Tru Shots Photography Blog: No vs. Yes

I read a really interesting blog post called 12 Reasons Why People Hire Photographers on the Going Pro 2010 photography blog that Scott Bourne and Skip Cohen write. The post had some good reasons that I feel are reasons people have hired me in the past, including "it makes the buyer feel happy" and "the work establishes an emotional connection." All of the 12 reasons listed were good.

Another good post that I recently read on this blog was Closing The Sale. I can admit, I have some good strengths in photography but closing is not one of them. Closing refers to turning positive interest = commission/booking/hire. Sometimes I can do this and others times not so much. This is an area that I will be studying to improve upon greatly for 2011.

After reading both of these posts with my naturally nosy nature about human behavior coming from a psychology background, I started to think about the behaviors that clients have that lead to a no follow-up/NO/cancellation versus a follow-up/YES/session or booking. Here is what I noticed (and this was originally a comment on another photographer's thread on Facebook about posting prices or not. By the way, my view on posting prices is yes post them or a price range. It cuts down on some shenanigans and many people complain when a website has no gauge on pricing whatsoever.)

Behaviors that = won't follow-up/won't book/will cancel

• Visited my website yet still asks about prices.

• Asks new questions in each email that were previously answered in prior emails.

• More than 3 emails or 2 calls are exchanged prior to a booking.

• Asks about prices prior to seeing my work (i.e. during a business card exchange).

• Uncomfortable with deposits, though practice is very common in photography.

• Tries to change the session date more than twice.

• Hasn't thoroughly reviewed my work (i.e. asking if I photograph on-location when most of my work on my site is outdoors).

• Changes the topic in a phone conversation about photography.

• Extremely or severely uncomfortable with personal appearance to the point of comparing their own image to images in my portfolio.

• Behaves as if they are "forced" to book (i.e. they know one of my clients so they feel "compelled" to say they want a session with me when they may not. I NEVER want to work with anyone who feels "forced" to choose me, the experience should be happy and pleasant and fun, not a chore or "work" on their part).

Behaviors that = will follow up/will book/session will be completed beautifully

• Image quality matters to them more than price, though of course they do not seek to be ripped off.

• Feels comfortable with who I am as a person (sometimes small things such as hobbies, music choice, political views, my demographics can influence a client's choice or comfortability).

• Easily laughs (I am a clown at times so clowny clients are the best).

• Already semi-confident or confident in their personal aesthetic. (Everyone gets nervous and some even need a heavy boost of confidence. However, a photographer cannot completely reconstruct the self-esteem of a client in a psychoanalytic manner. Can't be done).

• Understands my work and has viewed a reasonable amount of it so they know my approach.

• Eager to meet me and enthusiastic about the whole experience.

• Doesn't haggle on pricing like art and an artistic experience is a used car. It isn't.

• Will actually read emails I send as well as correspondence and doesn't hesitate to call.

• Understands and accepts what I create versus what I don't (i.e. won't demand I create boudoir and a website if I create portraits, lifestyle and cultural documentary photography, not nudity or web design, per se.)

As I mentioned in a previous post, no client is obligated to hire anyone and no photographer is obligated to offer free or sub-par work. My job now is to understand how to make some in the first list more like the second list if possible by improving my communication and closing skills. My job is to also know when some in the first list will never be like the second one and to make sure the second one is well-taken care of and receives my attention, not the first list.

| Friday, October 29, 2010 | 7 Comments

7 Comments:

Chris Horner says:

October 30, 2010

As someone who has been in sales for 15 years, I can tell you closing is never easy. And because I'm an introvert by nature, it's even harder than it needs to be.

The way I've found to deal with it is to improve in the other areas so well that - assuming it's a good fit - that the closing happens naturally. It happens naturally because it just flat out makes sense or it becomes very obvious that my product does not meet the needs of the prospect. It's much easier to improve your strengths than improve the areas you may not be as comfortable in.

Also, if you look at averages, the best salespeople will only close 25%-30% of the people they talk to. Over time (read YEARS) that percentage goes up ONLY if they take care of what is referred to here as the second group, who constantly feed qualified referrals because they were so delighted with the service they received. Even with that, the average will never be anywhere close to 100%.