photography business tips

How Using Email Effectively Can Help Grow Your Portrait Photography Business

November 19, 2015 1 Comment

We, as photographers, might tell our clients’ stories through pictures, but written and verbal communications are also essential to the work we do. Without top-notch verbal communication skills, we couldn’t put our clients at ease to capture them at their best. Those initial emails with a prospective client or the prompt follow-up email to a repeat customer can build and sustain a thriving business.

Connecticut-based photographer, Anna Sawin, has been helping other photographers compose effective emails since her days as a public relations officer, and she took time with us to explain how email can be used to efficiently grow a photography business.

Who are you and what do you do?

After years of writing speeches and letters for executives in higher education and the pharmaceutical world, I now spend my days photographing families and weddings on the New England shoreline.

But with my background in communications, I had become the unofficial go-to letter writer for my photographer friends and their sticky client situations. Penning these kinds of letters on a regular basis told me there was a need for my first product, the Wedding Photographer’s Inbox Solution. Adding those email templates to my own collection of photographer’s marketing materials, workflows, questionnaires and client correspondence grew into the launch of Pencil & Lens.

After launching products aimed at wedding photographers, the portrait photographers got in touch. They wanted their inbox solution too! It was my great pleasure to release the Portrait Photographer’s Inbox Solution, Volume 1 this fall. It’s a digital download collection of more than 30 email templates for the portrait photographer, from first inquiry to file delivery. I plan to follow up with Volume 2 and 3 in the winter months, dealing with some of the stickier client questions we all face as portrait photographers, from pricing to reshoots to RAW files and more.

Why do you think using email effectively can help grow your portrait photography business?

As a business owner, your success and reputation is influenced by the style, quality and grace of your client communication. None of us became photographers so we could answer an endless stream of emails from clients, relatives of clients and wedding vendors, but…they keep coming. And they all need a prompt, courteous and well-written response. Future clients will judge our words before they’ve met us, and in some cases, before they’ve seen a single image.

And if you only photograph pets and you get an inquiry for wedding photography? Well, if you’ve answered them quickly and courteously, they might just remember you and your exceptional customer service when it comes time for their puppy portraits.

You’ve all had the experience of a client saying “Great job today!” before they’ve seen a single frame, right? Because you wowed them with your professionalism, your on-the-spot problem solving and your ability to make it easy and comfortable for them, right? You might not even have had a memory card in your camera, but they’re ready to write you a positive review because of how you made them feel about you and your business. Writing professional email messages is the same thing. Since so much of our communication with clients happens via the written word, well-written words are one the best tools a portrait photographer can use to promote and grow their business.

Can you give us an example of a snippet or a story where email saved a client relationship?

A classic example of how an email can help save a client relationship might be the “more for less” client. You know the one. Perhaps you offer 15-minute mini-sessions designed for that one awesome holiday card photo, and your language clearly speaks to this kind of session as best for kiddos over 2. But then once mom has booked the appointment, she casually mentions she’ll also be looking for “just a few” newborn shots during this outdoor mini-session in November, oh, and the family dog is coming as well.

An email response to her here will do three things:

Manage her expectations about what you can reasonably accomplish in the current terms of the session;
Advise her on her choices to resolve her ambitious goals (i.e., schedule a separate session for the newborn, book a double mini-session or a full session to accommodate the extra requests) and;
Remind her firmly and graciously that you are the expert. In other words, you aren’t willing to wing it, you know how this will turn out if you let her show up with unrealistic expectations, and you are kindly advising her on what will and will not work.

Can you give an example of a tough situation faced by a portrait photographer that may be answered by having an email template?

Sure—a really common one that comes up with repeat customers is when you’ve raised your prices. Having a graceful way to say it can make things go far more smoothly with your future relationship with this client.

Another scenario would be about dissatisfaction—perhaps the client doesn’t like how he or she looks, or how the children look in the photos. Addressing and validating their concerns with both email correspondence and verbal communication can go a long way towards solving the problem.

Thank you, Anna, for these very insightful and thoughtful points!

If you’re ready to answer all those emails clogging your inbox or you need to reach out to a prospective client, check out Anna’s email templates for download on her Pencil & Lens website.

