Author: Bernie Griffiths

Every day as a photography business coach I come across photographers who are thinking about taking some sort of action to progress their photography business.

They and figure everything out and maybe put it all down on paper, but they don’t actually DON’T DO ANYTHING.

Over planning can be a big procrastinator in moving your photography business forward.

In business, you learn by DOING!

Whatever you do, it will never be perfect, but you will learn what to do to make it better.

From experience you learn.

If you have been thinking of doing a “Bernie style Facebook ad”, that is still bringing in thousands of dollars into the bank accounts of the photographers that I am coaching, then do it!

Sometimes you just need to push yourself and take a risk.

Risk failing.

But what comes with risk is a greater financial reward.

You need to get started, and learn the “Art of Test and Measure.”

Do something, some action, because something is better than nothing.

At least you will get a result you can work on.

Small actions can make massive differences in your business.

Work With Me

Level 1 ( Suitable for part time photographers )

Online Course.. 10 places available.

Level 2 ( Suitable for part time photographers to build a successful business model )

Getting Started Course….5 places available.

Level 3 ( Suitable for full time photographers )

Business Boost Coaching Program ….3 places available.

Level 4 ( Suitable for full time photographers )

Signature Coaching Program…3 places available.

Level 5 ( Suitable for photography studio owners )

Signature Plus Coaching Program….2 places available.

When you are ready, ask us for a quote…bernie@aswpp.com.au

Photographer Bradford Rowley made a great point on his Facebook page last week.

This is what he had to say…………

YOU HAVE GOOD MARKETING AND KILLER SALES BUT YOU STILL AREN’T LIVING THE LIFE OF YOUR DREAMS, AND HERE’S WHY…

“Some weeks ago, I was spending time with my sister outside of Chicago. She told me how she really admired the risks I have taken, and how successful I had been (in her eyes anyway) as a result. I told her that the truth is that I fail about 90-95% of the time on everything I ever try. But the difference for me is in those rare times when I do succeed, I exploit it more than almost anyone else, and that is what makes all the difference.

The missing ingredient for most photographers is volume. Massive volume!

Volume is a cure for so many things. Primarily, difficult clients (and we all get them) become so significant when we don’t have volume. I remember when I was first starting out, and a couple client came back into the studio unhappy with their portrait and demanded a refund. I was in my 20’s with a wife and two small children. I was devastated because I needed this money to put food on the table. As they were telling me all they were unhappy with, I was holding back tears from swelling up. That one client held so much power with me.

This morning as I write this post, My calendar has 255 appointments booked in advance. If I have a couple of really difficult clients, it is less than 1% of business on the books and has little effect on me. When the volume isn’t there, every single client becomes so important, so those difficult ones just really hurt. With volume, the hurt goes away.

Another thing is that our industry discourages people from getting volume because they teach gross inefficiencies that keep photographers busy, massively inefficient and low on profits. What other industry has 90% of it’s members depending on a spouse or other source of income to survive? To the contrary, I know 3 photographers in my circle that in the last few months had their husbands quit their jobs because their studios are doing so well.

So it’s time to hit things harder, smarter and more massive than you ever have before. Don’t stop. Don’t become complacent. Be relentless. Your pursuit of volume will fuel a lifestyle that gives you time to do the things you really love in life with those you really love the most to do them with.”

What great advice.

You need lots and lots and lots of customers to build a successful and sustainable photography business.

With the clients I work with (although we would all love to have hundreds of photography sessions across three studios, booked in advance like Bradford) our benchmark is to have a minimum of 20 portrait sessions booked in advance.

Seeing those bookings in your diary means that you have money coming into your bank account in the future.

My Signature Online Course ” Get More Portrait Photography Clients….FAST” has been a great success, and I am going to put up the price in 24 hours.

Need more customers in your photography business? You don’t have to do it alone.

Coaching, online courses, community membership and everything you need to grow a profitable and fulfilling business.

My goal is to take his experience and knowledge over 40 years as a successful photography business owner and internationally recognized educator, and share it with as many photographers as possible. Turning your photography passion into a successful is challenging. It is possible to create a successful business with the right guidance. 

This Get More Portrait Clients….FAST Marketing Course is tailored for photographers who are looking to turn their passion into a profitable business. Through this new course, Bernie will share customer acquisition tools, marketing strategies and sales systems to jump start your photography business.

