Selling Photography

Asking the right questions will lead you to shape your business the way you want to serve yourself and your goals.

If you want to have a lifestyle you wish to have where you don't work endless hours and break your back, you've got to work smart.

Talk about pricing premium, clearly communicating your product's value to the right people, and protecting yourself from discount buyers.

That's part of designing your photography business to reach a high level of success.

David and Whitney Scott have been married for 20+ years, have worked together for over 13, and have renovated EIGHT homes and short-term rentals… and are still together and smiling! 

Whitney started the photography business part-time back in 2005 after leaving a career in counseling. Her first "official" photo shoot was when she used a wrinkled sheet as a backdrop to photograph her daughter, Emma, for her first birthday. Friends were kind and allowed her to practice on them, and the business grew into a full-time job. In 2007, she had their second child, Ben, who became another adorable practice subject.  

David left his long-time job in youth ministry to join her in the business full time in 2009.  

They learned (understatement of the century) that entrepreneurship is challenging. And that working together is flat out hard. And they also decided to start homeschooling their kids during this time. But they were ridiculously optimistic. They were incredibly poor, but they were together and were doing what they loved.

Now their kids are teenagers, and their photography skills have much improved. Entrepreneurship is always challenging but rewarding as well. Not only have they built a business they are proud of, but they also had the opportunity to educate other professional photographers at the international level. They are building the barn studio of their dreams right out their back door and dividing their time between serving their wonderful photography clients and serving their fellow professional photographers through their second business venture "Tribe of 5".

In this episode, David and Scott share how they started in their photography business, conquered charging low to pricing premium, making the most of their 20-hour workweek time catering to only two clients a week. They also talk about taking advantage of Whitney's Psychology background when it comes to setting prices, zeroing in on buyers' psychology, and curating a pricing list to show the best that clients find the most value in to avoid confusion and making them happy and confident buyers.

What you will learn from this episode:

• Learn how to structure your business around the lifestyle you want, so you get there faster
• Find out how to connect with the right people and charge premium
• Discover how to work with fewer clients and earn more

"We have to be very strategic in deciding what we want for our life, and for us, it was family life. It was our number one objective. And then we structure our business to facilitate that goal."

- David Scott

Topics Covered:

02:40 - Working less and building a dream life: Strategically structuring your business to fulfill your business goals and a successful family life 

06:15 - Taking the process slowly but steadily: Whitney taking us to their journey from pricing low to charging a premium

08:38 - The 20-hour workweek: Whitney sharing how they use their time and resources effectively and efficiently to reach the goal they set out at the start

11:02 - Leveraging Business Psychology: Talking about connecting with people and connecting to their imagery and communicating to your clients what gives them meaning and value in life  

13:40 - Simplifying Pricing: Positioning yourself as the expert, giving your clients and curating the price list of only the best out there and doing away with confusion

19:26 - Highlighting your product's perceived value: David points out on selling to your clients a completely different experience and the status feeling of owning your product

23:09 - Piece of advice to their younger selves: "If you position yourself as a technician, you will be relegated to the salary of a technician, if, however you position yourself as an artist, there is no limit to what you can command. And if we realized that early on and did not mind what other people were doing, we would have come sooner to the level we wanted to." - David Scott

Key Takeaways:

"We started out asking ourselves the right questions. That is so important. I think so many people get on the hamster wheel, and they just go and go, and they don't think about why I am doing this and where I want to end up? And I think answering those questions tell you; this is the amount of money I need to make per year to get to the lifestyle that I want." - Whitney Scott

"Studies have shown that people feel happier with their purchases if they have fewer choices and they feel more confident. That's our job as photographers, we are experts, and we need to curate our price list, giving them the very best of what's out there." - Whitney Scott

"I am a big proponent of making one change and seeing how that works for you and making another change and how that works for you. Every time we have a sale, we still do this. At the end of the sale, we say, okay, what worked well and what didn't, did we leave money on the table, did we serve them better, what was missing, or did we do right, and how can we expand that with other clients?" - Whitney Scott

"When I go to the cheesecake factory, I order the same thing. Why do I do that? I get overwhelmed, and I am also confident in what I had before. And if you're presenting too much to your clients, then they'll go to that same menu process of trying to figure out what's going to be the best deal here, what am I going to get the most value from, and if it's too confusing, they're to go to something that they're familiar with." 