And feel free to contact us for your album needs, we love to communicate by email as well! 🙂

The Art of the In-Person Sale for Photographers

October 8, 2015 1 Comment

Artist. Creative professional. Visual designer. Business owner. These are probably the first terms that come to mind when someone asks you for your job description as a photographer. I’m guessing, however, that salesperson might not be at the top of the list, even though it is a big part of what you do every time you meet face-to-face with a new client.

This week, we sat down with Steve Saporito to discuss how photographers can hone their sales acumen and steer clients into buying albums for their images. Steve runs Intuition to Succeed, an online mentoring program that focuses on developing in-person sales skills for photographers.

What do you do?

My focus is to empower wedding and portrait photographers to move past the blocks they have about their businesses with clear, actionable systems that have been tried, proven, and replicated in any location. The focus is to build value in the photographic experience for the client and to create desire for our products and services.

How do you define in-person sales?

Fundamentally, an in-person sale [design consultation] is about discovering who the client really is and what they want. From there, it is up us to help our clients design the perfect artwork for them. It is not about what we want; it is about finding the perfect solution for them, and [that] needs to be the most exciting part of their photographic experience. Remember that a client has made themselves vulnerable to us and will be nervous about seeing themselves for the first time [in photos], so it is important to have someone who can coach them on all the things they need to focus on and consider so that they are better educated on how to buy photography.

The important distinction here is to determine what the client places value on as opposed to what we value. These values may be very different in many cases, and [this] is usually the reason why clients do not buy, even though we believe that we have given them an incredible shoot.

What is your #1 piece of advice for in-person sales for photographers?

Never focus on the money. Focus on adding as much value to the client’s experience as you possibly can. The money is a result of the value that you have given to your client. When you focus on understanding what the client values and then ensure that you are giving it to them, the money will come.

Any other tips you’d like to share?

In the client’s mind, the in-person sale is the most important part of their photographic experience. It’s our job to use our professional experience to pull it all together to exceed expectations. They borrow confidence from us that they are making the right decisions, and they feed off of our energy and attitude toward the sale. Some assistance and honest encouragement makes a huge difference to a client’s confidence and ability to make decisions about their artwork that they will be proud to display in their home and the perception of the value of the service that they have received.

Also, projection sales software is pivotal, like Fundy’s Gallery Designer software. Many I have trained have tried various sales software, but switching to a system that allows you to project to true to size is monumental. The combination of using a projector and the software that can show a client their wall art at-scale is imperative. That alone has been a fundamental game changer to higher average sales, no matter what the country or economic situation.

Do you have advice specifically for introverts or ”non-salesy-types?”

The setup and planning of your design consolation space is important. Having the set up right so that it subliminally sells for you adds to the client’s experience and makes it easy for clients to want what you have to offer.

Thank you, Steve, for this incredibly valuable information! We know that every photographer can benefit from all the tips you have shared with us.

Interested in learning more about Steve Saporito and his techniques to increase your selling skills? You can find him on his site at intuitiontosucceed.academy/us/.

If you’re interested in learning more about all the ways Lush and Fundy can help you put beautiful albums in your clients’ hands, you can visit us here: www.lushalbums.com/how-to-get-started/

Building a Referral Network – an interview with Becker

September 24, 2015 1 Comment

It doesn’t matter how talented a photographer you are if you don’t have the clients to grow and sustain a business. Meeting other photographers in the field who can refer you to new clients is a great way to cultivate your business (and can become friends to talk to who understand!) But, we know that networking can be intimidating if you’re more comfortable behind the camera instead of at the forefront of a self-marketing campaign.

Because creating a referral network is so essential to having a healthy photography business, we turned to wedding photographer extraordinaire Chris Becker or “Becker” who has assembled his own vast network over the years and is always ready to provide great advice to others in the field.

How have you built your brand around referral-building?

“I have been committed to helping other photographers for my entire career. When I started my business way back in the 90s the local photographers were super mean to me. I made a promise that if I ever made anything of myself, I would be the kind of guy to help people up instead of trying to hold them down.”

What does building a referral network mean to you?

“Building a solid network is all about finding win-win solutions. And I hate to use win-win, because it’s such a cliche, but it’s true. All parties involved need to benefit from the relationship or it just won’t last. I’ve always been an advocate of networking with my so-called competition. I also made sure to try to help out the other wedding vendors with image files or links to their websites before I ask for anything in return.”

What are the top tips that you have to help photographers build a network?

