The "Gift Plaque" Will Bring You In Lots Of Extra Cash You Otherwise Would Have Lost!

You work hard at marketing photography. Indeed, your photography marketing is probably one of the most challenging parts of your photography business.

So when people respond to your photo marketing, you want to be SURE you don’t lose someone who could have ended up being an excellent client of yours.

Believe it or not, if you do things right, you can bring in an enormous amount of extra cash to your photography business that you otherwise would have lost!

Here’s how:

The “Gift Plaque”:  A “Gift Plaque” is a beautifully done (but extremely easy!) item that brings in HUGE sums of money all year round!  It’s actually a “give certificate” but done much more elegantly and personalized for each recipient.  Plus, it mentions no dollar amount, which is so much nicer than the typical “gift certificate.”

Here’s how it works:

You and I will get many calls from people who have not planned ahead.  People who want to have a fine portrait created as a gift for the one they love, and who want it done right, but who waited too long before they called you.

Now, if we’re not careful, we can be so busy, that when someone calls we just say, “You should have planned ahead.  There’s no way we can do anything that fast…”  and send them away empty handed.

NO WAY!!!!!

Here’s what you do to bring in TONS OF EXTRA CASH: …….

…….First, you enthusiastically express what a wonderful gift idea a fine portrait is, and how much their loved ones will love and treasure it.  (Psychologically this let’s her know she’s okay to have waited this late to call us – this is very important to building the rapport necessary to help her become happily involved with fine photography.  It also begins the emotional excitement that is necessary for someone to invest adequate sums of money for photography!)

Next, you ask her the very same questions, such as the “Magic Question” and the “Qualifying Question” off of the Telecharts, just as normal.  (Remember, get her talking, by asking questions.  Don’t you do all the talking, or you will talk yourself right out of the sale!)

Next, you describe with great emotion what a gift plaque is, and what a beautiful gift it makes.

For example:

“I can tell how important it is to you to have a beautifully done, custom portrait!  That’s what we are all about.  We have the PERFECT gift for you!  It’s called the “Charles Lewis Portrait Gift Plaque.”  (Obviously, you insert your own name here.)

You continue:  ‘This is a wonderfully created, custom plaque, beautifully printed on fine parchment paper, with the name of the person you are giving this to, and your name, of course.  It has some beautiful words, which you can personally write to the person, or we have some wonderful wordings you can choose from.  Then it is framed in a fine golden frame.

“Then it’s placed delicately in a beautiful black box, with tissue paper, and with a large silver bow.  You give this on the day, and it tells your loved one how this beautiful portrait is going to be created – in the future – and that he or she is going to receive it after it is carefully crafted and created.”

Then you ask the caller a trial close question:  “How do you feel about this?  Isn’t this exciting?”

Then, based on the response, you continue with your normal telephone techniques and questions from the Telecharts, and set up a time for him or her to come in and talk about this, etc. etc. etc.

See how powerful this is?  What you are doing is making it possible for a client or prospect of yours to invest in a finely crafted portrait now (yes, you collect the money now) and give it for a gift NOW, and then have you create this beautiful portrait after later.  But, YOU GET THE MONEY NOW!!!

Here’s a sample of one of our most popular wordings for our Gift Plaques:

Words on paper could never show
The wonderful you I’ve come to know.
Yet on this very special day
I have so many words to say.

A portrait is worth a thousand words
and so I give this gift to you…
A memory captured forever in time
Of this loving family…yours and mine.

This is the basic wording we begin with, and then we modify it to fit the specific situation or gift occasion.

Believe me, this brings in ENORMOUS amounts of money that would otherwise have been lost – and it’s SO MUCH nicer than a simple “gift certificate!”

Do this!  It will mean thousands of extra dollars to you!  Just be SURE every person answering your phone or emails knows exactly what to say, and how to say it!

Go for it!

Chuck

Do This And Watch Your Sales & Profits SOAR Higher Than You Ever Dreamed!

I urge you to never show your images on a computer monitor! Instead, project the images into a 40×50 or 40×60 frame, over a sofa!

Most photographers don’t realize that the single, biggest decision of their career is how they present their images to their clients.  It’s way more important than what camera to use, or what version of PhotoShop is best.

