What is it about photographers and selling? Even some of the very best photographers are not good at selling. Possibly, it embarrasses them to sing their own praises. They would probably prefer to stick to photography. That means if they want to maximize their sales – get paid what they’re worth – they’ll need to find someone else to do the selling for them. In this chapter, I will tell you how we do it and why we feel comfortable with our system even though we are photographersnot ‘sales people.’

But first let’s take a look at what our clients expect. Sales strategies come and go like wedding photography styles and it’s important to keep up with the trends in retail sales systems. Your clients are subjected to these ‘new’ systems every day so youtoo must be in tune with what triggers today’s buying decisions. Nothing is really new in sales, it’s more a case of some things are‘in’ and some ‘out.’ They either work or they don’t.

It wasn’t long ago that the dominant sales tactic in our industry focused on an ‘up-sell’ strategy. Up-selling is the process of pre- selling a cheaper package and then later convincing the client to spend more than they intended. The public have wised up to this and now the tide has turned. Let me explain…

In the 1990s, clients of wedding photographers often went to a viewing to see their pictures, quite unaware that they were going to be subjected to an up-sell session. Worse still, the only way they could have the pictures they wanted, in the album they wanted, was to pay a lot more money to the photographer. Often, this sum was as much as the original fee or even more. I know it sounds ridiculous, but the public became used to the‘up sell’ and tolerated it. Photographers justified the system as a means of performance-related pay. This is the sales model thatwas used at the booking stage:

The rapport element (greeting) of this sales model is a well-rehearsed handshake with eye contact, a gentle but positive nod of the head, and a welcoming gesture. Offer hospitality and link swiftly into…

The presentation. This is where the salespersons deliver a slick presentation of the services and products they have to offer. This presentation is delivered in an environment where the salesperson holds court and is in control.

Next comes the close. This is the process of manipulating the prospect until a buying decision is reached. Persuasive techniques are used, such as dealing with each obvious objection in turn and then seeking out hidden objections and dealing with them too. This is followed with a ‘trial close,’ and if still not successful a few more haggles later, a ‘full close’ is sought. A trial close might be ‘What color album would you like?’ To which the salesperson hopes to get a response like ‘We’ll have a black album please.’ This would trigger a close response, perhaps the line ‘How would you like to pay; credit card or check?’

The viewing session sales model is similar but with a few more manipulative techniques thrown in. Pitching husband against wife was a classic one, with the salesperson saying something like ‘If you let Mark have those car pictures you can have the extra shoe detail shot that you know you want.’ Another killer technique was through customer profiling. If the clients arrived in a mainstream regular car the salesperson might say “Everyone loves this album, it’s so classic yet current.” If, however, the client arrived in an individual car that was not mainstream the sales pitch for the same album would be ‘This album is different, not to everyone’s liking but shows an individuality through a unique design.’ And so on… You get the picture.

In the current era – the ‘noughties’ – clients have wised up to manipulative sales techniques and now the most successful strategies are based on a motivational and consultative system.

The emphasis is on creating a sincere rapport and trust. This part of the process takes much longer than in the previous model. That’s because it involves listening to your client and delivering goods or services that meet their needs. It’s a much less stressful system that can be delivered by anyone without the need for special training. So if you don’t consider yourself a salesperson welcome to sales in the noughties! It’s fun, uses genuine principles, and builds long-term relationships with clients. Saleshappen up front at the enquiry stage. A prospect is listened to and their needs are fully understood. Then a package that meets their needs is offered and all likely extras are disclosed. The close is an automatic procedure that follows. A typical phrase used by the salesperson during the presentation stage might be ‘Damien& Julie will take hundreds of pictures at your wedding and you will love them all. Expect to spend an extra £2000 on pictures inyour album plus another £1200 for parent’s albums. (Trial close) Are you happy with this?’ If the answer is positive, the clients are then guided through the contract.

The viewing where the clients eventually get to choose their wedding pictures then becomes an order taking process instead of a sales session. A more subtle use of music, and a low pressure, fun atmosphere allows clients to relax and really enjoy the process without the sinking feeling the next day of havingbeen ripped off. Ask, rather than sell, is the key to this system. When a client tells you what they want, the close is automatic. Then if you go on to exceed their expectations, they become your friends for life. The one tip that is universally suited to all retail and service-based businesses is ‘under-promise and over-deliver.’ Do this at every stage of your client experience and you too will soon have an army of raving fans.

HOW WE DO IT

The initial follow-up

This is the first step on the road to converting a prospect into a client. Remember, a prospect is a pre-qualified lead. They can afford you; they like your work; and you are available to photograph their wedding. It is important to get the opportunity to speak directly with either the bride or groom as early as possible in the sales process. Prepare well before picking up the phone. Have all the details about the wedding to hand. Have your diary open at the relevant page, have a pen and paper and most importantly have plenty of uninterrupted time ahead of you. This phone call will often last half an hour or more, so plan for this carefully. Julie always makes the initial follow-up calls for us. This has allowed her to become an expert at this stage of the process. Start with the end in mind, have a clear objective and a route you want the conversation to take.

Introduce yourself and ask if it is convenient to talk. If it isn’t, ask for a time and a contact number when you can call back. Above all, sound enthusiastic and ‘smile down the phone’ because successful selling is often considered to be the transfer of enthusiasm. If it’s a good time to talk, start by congratulating the bride or groom on their decision to get married. That’s a remark they’ll be used to by now, and shouldn’t be overlooked.

Be genuinely interested in their wedding and ask questions about the details and run of events. Listen carefully, making notes as you go.