The Get More Portrait Clients….FAST Marketing Course is an exclusive online interactive coaching course. In this course, you will learn a proprietary 7P’s of a Successful Photography Business, a proven approach to building a successful photography business.

· Coaching: You will receive 2x one hour of ‘face to face’ coaching with me during our online small group coaching sessions. 

· Course Workbook: 40 page contains exercises and resources to support effective and efficient business practices.

· Personalized Photography Business Plan

· Community Membership: access to Bernie’s Inner Circle private Facebook support page where you can connect with like-minded photography business owners

· Customer Acquisition Tools: ready to usedigital customer acquisition advertising that are proven to generate customer leads

·  Digital Marketing Course

·  Certificate of completion

PLUS BONUS Unlimited email support: unlimited email support from Bernie and his team.

GET IT BEFORE THE PRICE GOES UP.

Work hard to rethink and reshape your approach to business in order to incorporate the values required for the task of weeding out the clients you don’t want.

6 major areas that I believe have the greatest impact on this weeding-out process:

Personality and Professionalism

You’re a professional photographer, not an amateur wanting to make a few extra bucks on the weekends (nothing wrong with that, by the way), but someone who has invested time, hard work, and money into the creation of a real business.

You can’t expect your prospects to take you seriously when you’re sending them messages that you are not a serious photography BUSINESS.

They may not consciously notice, but it registers with them nonetheless, in your general demeaner, the way that you dress, and the way that you act, and the level of professional enthusiasm you have for your business.

For example, it’s very easy to get frustrated when things are not going well, but are you allowing your customer to see any hint of that?

Mood and emotion come across very clearly in person, of course, but they can also be felt on the telephone, and even by email.

Even when you write your emails, write them as you would a physical letter in a friendly business tone, and a professional sign-off.

The Look And Personality Of Your Website And Blog

You must have a premium website, but the way it’s presented makes all the difference in the world.

Make sure you are using conversational marketing copy in an effort to build  a relationship with the prospect or are you being “fluffy” and relying on just your photographs no calls to action?

Make a stand and show your difference.

You can’t afford to be the photographer who is willing to do anything and everything, as that comes across as appearing to be desperate.

Focus on one major thing, and aim to be the absolute best you can be at it.

Your Social Footprint

Social media has ingrained itself in our society, and we can’t believe that  there was a time when we didn’t have it.

And that has made us lose sight of what social media really means for business.

First, if you’re using your Facebook personal profile for business, stop it and set up a business page before Facebook finds out and terminates your account.

Next, as business owners we can’t always use social media in the same way others do.

That means keeping religious and political views to ourselves, not bad-mouthing other people, eliminating profanity, and not engaging in those viral “games” that seem so popular at the moment.

As professional photographers, we are our own personal business ambassadors, and it’s important to make sure we put our best social footprint forward, as it were, at all times.

#4: Setting Proper Expectations

One way to make sure you keep a hold of the clients you want is to manage their expectations.

Do they know, from the very beginning of the business relationship, what they should expect from you, and what they can do if those expectations are not met?

Do they also know what you expect from them?

You don’t have to go all “corporate” on them here, but this is where your policies should be clear and unambiguous. For example, what can they expect to happen if they miss an appointment with you, or want to cancel a print order, or need to reschedule a session?

The sooner you can set the right expectations, the better off your business relationships will be.

With respect and trust, comes prestige and a higher perceived value…

Again, the people you should be working with will appreciate this level of openness, while the rest will quietly go their own way.

#5: Pre-Booking Consultations

This is where too many photographers are making a big mistake – by missing out this step altogether.

How are you going to really know if the client is a good fit for you unless you meet them personally, before you allow them to make a booking?

The same applies to them, too.

Meeting prospects face to face gives you the opportunity to make sure they know everything they need to know about you, your business, your policies, how you are the right photographer for them, and what they can expect from you.

You can also discuss every aspect of the process with them, to make them see you truly care about them, and every element that goes into the creation of your photography.

As before, this will weed out the remainder of the people you probably don’t want to work with, while keeping the ones who really resonate with you.

#6: The Client Experience

Finally, what is the experience of working with you like for your clients?

Are you over-delivering in every conceivable way, and wowing your clients to the point that they can’t help but rave about you?