But sadly, most photographers give little thought to this huge decision.  They put all their time & efforts into creating great images, and then screw it all up by not presenting those images in the best way to their clients.

For portrait photography, there is only ONE, all time best way to present your portraits to your clients for maximum impact and sales.  What is it?  Projecting the images into a 40×50 or 40×60 frame, with stretched canvas in it, which is hung over a sofa!

Nothing – NOTHING can come even remotely close to producing the huge amount of impact and sales …. (and how much your client will enjoy her photographs in her home) that projecting your images can!

Why is projecting your portraits so powerful? Five major reasons:

Reason #1. It’s a proven sales law that the first image is lasting image. In other words, if you show someone their photographs by projecting them into a 40×50 frame, that becomes their first image, and everything after that looks positively SMALL.  Plus, you are educating your clients as to how beautiful their images will look in the more appropriate, wall sizes.

Reason #2. The Soaking Law – This is a very little understood law of human psychology which says that the longer someone holds a figure in their mind, the smaller that figure becomes as they get used to it.

So when you first show your clients a 40×50 projected into a frame over a sofa, and then volunteer the investment for that size, that number will at first seem really substantial.  But as you continue to show the other images at that same size, the number you first quoted them will slowly shrink over time, and by the end, will seem much smaller.

Then end result is they are much more likely to invest in a nice wall portrait for their home, and when they do – THEY WIN. You see, we are not trying to “trick” anyone – no way. What we’re doing is helping them make the right decision for them – so they will get the maximum amount of enjoyment out of their photographs.

Reason #3. Projecting allows you to “sell down.”  Selling down is where you start with your best, and slowly work your way down until you get to something your client is happy and comfortable with. It helps your clients make the right buying decision for themselves and their situation.

Selling down is much more helpful to your clients than “selling up”  – which is where you start with something small, and give them the investment for that size, and then move up to some other size, and give them the investment for that size. This is very confusing to them.

Reason #4. This gets your clients really excited – because their images look so fantastic when projected to a 40×50 or 40×60! This really shows off the beautiful images, and helps the clients see them really well, and  become very emotionally involved with them.

Reason #5. It’s a proven fact that you sell what you show. By showing the client her images in these beautiful wall portrait sizes, rather than on a computer monitor, you are letting her clearly see and FEEL how much enjoyment she will receive from them being proudly displayed on her walls in her home.

I urge you to do this for yourself!  It’s extremely easy to do with digital images, and the results will shock & thrill you!

All the best,

Charles J. Lewis

Here's a HUGE Tip To Increasing Your Photography Business Success

Never let the original images (”proofs or thumbnails” or whatever) leave your photography business.  And, by the way,  that includes posting them online, too!

This is a HUGE mistake I see photographers making all over the world right now, and it’s costing them thousands of lost dollars, pounds, euros, etc.

Here’s an important sentence to remember always:  “Just because we CAN do it doesn’t mean that we SHOULD do it!”

Trust me, you do NOT want to be posting your images online so people can go see them and “place their order” on the Internet.  And you don’t want to put them on a CD so they can take them home and make their decisions. Why not?  Because ….. the “order” they place will suck – no matter how “good” a photographer you are!

If you are doing this at the moment, I urge you to stop immediately. It’s killing your sales & profits.

Personal portraiture & wedding photography require personal one-on-one service from you as the artist/craftsperson.  This is NOT pressure, it’s good service.  It’s being with your clients to help them make the right decisions for THEM.

Yes, if you present your images correctly while you’re meeting with them (Secret #6) you will make a lot more money, too, but the primary reason is to take good care of your clients and help them make the right decisions for themselves and their family, so they will get the maximum enjoyment out of their images.   It’s totally a “win-win” situation for everyone.

You have spent years learning how to create the images you create. Plus, you have invested a lot of time and effort to actually create the photographs for your clients.  Now, don’t screw everything up by not investing a little more time & effort in presenting these beautiful images to your clients in person with them!

So do NOT fall into the trap of posting your images online or sending them home with your clients in ANY form.  You are an artist. You create lovely images.  Now act like it and take good care of your clients.  They will thank you for it.

