© Linda Long
Articles
A Blueprint for Photography Business Success
In order to create a successful business, you need to have a reliable, stable system in place. Here's a step-by-step guide to help you attract loyal customers and make a dependable sales system.
- Marketing. Create a need for your product. Don’t be afraid to flaunt your work to friends and family, and accentuate your art’s uniqueness, quality, and technique. Gather marketing data to understand your target audience, and use that information to base your marketing system on.
- First contact. The first step to acquiring a new client is to call or email them. Build a relationship with them and create excitement over their future shoot. It’s also a good time to discuss their price range, what they hope to accomplish from professional photography and to answer any of their questions about products or in-person sales. During this time, you want to aim to book a consultation session.
- Consultation. During a face-to-face meeting with a client discuss the details of the shoot. Show them around your studio and get them comfortable with the area. Educate them about your products, how the photo shoot will work, and your studio’s policies. Afterward, schedule a go-see to the client’s home so you can get an idea of how a portrait will look in the space. Then book the session and gather the deposit fee.
- Portrait session. Now is the time to bring your artistic vision to life. Focus on creating a memorable experience for the customer in order to give the produced images more meaning and more value. Keep the client’s home in mind, so you can create art that will fit perfectly in their home.
- Projection sales. This session is all about picking the final images and what products the client is interested in. Project the photos at actual size in order to properly present them. Work with the client as you edit, size, and close the order.
- Delivery. Hand-delivering a client’s images adds a personal touch to your services. It also serves as a ‘thank you’ to the customer for picking you to share in memorializing their beautiful image.
- On-going relationship. You should aim to make a one-time customer a repeating, faithful client. Once the sale has been closed, keep in touch with your clients in order to keep your services in their minds.
Read the full article in Professional Photographer magazine. If you're not already a PPA member, don't forget to join PPA to get the latest advice and news in the photography world!