© Marceliano Munoz
Articles
The Formula For Portrait Sales Success
Behind every successful business is an effective system. After more than 35 years, Hudson's Portrait Design has established proven techniques for not only achieving sales, but also building strong relationships for repeated bookings.
Now, the father/son duo Bruce and Josh Hudson share the blueprint to that successful system in a few easy steps:
- Marketing. In any business, you need to create desire for your products and set yourself apart. So don’t be afraid to show people your work and display its originality. Market based on accumulated insights into your market; any data is useful data.
- First contact. The first call or email from a potential customer is a critical step, so the Hudsons have created scripts providing answers to standard questions about pricing and more. These first impressions allow the photographer to determine the client’s expectations and discuss ballpark pricing; once this is out of the way, they’ll book a consultation session.
- Consultation. This face-to-face meeting establishes the artistic direction for the portrait session and how the client wishes the photos to look. During these sessions, it’s important that you introduce the client to the studio’s processes and options. Make sure to ask many questions and schedule a go-see to the client’s home for spatial reference. At the end of the meeting, book a portrait session and collect the deposit.
- Portrait session. Using the information gathered in the go-see session, the Hudsons shoot specifically for the client so make sure they’re satisfied. The Hudsons create everything with a purpose, based on up-front interactions with the client.
- Projection sales. A sales session is less about selling and more about selecting the final images and products. During this time, Bruce or Josh will project a slideshow containing the images at actual size set to music. They’ll work with the client to edit the final products, size them, and close out the order.
Read the full article on Professional Photographer Magazine to get more information on creating a successful business model. Don’t forget to join PPA to get the latest photography tips and news.