All the best to you and your photography,

Charles Lewis

Here's one of the all time most important "pieces" of the "photography success puzzle."

Whether you have a store front photography studio on main street or work out of your home, here are eight key points to making top money with your photography business.

Marketing & Selling Key Point #1.  You sell what you show.

This seems so obvious, but unless someone constantly reminds you of this, you can forget it. In our photo biz, the big money, 80% of our profits, come from helping our clients become happily involved with wall portraits as home décor. If you’d like to do the same, then it’s vitally important you not … show anything in your photo business that is smaller than a 24×30.

No 8×10’s or 5×7’s in frames sitting on tables. No groupings of 8×10’s and 11×14’s on the walls.

Now, I know what you may be thinking.  “But Chuck, how do I show off all the variety we offer our clients?”  Well, you do that by having a sample book of 8×10’s or 11×14’s – each sample book is of ONE PARTICULAR SESSION TYPE – for example, you have one for seniors, one for families, one for children, etc.

Then, all you do is bring out the ONE book of the particular client type with whom you are meeting.  Don’t have all the books sitting out in the studio.  Only have the one book that applies to this client.

This way, when she first walks in, your client only sees beautiful wall portraits on the walls, and nothing else.

Marketing & Selling Key Point #2.  The first impression is the lasting impression.

Really, everything we’re going to talk about deals with this law.

That’s the major reason we put wall portraits in our studio.  That’s why we dress nicely for our clients.  We only get one chance at a first impression.

But what I mean here is that you want your studio to look like you are successful.  Remember, “NOTHING SUCCEEDS LIKE SUCCESS.”  If you want to BE successful, you must FIRST LOOK successful.

Now, I don’t mean you have to go out and buy all new furniture for your photo biz, and a new car, etc.  But what I do mean is that you want things to look like you are really successful.

Simply take everything that doesn’t look “successful” out of your studio client areas.  You don’t want anything to distract from the feeling of success.  For example, don’t have any camera equipment, mail, props, bare prints, etc. laying around.  This is clutter.  And that kind of clutter does not “say” success.

What “says” success is having everything very neat, clean, orderly.

Having nothing out in the “lobby” or other “client areas” that isn’t absolutely imperative to the look and feel of the environment.

Just to be clear, I’ll say it again: everything I’m saying here applies whether you have a store front studio, or have a studio in your home.

Marketing & Selling Key Point #3.  Have your studio look like a home.

You want your studio to look and feel like a home.  You want “home” type furniture around.  This does two important things:

First, it helps a client feel comfortable when she walks into your studio.  And if she feels comfortable, she will be much more likely to work with you, and invest in more photographs

Second, it helps her immediately see how nice your fine photography looks on the walls of a home.  She can think to herself, “Gee, I have a sofa about that size in my home.  Boy, a portrait would look nice over that sofa, just like it looks so nice here….”  That’s the beginning of wall portrait sales.

Marketing & Selling Key Point #4.  Keep the colors in your studio very soft and muted.

You want your portraits to be the most colorful items in your studio.

So, if you specialize in color portraits, I highly recommend you keep all the other tones in your studio very soft, such as off white, or beige, and soft golds, etc.  You want the eye of the viewer who walks into your studio to go immediately to your beautiful portraits on the wall.

Marketing & Selling Key Point #5.  Don’t have samples of different sizes of the same image.

Don’t get trapped into this one!  Many photographers, who don’t know better,  take one family portrait, and print it in all sizes, from 11×14 up to 24×30. They then hang them side by side, so people can see the differences.

All this will do is confuse your clients, and sell you a lot more of the small sizes.  Simply use the projecting to show the clients what the different sizes look like – using the client’s portraits.

Marketing & Selling Key Point #6.  Never, ever have photos sitting on the floor.

I understand that as an “artist” you want to have lots of different images available to you to show perspective clients.  You want them to see how versatile and creative you are.

However, don’t do it.  Not if you are dead serious about making MORE money with LESS work.  Have each of your wall portraits beautifully framed, and presented on the wall, where they belong.  Do NOT ever set photographs on the floor, leaning up against the wall.  This is totally disrespectful to your work, and conveys non-verbally to the client that you do not place a high value on your talent and imagery.

