Six Important Policies For Maximum Profits In Portrait Photography Today

money.shake.handsDo Your Potential Clients Run Your Photo Business, Or Do YOU?

One of the biggest problems today in professional photography is, quite simply, a lack of confidence which then leads to photographers allowing their clients to tell them how to operate their photography business, and they end up out of control, losing money, burning out and eventually quitting.

The fact of the matter is, if you don’t set the policies for your photography business, then the clients will tell you how to run your business and you will suffer greatly because of this.

Here are six critical policies that you need to immediately integrate into your photography business for it to succeed in this “new economy” and with all the changes in how photography is perceived by the public.

1. Have a Prepaid Creation fee.

This is extremely important to your prospects and clients perceiving your time and talent as having value. This fee covers the time and talent involved in planning and creating the images. It does not go toward the photographs themselves.

2. No prices on your website – ever.

If you put your prices on your website, then there is no reason for a prospective client to contact you, because everything they really wanted to know is on your site. If they don’t contact you, then you have very little chance, if any, of turning that prospect into a client. As a result, you lose clients you otherwise could’ve had.

3. No session without meeting with the client ahead of time.

You always want to meet your prospective clients in person prior to the photography session. This allows you to build a better relationship, plan the session properly, collect the prepaid creation fee, and to inform them about your policies. (Like the fact that you project your images, see below.)

4. Originals never leave the business.

The “originals” are the first images the client sees from their photography session. You never want to allow those to leave your photography business. You always want the client to come back in to view them with your (or your staff’s) assistance. The photography business is a personal, people business, and in order to be ultimately successful, you need to work closely with each of your clients and present their images to them in person.

5. Project Your images!

How you present your images to your clients is the single biggest decision of your career! We know that the first image a client receives of their photography is the lasting image – therefore, be sure the first image is a beautiful wall sized portrait, projected into a frame, over a sofa.

6. No images posted on the Internet.

This goes hand-in-hand with number four above. Never post your photographs on the Internet, it is degrading and cheapening to your product. Again, you need to have complete control over how your clients view their images, that’s why you have them come into your photography business and view their images projected into a frame, over a sofa or other large piece of furniture.

Set these six policies for your photography business right now!

This makes up an important part of a plan that will assure your photo business is successful and profitable!

So what do you do next? Start by investing more time on this blog. Use the search bar to search on keywords that you are most interested in to help you build the photography business of your dreams. There’s a lot here.

And for sure join my inner circle and let me give you the details , templates, tools and specific techniques of exactly how to build the photography business of your dreams and still have the free time to spend with your loved ones and build a lifestyle you have always wanted. It will be my honor to help you move toward what you desire.

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5 Responses to Six Important Policies For Maximum Profits In Portrait Photography Today

  1. January 17, 2014 at 11:02 am

    Really! A prepaid creation fee? Ir’s hard enough to get clients to come for an interview and then you want me to ask for a prepaid creation fee. Maybe that works in Michigan, but the folks in Alabama are pretty tight with their money. You better explain that (sell that) a little better to me.

    • February 18, 2014 at 2:07 pm

      Hi Dave – thanks for your comment – and I totally understand how you feel. I used to feel that way, too, until I tested it, and found out what a HUGE difference it made in the “quality and commitment” of the client when they had invested the pre-paid Creation Fee. Also, your sales & presentation skills might need a little improving, and I would suggest you search on that area of this blog. No hard feeling, as my way isn’t the only way – it’s just that this really works great. (By the way, you know what we used to do in Michigan? We used to make cars! Times are extremely tough here, too, so I totally understand what you are saying, but, and this is a big “but” – but, there ARE people in your area, no matter where you are, who are looking for something really special and well done, and will be happy to invest a Creation Fee so that you can do the correct planning, etc. to make sure you create something for them that they will really love.
      Hope this helps,
      All the best,
      Chuck

  2. Pingback: Jay
    • October 27, 2014 at 1:37 pm

      You’re welcomed Jay, glad you enjoyed it.

    • November 24, 2014 at 1:08 pm

      You’re welcome, Jay. Glad to be of help!

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