your prices on your website.

All the best,

Charles J. Lewis, M. Photog., Cr.

Do This And Watch Your Sales & Profits SOAR Higher Than You Ever Dreamed!

I urge you to never show your images on a computer monitor! Instead, project the images into a 40×50 or 40×60 frame, over a sofa!

Most photographers don’t realize that the single, biggest decision of their career is how they present their images to their clients.  It’s way more important than what camera to use, or what version of PhotoShop is best.

But sadly, most photographers give little thought to this huge decision.  They put all their time & efforts into creating great images, and then screw it all up by not presenting those images in the best way to their clients.

For portrait photography, there is only ONE, all time best way to present your portraits to your clients for maximum impact and sales.  What is it?  Projecting the images into a 40×50 or 40×60 frame, with stretched canvas in it, which is hung over a sofa!

Nothing – NOTHING can come even remotely close to producing the huge amount of impact and sales …. (and how much your client will enjoy her photographs in her home) that projecting your images can!

Why is projecting your portraits so powerful? Five major reasons:

Reason #1. It’s a proven sales law that the first image is lasting image. In other words, if you show someone their photographs by projecting them into a 40×50 frame, that becomes their first image, and everything after that looks positively SMALL.  Plus, you are educating your clients as to how beautiful their images will look in the more appropriate, wall sizes.

Reason #2. The Soaking Law – This is a very little understood law of human psychology which says that the longer someone holds a figure in their mind, the smaller that figure becomes as they get used to it.

So when you first show your clients a 40×50 projected into a frame over a sofa, and then volunteer the investment for that size, that number will at first seem really substantial.  But as you continue to show the other images at that same size, the number you first quoted them will slowly shrink over time, and by the end, will seem much smaller.

Then end result is they are much more likely to invest in a nice wall portrait for their home, and when they do – THEY WIN. You see, we are not trying to “trick” anyone – no way. What we’re doing is helping them make the right decision for them – so they will get the maximum amount of enjoyment out of their photographs.

Reason #3. Projecting allows you to “sell down.”  Selling down is where you start with your best, and slowly work your way down until you get to something your client is happy and comfortable with. It helps your clients make the right buying decision for themselves and their situation.

Selling down is much more helpful to your clients than “selling up”  – which is where you start with something small, and give them the investment for that size, and then move up to some other size, and give them the investment for that size. This is very confusing to them.

Reason #4. This gets your clients really excited – because their images look so fantastic when projected to a 40×50 or 40×60! This really shows off the beautiful images, and helps the clients see them really well, and  become very emotionally involved with them.

Reason #5. It’s a proven fact that you sell what you show. By showing the client her images in these beautiful wall portrait sizes, rather than on a computer monitor, you are letting her clearly see and FEEL how much enjoyment she will receive from them being proudly displayed on her walls in her home.

I urge you to do this for yourself!  It’s extremely easy to do with digital images, and the results will shock & thrill you!

All the best,

Charles J. Lewis

Here's a HUGE Tip To Increasing Your Photography Business Success

Never let the original images (”proofs or thumbnails” or whatever) leave your photography business.  And, by the way,  that includes posting them online, too!

This is a HUGE mistake I see photographers making all over the world right now, and it’s costing them thousands of lost dollars, pounds, euros, etc.

Here’s an important sentence to remember always:  “Just because we CAN do it doesn’t mean that we SHOULD do it!”

Trust me, you do NOT want to be posting your images online so people can go see them and “place their order” on the Internet.  And you don’t want to put them on a CD so they can take them home and make their decisions. Why not?  Because ….. the “order” they place will suck – no matter how “good” a photographer you are!

If you are doing this at the moment, I urge you to stop immediately. It’s killing your sales & profits.

Personal portraiture & wedding photography require personal one-on-one service from you as the artist/craftsperson.  This is NOT pressure, it’s good service.  It’s being with your clients to help them make the right decisions for THEM.

Yes, if you present your images correctly while you’re meeting with them (Secret #6) you will make a lot more money, too, but the primary reason is to take good care of your clients and help them make the right decisions for themselves and their family, so they will get the maximum enjoyment out of their images.   It’s totally a “win-win” situation for everyone.

You have spent years learning how to create the images you create. Plus, you have invested a lot of time and effort to actually create the photographs for your clients.  Now, don’t screw everything up by not investing a little more time & effort in presenting these beautiful images to your clients in person with them!

So do NOT fall into the trap of posting your images online or sending them home with your clients in ANY form.  You are an artist. You create lovely images.  Now act like it and take good care of your clients.  They will thank you for it.

All the best to you and your photography,

Charles Lewis

Here's one of the all time most important "pieces" of the "photography success puzzle."

Whether you have a store front photography studio on main street or work out of your home, here are eight key points to making top money with your photography business.

Marketing & Selling Key Point #1.  You sell what you show.

This seems so obvious, but unless someone constantly reminds you of this, you can forget it. In our photo biz, the big money, 80% of our profits, come from helping our clients become happily involved with wall portraits as home décor. If you’d like to do the same, then it’s vitally important you not … show anything in your photo business that is smaller than a 24×30.