Marketing & Selling Key Point #7.  Each photo must occupy it’s own plane of space.

You want each portrait on the wall to occupy it’s own plane and space.

(I learned this from the great photographer and salesman, Ken Whitmire.)  By this, I mean that you don’t want to have two 30×24’s hung side by side in your studio.  Because both of those images would be occupying the same “plane” of space.  It will be a hundred times more powerful and “artistic” to take those two images down, and replace them with only ONE 30 x40.

Now, sometimes, you will have a long wall, which has a door in it.

Okay, now you can display one wall portrait on one side of the door opening, and another wall portrait on the other side of the door opening.  Because the door “breaks” up the single plane. You also can use potted plants, small trees, etc. between wall portraits on a long wall.

Marketing & Selling Key Point #8.   Be sure your portraits are well lit

Always have some effective lighting, either in the ceiling, or track lighting hung down from the ceiling.  In our studio, almost the ONLY lights in the client areas, are lights which are aimed at the wall portraits.  Remember, you want your portraits to be the brightest items in your studio.

Also, NEVER, EVER have ANY fluorescent lights in your client areas.

Remember, you want your studio to look and feel like a home environment.

I hope this has helped remind you of some of the important aspects of your studio design.   Do this correctly, and prosper beyond your wildest dreams!  Do this incorrectly, and work way too hard for way too little money.  It’s that important.

All the best,

Charles J. Lewis

Are You Throwing Thousands Of Dollars That Should Have Been Yours - Into The Trash Every Week?

There’s a huge mistake most portrait and wedding photographers all over the world are making these days that is costing them hundreds of thousands of dollars. Do you know what this mistake is? Are you making this mistake yourself?

Here it is: most photographers put a huge amount of time and effort and talent into creating their photographs, but then they screw it all up by taking little or no time to present the images to their clients properly, and help the clients make their buying decisions.

Now, I realize that most of us don’t like to sell, because we think it’s pressure or trickery or manipulation. But that is not selling. Selling is finding out what people want helping them to get it. It has NOTHING to do with pressure, trickery or manipulation.

One of my cardinal rules of success in photography is to ….  spend at least as much time presenting the photographs to my clients as I have spent creating those photographs.

This means no thumbnails to take home. No images posted online. No paper proofs.

The client comes into the studio, in person, and makes her decisions with our assistance, as we project the images, into a frame, over a sofa.

Now, you may be thinking that this is a lot of extra work, and that you don’t have the time to do this. But let me warn you – you’ve put all that time and effort into creating these beautiful photographs, now take the extra time to present the images correctly, or you will be leaving thousands of dollars on the table, and your client’s will be going home with not anywhere near the number and sizes of photographs that they should have.

You see, the question is: Do you believe in what you’re doing or not?

If you believe in what you’re doing – and in the value of photography that you’re creating – then you owe it to your client to assist her with her buying decisions so that she gets the maximum amount of enjoyment out of her beautiful photographs. Please understand, I’m not talking about pressure or trickery here, I’m talking about taking really good care of each of your clients – in person – so they end up owning photographs that will give them the maximum amount of enjoyment for years to come.

I know it’s tempting to just present your images online for the client to order from, but you’re really doing her a disservice by not spending any time with her after the photographs are created, and helping her with her selections.

So if you honestly care about your client’s, and honestly want to earn a great living doing your photography, and honestly believe in the value of your photography, then please take my advice and invest some of your time and money in discovering how to present your photographs to your clients personally – in such a way that they will get the most enjoyment out of your beautiful images.

That’s the least you can do for your clients, and it will do amazing things for your cash flow and profits, too.

All the best,

Charles J. Lewis, M. Photog., Cr. A-ASP

Start Using These Tips NOW And Watch Your Photo Business Grow & Prosper!

Question: Is there something you can do in the next seven days to be assured of bringing in more money RIGHT NOW – regardless of the economy or all the cheap competition everywhere?

The Answer: Yes!  Answer your telephone and e-mail price inquiries correctly! There’s GOLD in them!

Here’s three powerful tips:

1. Always use the “Redirection Question.” 

Here’s how the Redirection Question goes:

A prospect calls or emails you and asks: “How much do you charge?”