There are certain messages you should be picking up on and holding back for later in the conversation. If for instance the ceremony is at noon, the guests will be expecting to eat shortly afterwards and the time between the ceremony and the meal will be tight. This may cause problems and restrict your opportunities. If the reception is in a marquee in the garden of the bride’s parents’ home you need to qualify what arrangements have been made for photography in a wet weather scenario. This will determine how high photography is on the couple’s agenda. Group pictures in marquees rarely look spectacular, especially if the majority of the marquee is full of tables laid up for dinner. Equally, the bride’s parents’ home has little relevance to the groom’s family and might be out of bounds to muddy feet anyway. There may be other solutions you can suggest like making use of a neighbor’s hay barn or the function rooms of a local golf club en route from the church to the reception. Stay positive and think creatively and you’ll be able to provide free valuable information. If the timings of the wedding day are set in stone and make it difficult to take the pictures you know are needed, then don’t be afraid to suggest that the couple try another photographer. Say something like ‘I know how important photography is for you and under the circumstances of yourwedding day, it is going to be very difficult for us to exceed your expectations. I therefore suggest you have a look at the work of other photographers who specialize in your kind of wedding. You may find you can save yourselves some money in the process and allocate this to other aspects of your day.’ Do not make specific recommendations, however, because this still associates your brand with the wedding and it may have repercussions.

When the wedding details sound favorable and you have managed to strike up a good rapport then it is important to take the conversation further down your route. Your objective is to re-confirm the qualifying criteria by asking ‘Have you seen our prices? Do you know what is included for that sum? Do you like the pictures you have seen of ours so far?’ If it’s yes, yes, yes, go on to arrange a meeting in person. Only have a meeting in person if all qualifying criteria have been met. Protect your valuable time and theirs.

The enquiry meeting

This is stage two of the sales process. Careful preparation is vital. Make the couple do some work. Arrange a meeting at your studio or if you work from home and don’t have a suitable placeto meet then use a good hotel. Never go to a client’s home for this meeting. You will have to compete with their telephone or television, and you may feel you resemble a traveling salesman. At a client’s home you will be the guest and will not be in control of the environment. Before we had our studio, I’d use hotels as a base for an enquiry meeting. You need to employ a well-rehearsed system.

Take the following items with you:

• 1. Two complete weddings in albums. These should be relevant if possible to the style of the prospect’s wedding. Winter wedding or church ceremony for example.
• 2. A printed out form with all the client’s details you have gathered to date, plus spaces for the extra information you need. You should have printouts of any emails and mobile phone numbers.
• 3. A pen and a smart clipboard.
• 4. A contract, FAQ’s, brochure, show-reel, or other marketing collateral you may have.
• 5. Cash to tip the waiting staff.

Arrive at the hotel of choice at least 45 minutes before the meeting. Dress appropriately for the establishment and decide where you want to sit with your clients. A coffee lounge is ideal. You may need to hover at a nearby table until the best place becomes available. Explain to the waiter that you are going to be joined by some friends and that you would like to pay for all hospitality. Open a tab and leave a credit card plus a healthy tip. When your clients join you, the waiter will automatically come over, take their order, and show an acknowledged friendship toward you. Your guests will not be presented with a bill at any time and once the meeting has closed and they have left you can settle up at your leisure. The cost of this elegant meeting room should be no more than £30 and it will ensure you have the ideal opportunity to close the sale.

The object of the meeting is to build rapport with the couple and, assuming they meet your criteria, to book their wedding. There are a couple of extra qualifying factors that I determine at the meeting before I let the sale close. Are the clients ‘Warm Fuzzies’? and do they like having their photograph taken? Warm Fuzzies are people who are fun, light-hearted, easy to get on with, and easy to please. ‘Cold Pricklies’ on the other hand are difficult to please, stern, calculating and are always hard work. A Cold Prickly fiancé will often study the prints in an album so closely that he fails to see the photograph. The term ‘pixel peeper’ was invented for this kind of client. We only shoot the weddings of Warm Fuzzies. I suggest you do too. If clients hate having their photograph taken or hate themselves in photographs, imagine how hard it is going to be for you on the wedding day itself. Faced with this knowledge I would ask the question ‘Why are you considering investing so much money on wedding photography if you don’t like pictures of yourselves?’ The answer may be ‘We want you to capture all of our friends and our families in your own style and to cover the events at our wedding as they happen.’ This is the kind of answer that I would like to hear and one that will let me proceed.

The close is the next logical step if you have had a few laughs and get on with each other. This is done with a simple line like ‘Julie and I would love to photograph your wedding, I know we will have a great time, and if you feel the same way please read through this contract, sign it, and send it back to us with the deposit.’ The response might well be, ‘I can write you a check now…’ If the client wants to take the contract home, that’s fine too. You have done your bit, now let them come to the right decisions together. You must put a time limit to their decision making process by saying, ‘I’ll hold your date for 2 weeks to give you the time you need to make a decision. Do please look at other photographers’ work if you feel you need to. In the meantime if you have any further questions please don’t hesitate to email or phone us.’ Thank them for their time and say your goodbyes.

The final follow-up

Should you need to follow up an enquiry meeting, treat it as a courtesy call to let the couple know you are making their date available again. If they have yet to book a photographer probe a little deeper. If they have booked a competitor, politely find out who it is, compliment them on their choice, and ask why they didn’t choose you. This feedback is invaluable in the evolution of your products and services. Finally, wish them a happy wedding and if you do baby photography have a fun moment of introducing this product line to them should they need it in the future.