No 8×10’s or 5×7’s in frames sitting on tables. No groupings of 8×10’s and 11×14’s on the walls.

Now, I know what you may be thinking.  “But Chuck, how do I show off all the variety we offer our clients?”  Well, you do that by having a sample book of 8×10’s or 11×14’s – each sample book is of ONE PARTICULAR SESSION TYPE – for example, you have one for seniors, one for families, one for children, etc.

Then, all you do is bring out the ONE book of the particular client type with whom you are meeting.  Don’t have all the books sitting out in the studio.  Only have the one book that applies to this client.

This way, when she first walks in, your client only sees beautiful wall portraits on the walls, and nothing else.

Marketing & Selling Key Point #2.  The first impression is the lasting impression.

Really, everything we’re going to talk about deals with this law.

That’s the major reason we put wall portraits in our studio.  That’s why we dress nicely for our clients.  We only get one chance at a first impression.

But what I mean here is that you want your studio to look like you are successful.  Remember, “NOTHING SUCCEEDS LIKE SUCCESS.”  If you want to BE successful, you must FIRST LOOK successful.

Now, I don’t mean you have to go out and buy all new furniture for your photo biz, and a new car, etc.  But what I do mean is that you want things to look like you are really successful.

Simply take everything that doesn’t look “successful” out of your studio client areas.  You don’t want anything to distract from the feeling of success.  For example, don’t have any camera equipment, mail, props, bare prints, etc. laying around.  This is clutter.  And that kind of clutter does not “say” success.

What “says” success is having everything very neat, clean, orderly.

Having nothing out in the “lobby” or other “client areas” that isn’t absolutely imperative to the look and feel of the environment.

Just to be clear, I’ll say it again: everything I’m saying here applies whether you have a store front studio, or have a studio in your home.

Marketing & Selling Key Point #3.  Have your studio look like a home.

You want your studio to look and feel like a home.  You want “home” type furniture around.  This does two important things:

First, it helps a client feel comfortable when she walks into your studio.  And if she feels comfortable, she will be much more likely to work with you, and invest in more photographs

Second, it helps her immediately see how nice your fine photography looks on the walls of a home.  She can think to herself, “Gee, I have a sofa about that size in my home.  Boy, a portrait would look nice over that sofa, just like it looks so nice here….”  That’s the beginning of wall portrait sales.

Marketing & Selling Key Point #4.  Keep the colors in your studio very soft and muted.

You want your portraits to be the most colorful items in your studio.

So, if you specialize in color portraits, I highly recommend you keep all the other tones in your studio very soft, such as off white, or beige, and soft golds, etc.  You want the eye of the viewer who walks into your studio to go immediately to your beautiful portraits on the wall.

Marketing & Selling Key Point #5.  Don’t have samples of different sizes of the same image.

Don’t get trapped into this one!  Many photographers, who don’t know better,  take one family portrait, and print it in all sizes, from 11×14 up to 24×30. They then hang them side by side, so people can see the differences.

All this will do is confuse your clients, and sell you a lot more of the small sizes.  Simply use the projecting to show the clients what the different sizes look like – using the client’s portraits.

Marketing & Selling Key Point #6.  Never, ever have photos sitting on the floor.

I understand that as an “artist” you want to have lots of different images available to you to show perspective clients.  You want them to see how versatile and creative you are.

However, don’t do it.  Not if you are dead serious about making MORE money with LESS work.  Have each of your wall portraits beautifully framed, and presented on the wall, where they belong.  Do NOT ever set photographs on the floor, leaning up against the wall.  This is totally disrespectful to your work, and conveys non-verbally to the client that you do not place a high value on your talent and imagery.

Marketing & Selling Key Point #7.  Each photo must occupy it’s own plane of space.

You want each portrait on the wall to occupy it’s own plane and space.

(I learned this from the great photographer and salesman, Ken Whitmire.)  By this, I mean that you don’t want to have two 30×24’s hung side by side in your studio.  Because both of those images would be occupying the same “plane” of space.  It will be a hundred times more powerful and “artistic” to take those two images down, and replace them with only ONE 30 x40.

Now, sometimes, you will have a long wall, which has a door in it.

Okay, now you can display one wall portrait on one side of the door opening, and another wall portrait on the other side of the door opening.  Because the door “breaks” up the single plane. You also can use potted plants, small trees, etc. between wall portraits on a long wall.

Marketing & Selling Key Point #8.   Be sure your portraits are well lit

Always have some effective lighting, either in the ceiling, or track lighting hung down from the ceiling.  In our studio, almost the ONLY lights in the client areas, are lights which are aimed at the wall portraits.  Remember, you want your portraits to be the brightest items in your studio.

Also, NEVER, EVER have ANY fluorescent lights in your client areas.

Remember, you want your studio to look and feel like a home environment.

I hope this has helped remind you of some of the important aspects of your studio design.   Do this correctly, and prosper beyond your wildest dreams!  Do this incorrectly, and work way too hard for way too little money.  It’s that important.

All the best,

Charles J. Lewis