You answer: …….   “I’ll be happy to discuss our fees but may I ask you a few questions first – so I know exactly what it is you’re looking for?”

By using the “Redirection Question” you are “redirecting” the prospect’s mind away from the question of price and onto the fact that you actually care about her and want to find out what it is she’s looking for.

This is an extremely powerful, little-known secret for telephone and e-mail handling of the questions about price. I urge you to use this with every phone call and every e-mail that comes into you.

2.  Use the “Magic Question.” I’ve talked about the

Magic Question before, but just in case you missed it, here it is again:

“If you don’t mind me asking, what’s most important to you about ____________?” (Where the _________ is what she is asking about – a family portrait, child’s portrait, wedding photography, etc.)

This is one of the most incredibly powerful and effective ways to find out what is known as the “DBM” – which is the dominant buying motive of that prospect – the one thing she wants to be sure to get out of the photography that she’s thinking of doing.

If you just ask this Magic Question and listen carefully to her answer, you will be given a wonderful opportunity to show her, in an emotional way, why she should work with you rather than any other photographer in the area.

It’s extremely powerful.

3. Handle the “Stalls” correctly.

A “stall” is a statement a prospect or client says that she thinks will “stall” you off – make it so she can just get off the phone or whatever and then she will never call you again most likely.

The reason “stalls” are so powerful, is most photographers don’t know how to handle them, so it’s an easy “get away” for the client or prospect.

I will write a complete article on this in the future, but for today, let’s cover one of the most common stalls you and I receive all the time on the telephone & sometimes even in e-mails.

This stall goes like this: Prospect says, “I’ll have to talk with my husband about this, and I’ll call you back.”

You and I have heard this hundreds of times, right?

Here’s your response to this stall: “I understand completely.  If you don’t mind me asking, what do you feel he will say when you check with him?”

Then, you SHUT UP!

What this does is it asks her to speak some more – rather than just hanging up. And as long as you keep the conversation going, you have a chance to turn it into a paying client.

Now, she might say, “Oh, I think he will say it’s too much money.”

(That’s always a common response I get.)

So then you say something like this: “You know, I totally understand.  I would probably say the same thing if I were him. Let’s say you call three photographers. The first one says ‘$50′ the second one says ‘$100′ and then I say ‘$300-$500′. I would probably say ‘I don’t know where we’ll go, but I know where we won’t go – we won’t go to that guy who said $300-$500!’  And you know what? That could very well be one of the biggest mistakes ever. Why? Because the fact that we charge a little more is the VERY REASON why you should seriously consider working with me.

“I can tell from talking with you how very important these photographs are to you. You want something special.  Something that touches your heart and makes you cry tears of joy every time you look at the photographs. And that’s what I specialize in creating for you. In fact, I GUARANTEE that you will cry tears of joy the first time you see the images, or I will give you all your money back.  Let’s get together and chat, no charge, and no obligation………”

See how you just turned someone who was going to walk away and never call you back, into someone who just might take the next “baby step” and come in to chat with you?

Very powerful – and remember – this is a win-win. Yes, you win by very possibly getting her as a client – but she wins, too – as she receives the beautiful images that only you can create for her in your special way.

I sincerely hope these three tips have been helpful for you. Now TAKE ACTION on them!

All the best to you,

Charles J. Lewis

If Your Pockets Aren't As Full As You Wish - This Will Really Help!

How many times have you presented your prices to someone only to have her respond back to you by asking you,  “Well, what do I get for that?”

If you’re like me, and most other photographers in the world, you’ve had that happen many, many times.

Well, after years of research and testing, I have discovered the very best way to respond to a prospect or client asking you that question – so she ends up HIRING YOU!

Here’s how it goes:

You tell a prospect what your fees are – preferably using the memorized “Volunteer Statement” of course.

Prospect says: “What do I get for that?”

Your response – said with great enthusiasm and passion: ……“I’m so glad you asked me that!  You get the most beautiful, the most exciting, the most emotional, the most sensitive, the most wonderful photographs you have ever had created in your lifetime! No one is going to throw their heart and soul into creating these wonderful photographs for you like I am. You will be thrilled – thrilled beyond your wildest dreams – with how wonderful everyone looks in these portraits and how expressive the images are!”