“Be bold and put yourself out there. Wallflowers have a hard time getting noticed and making connections. Also, come at it from the angle that you want to help others before you ask for their help.”

Any other thoughts on building vs. nurturing relationships?

“It doesn’t happen overnight. Relationships (of all types) take time and effort. And you can’t win them all. Some relationships aren’t fruitful, and that’s OK; you really can’t win ‘em all. Focus your energy on the good ones and ignore the rest.”

Besides being an immensely talented photographer, Becker also moonlights as a business coach and fitness instructor. Although, if you asked him now, he’s most proud of recently becoming a dad. If you’d like more information on Becker, you can find him on his blog, his coaching site or his fitness site.

Follow him on Instagram @thebecker.

Thank you, Becker, and congrats on the new addition!

How Finding the Right Photography Programs can Save you Time

September 17, 2015 Leave a Comment

The day-to-day routine for a photographer can be hectic—with photo shoots, images to edit, blogging and marketing campaigns . . . not to mention all the follow-up and hand-holding that your clients sometimes need. We know that the thought of putting together an album while you’re in the midst of running your business can be the very last thing on your mind. But, fortunately, so many photography programs are out there, geared toward making your life easier. We thought we’d share a few of our favorites with you.

Incorporating these smart software options into your daily workflow can truly enhance your business experience and create more time for you to give your clients personal attention.

Photo Mechanic

We love Photo Mechanic because of all its little time-saving features. You can quickly cull through your images, sort them, tag them, and prep them for editing. The customize tool is great for organization because it lets you file photos based on the criteria you set up for them.

Photo Mechanic also uses embedded JPGs and RAW files to view images so that you can cut out the time spent on previews. Oh, and the export feature is pretty great too. You can transfer selected photos to any editing program, which is really helpful when you need to keep track of all those wedding images you’re sending to a post-processing service.

Adobe Lightroom

Lightroom is great for quickly editing images. It uses a non-destructive editing processes to allow you to retouch your images in the most efficient way. You can create presets and apply one to a group of images, perfect for color correction or converting a set to black and white. If necessary, Lightroom also allows you to seamlessly bring your favorites into Photoshop for more advanced editing.

Fundy Design Software

Fundy is a wonderful, multifaceted, time-saving tool that lets you import your finished images and easily design your albums. You can also compose collages to enhance your blogs and other social media sites. You can even conceive professional wall art for your clients and showcase this art in real room situations. Oh, and Fundy holds a special place in our heart because you can create and order Lush albums right through the software program!

What smart programs do you use to save time in your photography business? We would love to know! And don’t hesitate to contact us when it comes to making your albums!

Why you should Blog your Finished Albums

September 10, 2015 Leave a Comment

You urge your clients to put their sessions into albums not just because those albums serve as neat, portable ways to keep their images together, but also because those albums turn their photo shoots into tangible stories of their most important life events.

And, just as the album is a keepsake for clients, it can be a really good marketing tool for you. Those albums can make for perfect blog content.

Show What You Can Do

What makes the album blog post so perfect is that so much of your work is already done—you already have those images arranged in a meaningful way. All you have to do is recount that session and explain what made working with these clients such a wonderful experience.

Blogging your albums can show potential clients what you can do, beyond just an explanation of your services. Clients can actually see your past work and know what they’re going to get when they decide to purchase an album.

Telling a Story

The album itself is the jumping off point for the post. Whether the album was a newborn session, a family get together, or a milestone birthday, the album illustrates a story about what’s available to your prospective clients. You may have already done a traditional blog post about the shoot itself, but this allows that story to be translated into a product.

Remember, an album is something they can touch and feel and take home. But they want to see examples of that before they invest the money in it. A blog post with images of the finished album and page layouts can be far more helpful to prospective clients than any usual descriptive list of options.

Along with the album images, write about what was going on behind the scenes. Point out your favorite moments and why they made it into the album. Give a little info about your clients’ personalities and what made working with them such a wonderful experience. For prospective clients, this content lets them know how you work and can help them imagine what their own sessions will be like and the types of images they’ll get in their own albums.

Learn more here: http://buattiramos.com/blog/lush-albums

Above all else, make sure your album markets you. You must distinguish yourself and show clients how their experience working with you on their albums will be beneficial to them. Put in your personality and your passion, and they are sure to be impressed.

Now, get out there and create!