1. The better my photography is, the more money I will make.
This is just not true. We are “photographers” so we think that if we make our photographs really, really good, we will make more money.
Of course you want to do everything to make your photography the very best it can be. This will be an ongoing project. You have to be proud of your product and service, and your customers do have to like your work.
By itself is no guarantee of your of success. You must have some selling strategies in place to maximize your sales.
Selling is not pressure. Selling is not bad. It’s not trickery. You’re never going to trick someone into buying something they don’t want.
Selling, is “finding out what people want, and helping them to get it at a price that they are willing to pay.”
2. If I do a really good job, my customer will tell all their friends, and I’ll have all the business that I want.
Wrong again. Do you honestly believe that all of our customers will be so happy with what we do, that they will tell everyone they know, and we’ll be swamped with business. This is not the case.
You need a marketing plan to create business. This is normal in any small or large business. Do MacDonalds advertise a lot. Of course they do.They know that if they stop advertising, people will stop buying their products.
3. If I just keep my prices a little lower than my competition, I will be able to take some of their business away.
This is a big mistake. We just don’t realize how wrong this is , until we put our prices up higher than our local competitors.The key is to charge more for your photography than most or all of your competitors, and then learn how to sell it. This way, you can spend more time with each of your customers, and make sure the work that you do is is up to the standard that you are happy with.You will also have more pride in your work.
4 If I let my customers take their proofs home, or put them online, they will show them to all of their friends, and I’ll get heaps more business.
When you have photographed someone, you should continue with your professionalism, and help and guide your customer to make the right decisions. You can only do this by do this by getting them back into the studio and presenting their images to them, in a personal “face to face” environment.
Need some advice? info@berniegriffiths.com