Quick: When you pitch your photography services to a potential client (be it in person or via your website), what are the first 3-5 things that run through their mind?
Write them down (no really, grab a post-it!):
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
If you don't know what they are, make it your business to find out.
Because what runs through their mind at first is often what keeps them from hiring you.
For example, the sequence might go something like this:
1. That sounds great!
2. Oh, if only…..my husband would never agree to do this.
3. I need to save money for a vacation/new roof/pet wallaby instead.
4. Plus, my hair needs to grow out before I even think about pictures.
Often times, we think the star of this little mental drama is money, and sometimes it is.
But money-related concerns often come with a whole supporting cast of other issues. (In the example above, the money concern snowballs with spousal and appearance worries. And even the money concern isn’t really about money – it’s about priorities.)
Past experiences. Weight. Hair. Time concerns. Feeling busy. Feeling overwhelmed. Procrastination. All these are heavy-hitters in swatting clients away.
So when it seems like clients aren't nibbling, here is something bold to try:
Quote those exact concerns, in your clients' own words, and address them directly.
You can try this on your blog, in an FAQ section, or even on a booking page.
For example:
Are any of these thoughts holding you back from booking your session?
“Well, I can just take my own newborn photos…”
You absolutely can – and will – snap countless photos of your little one in the coming years. These images will rank among your family's treasures!
However, there are a few things to consider … (insert brief explanation of how your services eliminate stress, promote bonding, offer practiced professional quality for the once-in-a-lifetime event, and ensure that the images don’t get “put off” when other concerns – like getting sleep – come up).
“There’s too much going on right now – I’ll do family portraits next summer!”
By next summer, those missing teeth will have grown in, Sarah will have gone up two shoe sizes, and Johnny will no longer be obsessed with his alligator hat. Now is the only time you have to capture these amazing kids just as they are.
And let’s be honest – it’s unlikely you’ll be any less busy next year than you are now. We’ll only have time for the things we decide to put first.
Click here to get your session on the calendar today!
“I don’t think I have the money right now.”
We understand – we've all got limits on what we spend. But here's some good news; Our Simply Sweet package rings in at only $xxx. We're guessing you spend at least that on your cable bill each year – only your pictures won’t have service outages, and they're built to last through handing them to your grandchildren.
Now, you might be thinking: “But Jenika, I already talk about the importance of getting pictures taken. I already say why newborn photography is great. Why do I need to quote my clients like this?”
The answer is – well, you don’t need to.
But have you ever read an article online somewhere, where someone said something you've secretly been thinking – and it made you gasp a little?
There is power in finding your private thoughts splashed across the screen, coming from someone else.
For one thing, you freeze in your tracks a little when someone calls you out on something you’re thinking, at the exact moment you’re thinking it.
For another, it connects you with the author of those words. They know what I’m going through, too? Like, someone else has experienced this exact thing? Wow!
It makes you feel understood. Startled. Intrigued.
When you're writing about your own work, your reader knows you're trying to “sell” them. And while you're busy listing all the reasons why they should hire you, they're busy listing all the reasons why hiring you is impossible.
So list those reasons yourself, and don't give the ideas a chance to take root in your client's mind.
In professional sales writing, this process is called “overcoming objections.” (I prefer calling it “making the client feel like you can read their mind.” It sounds more jazzy.) We all have objections, and only buy once they're overcome. But when the objections seem to loom larger than the benefits, that's when you lose people.
So stop them in their tracks. At the very moment they're thinking those things, call them out on it. Address those thoughts directly, and diffuse them. Dispel myths. Provide more information. Use the very same words they're thinking, and offer an alternative way to think about it.
Why not find a way to give it a try in your business?
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