Now let’s talk about what just happened. As you know, when someone asks you “What do I get for that?” – that tells you that they are in “left brain” – that they are looking for how many photographs do they get and what sizes are they.

But we know that people invest in photography for “right brain” emotional reason. We also know that when people are in “left brain” they do not – I repeat  - do not – invest in photography – they’ll want to “think about it.”

So instead of answering the question with a bunch of numbers and sizes and finishes and all those left brain, analytical numbers – instead we respond with a very emotional statement said with great enthusiasm about how much they’re going to love the photographs, how emotional the photographs are going to be, how the images will capture the true love and relationships and feelings between all the people in their family (or whatever type of photography you are talking about doing.)

Now, I have tested this over and over, for years, and it’s so powerful! It takes that prospect and puts her onto the right side of her brain – the emotional side of her brain, and that’s the side of the brain where she can actually decide to move forward with hiring you to create the photographs for her.

NOTE: The more enthusiastic you are when you say this, the more effective it is – remember, people invest in photography for EMOTIONAL REASONS – not logical or analytical reasons – and ENTHUSIASM is one of the most powerful human emotions on the planet! Now, you still have to MEAN what you’re saying – and you must be sincere – so don’t go “crazy” and jump up on the tables, etc. That’s NOT what I’m talking about here. But it’s so important to SHOW YOUR PASSION for what you do. So be enthusiastic, but also sincere.

Also, be sure you begin your response with the “I’m so glad you asked me that!” comment – that lets her know you are happy she asked the question, and you are excited about answering it sincerely.

So the next time someone asks you “What do I get for that?” – respond as I revealed above, and you will be thrilled, shocked, and very happy with the results. (And so will your clients!)

All the best,

Charles J. Lewis

There's A Lot Of Money To Be Made With Your Photography If You Use This Little Known Secret!

What if there were an easy way to present your portrait prices to your prospects and clients, in your studio, in person –  in such a way that they were more likely to hire you and give you money today?

Well there is.

I call it the “Never Mentioned A Dimension Law.”

Here’s how it works:

Now, we know that the right side of the brain is the emotional side of the brain, and since we know that people invest in photography for EMOTIONAL  reasons, then it makes sense that we want to do our best to keep our prospects on the right side of their brain as much as humanly possible.

Well, can you see where this is a challenge, when you’re trying to volunteer your prices in the form of numbers? Because numbers are left brain things -and if we mention numbers, she will go into the left brain logical side of her brain – and not make a buying decision today. 

So by never mentioning a dimension, you are presenting your prices without actually ….saying the numbers. This way, the prospect is much more likely to stay on the right side of her brain, and thus much more likely to actually end up investing with you today.

So here’s what you do when it comes time to start volunteering the investment for your photographs: You simply point to the largest sized image displayed in your studio, and say “that size is $xxx”.

Then, you point to the next size down, and say  “The next size down is that one, and it’s $XX.” And so on. You simply start with your largest size, and move down one size at a time but never actually mentioning the dimensions of the images – you just point to them.

Now, what you have done is you have presented your prices in such a way that you mentioned no actual sizes (the numbers).  The amazing thing about this procedure is that it keeps the prospect on the right side (emotional side) of her brain.

Can you see that by presenting your prices in this manner, you are accomplishing the presentation of all of your prices for the different sizes without mentioning all of the actual size numbers – which would force her into the left side (logical side) of her brain.

The key here, is that you want to keep the prospect on the right side of the brain so that she is more likely to invest with you now. If she ” flips” to the left side of her brain she will be much less likely to hire you today, or to make any kind of a favorable decision today.

I learned this a long time ago, through trial and error, and finally figured out that if my fees are presented in this way the results are so much more favorable and the photography business is so much more profitable.

All I can say is that I urge you to try this. The key is to make sure that you have the right sizes displayed on your walls. What I do is I have several 40 x 50 sized images displayed. Then I have a 30 x 40 size, and a 24 x 30 size. The 24 x 30 size is the smallest image displayed in my studio.

