If you want to be successful at selling your photography, without using pressure or trickery of any kind, then this is going to be extremely valuable to you.
There are three major laws in the world of selling that many photographers violate. Becoming aware of these three laws, and using them in every sales presentation you do in your photography business, will assure you of higher photo sales averages, and more closed sales today.
Here are the three photography sales laws, along with a quick example for each:
1. The “Ask Questions Law” – You first must build rapport and trust by asking questions. Don’t do all the talking. Find out what she wants, and then show her how you can help her to get it. You see, she doesn’t care how much you know until she knows how much you care. And one of the best ways to show her how much you care is to ask her questions, in a friendly, enthusiastic, sincere manner.
For example: Here is one of the most effective questions I use all the time. I call it the “Qualifying Question” because it really let’s you get a feeling of just how “qualified” the prospect is. Let’s say you’re talking with a prospect about family photography. Here’s the question: “If you don’t mind me asking, how important are these family photographs to you?”
See how the answer to that question will immediately tell you whether or not she’s really a good, qualified prospect for you? If she says that the photographs are really important to her – that she wants to have something really nice that captures the feelings and relationships between everyone – then that tells you she’s probably looking for something very well done. But if she says they aren’t really all that important to her – she just wants some quick “pics” and doesn’t care about anything but the cost, - then that tells you something totally different.
2. The “Trial Close Law” – Use trial closes throughout your presentation. So what is a “Trial Close?” A trial close is a question, the answer to which indicates where the prospect or client is in the sales process. The answer gives you valuable feedback.
My favorite Trial Close is this: “How do you feel about that?” The answer to that question is priceless each and every time you use it.
For example: Let’s say you’re still talking with the woman about family portraits. You say something like “One of the things that separates our photography from all the other studios in the area is we will meet your children ahead of time, so they feel comfortable with us on the day of the photography. This way, their expressions will be so much more natural.”
Now, if you just stop there, and don’t ask her a Trial Close, you will have no idea of where she stands concerning this. But if you ask her, “How do you feel about that?” Then she will answer with something, which will let you know how she feels about what you just said. See how powerful this is? If you use Trial Closes throughout your presentation, you’ll have much higher photography sales averages.
3. The “Guarantee Close Law” – Close the sale with your guarantee – remove all the risk from your prospect, if you want her to make a decision today.
Here’s a fact of Human Nature: Most people do not like making decisions. It’s risky. What if they make the wrong decision?
So the easiest way to help people make a decision today is to remove all the risk off of them and put it squarely on you.
For example: Let’s continue with our family portrait example. Let’s say she is hesitating to make a decision to hire you today. So you say something like this: “You know what? One of the things that separates us from all the other photographers in the area is this: We absolutely guarantee that you will be thrilled with your portraits – not just “satisfied” – but THRILLED. If you aren’t thrilled, we will do whatever it takes to see to it you are thrilled, including creating additional images, or if we can not thrill you, we will give you all your money back. No hard feelings either. You can’t lose.”
Then you use a Trial Close: “How do you feel about that?” And chances are really good she will say something like this: “Well, if you guarantee them like that, then you are right, I have nothing to lose. Let’s do it.”
Now, can you see that this is not pressure. It is not trickery. You are not trying to get her to do anything she doesn’t want to do. All you are doing is helping her through the mental process necessary for her to go ahead and have you create her family photographs, rather than going to some other photography business.
These three laws of selling are extremely effective in photography. I urge you to start using them today, and watch your photo sales go up and up.
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