The Canadians celebrate the day after Christmas as Boxing Day. As a Yankee, I had to go look that up. But when Canadians throw a party, well, how can one refuse, right?

Today's post is to let you know that a couple of Canadian companies are kicking off some sales for photographers that are not to be missed.

Red Leaf

As the ad says, 30% everything in their store. I think their presets are one of the best in the business. Simply use the code “REDLEAF” at checkout.

Photography Concentrate

My friends, Lauren and Rob Lim have opened their store again to a special 30% off sale. This IS the time to grab one of these products:

1. Extremely Essential Camera Skills
Learn to take control over that snazzy camera of yours

2. Super Photo Editing Skills
Become an editing ninja, and conquer Adobe Lightroom

3. Simple Wedding Photography
Discover the art and business behind wedding photography

4. The Creativity Field Guide
Defeat creative block, and take your photos to new heights

5. Backup or Die
Learn exactly what to do to backup your photos and keep them safe

6. How We Did It: Lobster Island
Come behind the scenes with us on a photo adventure on the high seas

7. Awesome Album Design Skills
Fall in love with designing albums in Adobe InDesign

Now is the time to ramp up for 2014. Making smart decisions on what educational or workflow tools to buy now will help you through 2014. That's a promise.

As always, I recommend products and services that I have tried first hand. I wouldn't feel right about promoting anything without giving it a shot first to see how it would help my photography business.

If and when you do buy any of the products mentioned above, come back here and let me know below. Email me your receipt (showing me your mailing address) and 3 of you will receive Gary Vaynerchuk's new book: Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook: How To Tell Your Story In A Noisy, Social World.

Seems appropriate since it is Boxing Day today!

It's perhaps one of the few times in the year when I think living in Connecticut is cool. No, really, when the Mystic Seminars are announced by Walter van Dusen, its founder, I get quite giddy. As I have mentioned in the past here and here, there are a ton of reasons you should go to this photography conference.

This year, like the last few years at Mystic Seminars, the speakers set to present are from around the world. This probably makes Mystic Seminars the only regional conference that is international in scope.

So, you are probably wondering why it's important to hear from photographers outside of the US. The simple answer is to glean a different perspective. Right around this time of the year when business grinds to a halt for some, it's easy to get stuck in the way you did things back in 2013. I've been there and done that too.

What's great about the timing of the Mystic Seminars is it's the first thing you get to do when things are slow that jolt you back into action. And, hearing from photographers who live far away from you can be just the thing your creative brain is looking for in January.

So, I highly recommend Mystic Seminars.

The early-bird discount is already in effect now though December 23rd, and you get the 3-day conference for $469. I just spoke with Walter and he is offering a special discount code (TIFFINBOX) where you can get an additional $25 off. Apparently no other discount codes exist, so thank you Walter! I hope to see some of you there.

If you do decide to go and you use the code above, would you please come back here and let me know? I don't get paid to promote the conference. I just think it is incredible value for photographers.

The first 10 of you to send me your receipt (showing me your mailing address and that you have paid for the conference) will receive Gary Vaynerchuk's new book, Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook: How To Tell Your Story In A Noisy, Social World. Receipts may be emailed to me here – seshu AT tiffinbox dot org. There will be other goodies mailed to you as well, but you'll have to wait and see what those are.

Seattle wedding photographer Kirk Mastin has appeared on Tiffinbox before. I invited him back recently to chat about Mastin Labs, a new venture he launched a few weeks ago.

Mastin Labs is dedicated to producing film emulation presets that look just like film. First up is Portra 400. Mastin has plans to bring other film emulations, but emphasized that he had to be sure they were a perfect match to their film counterparts.

Other film emulation presets being planned are Fuji 400H and the famous Tri-X. If you have shot any of these film emulsions before, you should be plenty excited about what Kirk Mastin is bringing us.

Listen to our chat below about this Portra 400 hybrid pack:

Tonight, actually for another 6 hours, you can buy Portra 400 at Mastin Labs for nearly $50 off, thanks to Cyber Monday.

For examples of this new preset and comparisons with film, please visit Mastin Labs now or click on the graphic below. In the weeks ahead, I'll post a review here using my own images. If you have already bought this product, please feel free to comment below. Your thoughts and feedback are welcome.

On November 17th, I excitedly published a post about SmartAlbums here. I was given access to the beta version of the program that allows photographers to quickly and efficiently design albums for wedding and portrait clients.

When I connected with Daniel Usenko, a wedding photographer based in Seattle who is a part of the team that created SmartAlbums, I asked to speak with him at greater detail about the program and how it is positioned to help photographers speed up the album-creation process.

So here is that chat:

Here are some screenshots from the SmartAlbums program:

Do know that there is a special sale going on right now through 11.59 pm PST (that's west coast of the US, for my international friends) for $199. The price will jump to $299. From what I have seen, I do recommend locking in the lower price now and buying SmartAlbums. Click the graphic below now.

Will you be using SmartAlbums in 2014 to design albums for your photography clients? Let me know below!

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:

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?

Did you enjoy reading this tip? If so, you'd probably love Irresistible Words – an entire course dedicated to helping you sell more of your work. By the time you're done, you'll have an entire toolbox to help you connect with your audience and persuade them into buying.

Irresistible Words rings in at $249 only $199 from Black Friday through Cyber Monday.

Oh, and did I mention that along the way, you'll learn how to write a blog post in 20 minutes? Check it out here!