So you might be wondering how I volunteer the prices of the smaller sizes. What I do is I skip the 20 x 24 size completely – because the back of the chairs around my round table have backs to them that are approximately 16 x 20. So all I do is simply point to the back of one of the empty chairs and say ” The next size down is this size, and that size is such and such.”

Then I hold up my ” PR Mega-Booking Packet” (which is approximately 9 x 12) and say, “The next size down is approximately this size, which is such and such.” Then I open my “PR Packet” and take out one of the larger sheets (which are 8 1/2 X 11) and say “The next size is approximately this size, and it is such and such.”  Then I grab one of the next sized down sheets from the PR Packet, which are 5 1/2 X 8 1/2 – and say, “This approximate size is such and such.”   Then I grab the Model Release Form from the PR Packet, and say, “The next size down is this size, and that size is such and such.”

Can you see how this works?

This is one of the most amazing things that I have ever discovered in the history of my photography business. I’ve done a lot of study, research, testing, and experimenting – to arrive at the point I am at now. I have to say, this really works amazingly well!

So, I urge you to try this now. You will be thrilled with the results!

All the best,

Charles J. Lewis

PS. I should also mention, that by not actually mentioning the sizes, this subconsciously says to the prospect that the sizes aren’t the real issue here – that you’re NOT talking about paper sizes here – what’s important to you as an artist is that she LOVES the images, and what the images say to her. It’s very subtle, but effective!

It's NOT The Price That Matters, It's How You Present The Price That Makes All The Difference!

Photography Marketing and Selling are very closely related and intertwined in your photography business.  Unless you master them both – you fail.

But most photographers think that the PHOTOGRAPHY is the most important part of their business. But the fact of the matter is that if you suck at photography marketing and selling, then no matter how great your photography is, you will starve. Sad yes – but so true.

And one of the most important areas of your business is the telephone. And in the Western Hemisphere, how you handle the question of your prices is one of the most important areas of the telephone (and E-mail, too, but I’ll talk about that in a later article.)

First, two important Telephone Sales Laws:

Telephone Law #1: If you volunteer your prices before you are asked, it says two things: First ….you’re worth it, and second, you’re proud of those fees.

Telephone Law #2: It’s not the actual prices you charge that matter – its’ how you present them to a prospect that determines your level of success.

Now, I know, usually the first question you and I get on the phone is “How much do you charge.” So you’re probably wondering how you’re supposed to “volunteer” your fees, if that is the first question.

Well, what you do first is to use the “Redirection Question” – which goes like this: “I’ll be happy to discuss our fees, but may I ask you a few questions first, so I know exactly what it is you’re looking for?”  This question will almost always get a “yes” response from the caller, as it makes perfect sense that you need to ask a few questions before you can actually give her an accurate estimate of what the investment will be for her.

Then you ask questions – which have been designed to put her onto the right-side of the brain (the emotional side) as I have talked about in other articles.

Then, before she asks again, once you have found out what is most important to her about her photography, who she’s thinking of having photographed, how she heard about you, etc. –  you use the “Volunteer Statement” to give her an estimate of what she can plan on investing. Now, the EXACT wording of the Volunteer Statement is extremely important. You MUST memorize it – word for word.

Here it is, based on years of research, study, testing and using this Volunteer Statement in my own photography business:

“Before we go any further, let me give you an indication of how much you can plan on investing. Is that okay?” (Wait for her to say “yes”.)

“Most people in your situation can usually plan on investing between X and Y and get a larger one for themselves, and a few smaller ones for gifts. Does that fit within your budget?”

Then SHUT UP – don’t say anything more. Wait for her to respond.

You may be wondering about the “X” and the “Y” above.

What you do is calculate the absolute LEAST amount she could get out of your studio – honestly – with an 8×10 and a couple of 4×5’s. This is the “X” you say.

Then add a couple of hundred to the “X” and this becomes your “Y” above.

So you are being totally honest with her, based on the fact that, to 99% of all callers, an 8×10 is a “larger one” and the 4×5’s are “smaller ones.”  Truthfully.

Now, don’t underestimate the amazing power of this memorized statement – it’s truly stunning! But it has to be said WORD FOR WORD – exactly as stated above.