What could you do to make the experience of working with you utterly exceptional?

Think about your own experiences with other businesses.

Who would you rave about to your friends, and why?

Which businesses have you dealt with lately that have been, well, totally forgettable?

Trust me, your clients are not going to talk excitedly to their friends about you unless you totally screw up (not a good thing) or you sweep them off their feet.

I Deliberately Missed Out Price

Note that I did not include price as a means to filter your prospects and clients.

Why is that?

Because price should be the very last factor upon which a client bases her decision on whether or not to work with you…

If she doesn’t have the money to work with you, that’s one thing, but if the decision comes down to comparing your prices with another photographer, then you’ve failed somewhere in the communication process to establish a relationship, build trust, and demonstrate the intangible value of working with you.

I hope this has helped give you something to think about – this is one area that many photographers are neglecting, meaning that you have a wonderful opportunity to be different and shine.

Last week I spoke about how a strong BELIEF and an unmovable VISION were the two of the keys to a successful photography business.

Lots of you watched the video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5h0YVeO9Gw&t=1214s about Murielle, who is based in a low demographic outer suburb, but has enormous success.

She speaks in the video of a $10,000 portrait sale the video, but has done a $23,000 portrait sale a few months ago. 

I have invited Murielle to a live group session via Zoom so that we can find out more about how she does it.

You wont believe the sales she gets from her small home studio.

How did she get her BELIEF?

Join like minded photographers in this video in our group meeting “Getting Belief” session.

Watch video here… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1kJVidTq28Q&t=198s

If you lack confidence in your business, and especially in your selling your photography…..DON’T MISS THIS!!

Questions? Contact us today +61 418 509 228

I’m sorry, I really don’t like saying this….

But many photography businesses around the world may be coming to an abrupt end.

In the last 12 months I have seen so many photographers walk away from their dreams as their photography businesses have collapsed around them.

The causes have been many, including the breaking down of family relationships, lack of customers, getting sick of the struggle, bad sales, or they simply ran out of ideas to keep their business afloat.

So the burning question is, how do some photographers thrive while others don’t survive?

I have thought long and hard about discovering the answer to this question.

Answer…..an unmovable VISION and a strong BELIEF.

Those photographers who have great photography businesses believe that they are going to succeed, they believe that what they do is valuable, they believe in the value of their work, they believe in their role to supply their customers with lifetime memories, and they believe and search for people to help them on their journey.

PLUS…….

They have a vision in their head of what their business will look like each time they decide to grow it.

One such photographer is Murielle Sassine.

Based in a low demographic outer suburb, Murielle’s success is mind blowing!

She shows her images on a 34 inch TV screen, doesn’t use ProSelect, and yet sells heaps of wall prints.

She also works from home in a converted single garage.

She has sold over $37,449 worth of products in a single month.Pretty good for someone that runs her photography business without any staff to help her.

Yep, she does it ALL by herself.

Check out this video where Murielle tells how she does it…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5h0YVeO9Gw&t=1268s 

She has since not only done that $10,000 portrait sale that we spoke about in the video, but has done many around that figure plus a $23,000 portrait sale a few months ago.

Two of her sales just last week included a $8,300 sale and a $4,895 sale.

How did she get the leads?

How does she do her sales sessions?

The 2 keys to her success are VISION and BELIEF.

You will not believe what is possible.

Get energized and watch the video.

Need help to get BELIEF?

Join like minded photographers in our next group “Getting Belief” session.

Simply email BELIEF to mailto:bernie@aswpp.com.au for details

Bernie Griffiths Photography Business Coach

www.berniegriffiths.com <http://www.berniegriffiths.com>

bernie@aswpp.com.au <mailto:info@aswpp.com.au>

+61418509228

I wrote this article a few years ago and put it as a Blog on my studio website. It was intended to give my potential clients a better insight into the photography industry and to show them why photographers prices vary so much.

So How Much Do Photographs Cost?

Just because someone owns a camera doesn’t mean they know how to use it.

In the digital age, where anyone with an iPhone and a Facebook page can market himself or herself as a photographer, it is important to find a photographer that you can trust to capture your memories. After all, those precious moments disappear in a flash.

When considering a photographer, it is a good idea for you to find out about the photographer, their experience, reputation, and business policies.

Photographers’ prices tend to be based on an industry standard equivalent to their skill and experience.

