Why do you want to have your own photography business? Do you like the thought of having more spare time? How about just working the hours that you want? Having a holiday whenever you feel like it? Having freedom? Making a great income? Working the hours that you want?
When you become a professional photographer, you are no longer just a photographer! You are a marketer, salesperson, accountant, Photoshop and Lightroom expert, copywriter, customer relations person and business owner.
Your destiny is well and truly in your hands!
Photography is becoming increasingly competitive, so it’s essential to be savvy with your marketing to keep a constant flow of customers coming in the door.
Many people think they’re a professional photographer, but they cannot manage to maintain a steady flow of income.
Having creative talent is just not enough – there are too many struggling photographers, because photography can be a tough and competitive business.
Photography, like any business, requires a good marketing plan, expertise in handling customers and have good sales skills.
I have owned a photography studio specialising in weddings and portraits, for over 40 years, and now I am an International Photography Business Coach.
I feel that today’s photographers trying to break into the industry, do so without learning the basic business principles needed to succeed.
So many people pick up a camera and with little or no experience in the photography industry call themselves professional photographers, simply because someone commented on Facebook that they take amazing photos and could make money from it.
To experienced professionals, this is one of the leading causes of frustration as it creates a lack of respect for the industry.
There are many different ways that photographers operate their businesses. It may be from a commercial property or from home, but the principles for business success remains the same.
A solid business foundation is vital if you are starting a photography business if it’s to be successful in the long run.
So what are the materials that we have to gather to build that foundation for a successful business in photography?
You should have a simple structured price list that leads the customer to buy your core products, which in turn will help maximise your sales.
Forget what you would like the customer to buy. Let them decide on what they want based on the information that you have given them.
Do not prejudge what the customer can or cannot afford. Don’t think that the customer doesn’t have the money to invest a lot in photography. This is a big mistake. I have known a customer deprive themselves of a new car, choosing rather to spend thousands with me, on family photographs.
By not prejudging a customer, you can open your mind to the possibility that this customer will come back again and again over the years. Let your presentation be carried by this excitement, enthusiasm, and belief.
If you dress for success, the customer is more likely to take your higher prices seriously. I don’t mean over the top, but I do mean that you should dress professionally. Whether you are male or female dress appropriately at all times. It will have a positive effect on you, your business and your value.
You must practice your selling system. I used to role-play with friends or staff members, to perfect my presentation, right up to getting the money. You must build your confidence before you present yourself to your customers.
In my own business I developed a very effective yet simple Soft Sell System, which I now as a photography business coach, I teach my clients around the world with fantastic sales results.
A holistic approach is necessary because a photographers success depends on a multitude of factors all being present at the same time.
So what constitutes a solid foundation? There are four key areas to focus on to give your photography business base it needs to facilitate growth.
Positioning
You are trying to sell something intangible…something that doesn’t exist until you press the shutter and take the photographs, so you have to build trust.
What is positioning, and why is it so important?
It’s about Defining yourself and your business.
It’s about being professional in every aspect of your photography business.
We live in a world where we are exposed almost every minute with thousands of images, messages, ideas, and other people’s opinions.
You need to define yourself and your business so that you will feel more comfortable in your business and will have a clearer direction.
What is special about what you do, how you do it, what you believe in, and what you produce?
What makes you different from everyone else?
Do you offer a special service, or have a unique way of taking the photographs that give all of your images a different look.
I know in the good old film days I used to use a square format Hasselblad camera but so did lots of other photographers, so I bought a Hasselblad X Pan camera, and I used to shoot panoramic images throughout a wedding.
In my advertising material and all of my displays, I used these photographs to give me a point of difference.
Do you have a specific genre that you photograph?
Maybe you have an unusual studio location like in a church, or maybe you are on a large acreage in the country.
The general public is more and more feeling that they don’t need a professional photographer.
Maybe it’s because of all the “selfies” and such being taken with phones – the style of photography people are looking for has changed.
GRAB MY FREE BOOK HERE “The Ultimate Guide To Starting a Photography Business.”
Final Words
If you are a passionate photographer, simply having creative talent may not be enough for you to build the photography business of your dreams.
Photography can be a tough and competitive business, and like any business requires a good marketing plan, expertise in handling customers and having good sales skills.
Having owned a photography studio specialising in weddings and portraits, for over 40 years, and now as an International Photography Business Coach, I feel the challenge for today’s photographers in trying to earn a good income from their photography is to learn the business principles that are needed to succeed.
Despite all the doom and gloom that lies around the photography industry at present, I believe that there has never been a better time than now, to build a Successful Portrait Business.
There are great financial and satisfying career rewards for those who persist, get the right advice, and follow their dreams.
Bernie Griffiths Photography Business Coach
Over 40 years of owning three successful wedding/portrait photography studios, Bernie Griffiths educates, coaches and mentors photographers around the world to help grow their businesses and create a better life.
GRAB MY FREE BOOK HERE “The Ultimate Guide To Starting a Photography Business.”