One of the many “Keys” to this, is you have used a “ball-park figure” instead of a very specific amount of investment, and you have not mentioned any sizes or finishes, or any other numbers – as we know that numbers kill sales – because they are left-brain logical and analytical and we know that people invest in photography services for right-brain EMOTIONAL reasons.

If you will use this Volunteer Statement on every call you receive, you will see a terrific increase in your profits with your photography business. People who otherwise would have “kept shopping” will end up hiring YOU and working with YOU – and that’s a win-win. You win, yes, but the client is the real winner – as she gets the chance to have beautiful, emotional photography of those she loves – created by YOU in a way that no one else could do.

In my next article, I’ll explain exactly how to present your fees to a prospective client when she is in your studio, in person.

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Hope this has been helpful.

All the best,

Charles J. Lewis, M. Photog., Cr.

Not Having A Pre-Paid Creation Fee For Your Portrait Services Is Exactly Like Burning Money - Huge Mistake!

Why is it so important to have a pre-paid, separate fee for you creating the photographs?  The answer is that this way, you are charging for your extremely valuable TALENT & TIME.

One of the biggest mistakes I see photographers making around the world today is that they do not have a separate, prepaid “Creation Fee” for their portrait services. The problem with this is that it teaches the prospect/client right from the very beginning of the relationship that your time & talent has no value. And this perception, once put in the client’s mind, will influence all her decisions from that moment ….   forward, including how she treats you and respects (or does not respect) you.

I’ve been charging a separate, pre-paid “Creation Fee” for almost my entire photography career. It’s amazingly powerful in creating a high perceived value of my photography services. I highly recommend it.

Now, you may be asking the question, “Why must it be prepaid, Chuck?”

1. It reserves her photography time – which again shows clearly that your time is valuable, and you’re extremely busy, successful and in demand.

2. If you’re having cash flow issues, it certainly helps to get some money up front. (When I was just getting going, 40 years ago, this pre-paid fee allowed me to buy the film I was going to be using for the photography session – things were really tight back then!)

3. This ends once and for all the pain of having people NOT show up for their photo session appointment.  Why? Because they PAID for this time – so they darn well are going to be there – in fact – they’ll show up EARLY! (Back before I was doing this – it used to DRIVE ME NUTS when I would get all ready for a photo session, and the person wouldn’t show up!)

By the way, there’s another great benefit to doing business this way – and that is every time you raise your fees, you ALSO raise the Creation Fee – this way, you always know which price schedule a client is on – because of the pre-paid creation fee she paid. This is really helpful when you’re raising your prices at least twice a year, as I recommend.

So, if you’re not doing business this way, start now! If it scares you for some reason, simply start with a really low pre-paid Creation Fee – maybe $50 or something. This way, it won’t have all that much of an effect on your business, but will get you started doing business this way, and from this moment forward, you’ll be on the right path.

You may be wondering how I present this policy to my prospects in such a way that they go ahead and book with me, even though so many of the other photographers in the area don’t have this fee (big mistake!)

So here’s what I say at the in-person meeting I have with my prospects on a separate day before the photography:

(I obviously do not do this right away. It’s done after asking many questions of the prospect, building the relationship & trust, and finding out exactly what she wants.)

“Before we go any further, let me give you an indication of how much you can plan on investing, is that okay?

(Wait for her to say ok.)

“First, we have a Pre-Paid Creation Fee. It is $XX and it is prepaid to cover the planning & creating of the images. It does not go toward the finished portraits – it’s a separate fee. But it’s the best $XX you’ll ever invest, because it allows us to take the time to do it right.

“Then, once the images are created, you come back in to view your images, and you can do anything you like. For example, the one over the sofa there – that size is $XX …..” (and I go on and volunteer the investment for the different sizes – without using the actual dimensions of the images, of course.)

This works really well.

If you’re not doing this – do it NOW – you’ll be VERY happy with the results! I’m living proof of it, and I also have “students” and members all over the world who are doing business like this – and loving it. It makes a huge difference in your business.

Last point: don’t call it a “sitting fee” – call it a “Creation Fee” – much more artistic, and calls attention to the value of your creativity.

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All the best,

Charles J. Lewis, M. Photog., Cr.