Photography Techniques You May Not Know.

Good Professional photographers do a lot more than point and shoot, hoping to get a great image.

If you are looking for experts in the field of photography, they have the knowledge, expertise and equipment to produce high-quality images that produce creative, perfectly printed portraits.

General-use cameras continue to improve, and so does the equipment used by professionals.

If you want images to frame and put on your wall, quality albums or even digital files to do it all yourself, be aware that a professional-quality printing service can provide much better prints than those you might get at the local discount store.

Archival Photographs Or Digital Files?

Professional cameras produce images of much higher resolution than standard cameras, and professional lighting techniques, and understanding of light, can make the difference between a so-so image and an image that can “pop” off your wall.

Using more flattering angles and unique perspectives and settings, clearly separate “real” photographers apart from their amateur or part time counterparts.

Professional photographers use refined editing techniques to clear up imperfections and provide controlled contrast and colour balance.

Professional printing companies have the right equipment and correction services and supply a range of archival photography materials such as metallic and art papers, Italian canvas, acrylic, and more.

If your prints from a discount store fade over a short period of time, don’t be surprised, as only a professional photographer will supply you with your photographs on lifetime archival paper.

The Hidden Risk You Take

Good full time professional photographers have strong reputations, since what they do is both personal and creative, and image-based. Their work is easy to check out on their website or Facebook page, and look for a photographer that specialises in the particular genre that you want photographed.

Do your research to find a professional who works in the style you want for a price that you are willing to pay.

Set up a consultation appointment with those whose work seems to be what you like. Use this initial meeting to find out more about the photography experience, products and pricing.

When looking at the work, take note of the style and variety of images, and how that matches your personal preferences. Pay attention to poses, angles, lighting and other techniques.

Check a photographer’s Facebook reviews, references, and written testimonials.

Being a member of a professional photography organization shows a level of commitment to grow a photography business and keep skills current.

The photographer is also bound by a set of professional rules of practice, a code of ethics, and adequate public liability insurance. The organization also certifies photographers, which involves submitting photos and reaching a certain high standard. It’s like the difference between being an accountant and a CPA.

How To Get The Best From Your Photography Session

You will find that most part time inexperienced photographers offer very little customer service, and so will put your images on an online gallery for you to make your selections.

Obviously when they do this you will be unable to ask them any relevant questions about the images like cropping, removing unwanted facial blemishes, making the images black and white etc.

Personal “one on one” purchasing sessions is the way that the better photographers will help, guide and advise you on getting the best from your images.

Let’s face it, the only time that you can decide on what you want, is when you see the photographs that your photographer has taken.

So keep an open mind on how much you intend to spend. Most people tend to spend a lot more than they had anticipated once they see their photographs.

You Want A Guarantee Don’t You?

Most photographers charge a fee of around $95-$250 for the photography session, at their studio or at an outdoor location. Newborn sessions usually take a lot longer, so expect these fees to be higher.

Individual small print and digital file prices can vary from as little as $35 each for the part time hobbyist photographer to $195 and above for an experience award winning Master Photographer.

If you are looking for a photographer to produce stunning décor photographs for your wall to add that warm personal touch to your surroundings, choose a photographer who specialises in wall art, and shows examples on their website.

Expect prices from $1,000 and upwards. It is common for some clients of the top photographers to spend upwards of $5,000 and more on photographs for their wall. Make sure that any wall products that you order come with at least a 10 year guarantee. This is normal procedure with full time photographers, but you are unlikely to get this with a part time one.

Purchasing wall art is like buying furniture for your home. Quality always comes at a higher price.

Connecting By Phone Is The Key

You should definitely shop around and find a photographer whose work you really like, rather than simply making your decision based on the cheapest price.

If you do go with a lower rate, make sure the photographer you hire has the skills and experience you are seeking and produces a reasonable quality of work.

There is a price to be paid for a good professional photographer, and as the old saying goes you almost always “get what you pay for”.

Beautiful lasting memories on your wall don’t happen by chance, they happen with an appointment.

Calling the photographer and having a 5 minute chat is the quickest way to have all of your questions answered, and to find out if they are the right “mix” to preserve your priceless memories.”

Article by Bernie Griffiths from Advanced Success for Wedding and Portrait Photographers.

Copyright 2017