It is counterintuitive, but when I talk with potential clients, I tell them to come to us for special occasions. We are not people typically come to every year, and I want people to equate what they are doing with us as something very unique and special." - Whitney Scott

Connect with David and Whitney Scott:

How can you be the best you in what you do so that you can be the best you for clients who trust you?

We’ve long had this negative connotation around the idea of being different – that choosing to be what others aren’t is something that will do us no good towards becoming the best.

Well, let me tell you – that’s not the case in doing business, for what actually sets you apart from the general market is the same thing that will lead you towards success.

Do you want your products and services to be a one-of-a-kind thing, something that people won’t be able to find anywhere else? Do you want to upgrade your whole photography business but have no idea where to start yet?

If you are ready to take the leap, reach great heights, and live a life of success, join us today as we discuss how you can start working on producing something others can’t!

Have you always been feeling overwhelmed whenever you’re handling those big and mind-wobbling sales? Do you feel like you could do more to increase your sales and get more clients? Are you ready to find out how to make your clients feel like they’re in for a luxurious treat with the best value at the right price?

When starting a photography business, it’s not all about the portraits and pictures you’ve taken, but also how well you keep your clients hooked on your artistry. Showing your clients you’re worth an investment is as important as giving only the best to your clients. So, how can you wow get more clients and finally get your big, mind-wobbling sale?

If you are ready to take the risk, earn more, and touch lives through photographs, then sit back and get ready to be blown out. Widen your field, shift your perspective and become the best of the best once you’ve captured the essence of this sale-changing and money-making treat!

Sterling Hoffman views each portrait commission as the opportunity to tell the profound story of a couple or a family. Much like creating a painting, he weighs the roles of background and lightning, of color, tone, and composition. It is his unique eye that elevates his portraits to a higher level and why his work is treasured by thousands of families coast to coast.

In this episode, Sterling talks about how you can turn your informational appointment into a money appointment and get your clients hooked into your artistry. He also shares his experience and insights on how to get your clients to invest big and how you can handle those big sales.

What you will learn from this episode:

• Discover how you should be treating your clients as soon as the first call and their first step into your gallery
• Understand that the advance purchase option is possible and what value it brings to the table once you’ve put it out
• Find out how to prepare yourself and your business to handle big and mind-wobbling sales

“Far and above anything else, is that in the success pie, 80% of it is sales skills and not photography.”

- Sterling Hoffman

Topics Covered:

02:48 - Overcoming Those Big Numbers: Sterling shares his experience when handling big sales and mind-boggling numbers

06:26 - Handling the Crucial Call: Sterling talks about how the first call is the most important factor when meeting a client and trying to close a deal

11:18 - Immersing into the State of Relaxation: What should you do once a client steps into your gallery and how can you show that you care about them

15:11 - Fancy Schmanshy: Sterling explains how giving value and looking expensive will help you raise the bar

16:43 - Talking Money: Sterling shares his experience with prices and explains the importance of body language and confidence when it comes to pricing

18:58 - The Hidden Gem of a Nugget: How to turn an informational appointment into a money appointment

23:44 - Money Making Option: Sterling gives more tips on establishing an advance purchase option and how you can make it beneficial for you

26:17 - From Lenses to the Screen: Sterling shares how to connect with clients through the life-changing effect of a projector

34:21- To Me, From Me: Sterling shares what tips or lessons would he say to his past self

35:45 - More Than Meets the Eye: Sterling talks about his coaching business and what he has to offer

Key Takeaways:

“One of the biggest pitfalls of portrait artists is not being prepared for the big sale.” -Sterling Hoffman

“They limit themselves by their price list. They either don’t have the confidence to put large packages or collections on their price schedule.” -Sterling Hoffman

“The purpose of our collection is to drive the sale up. So the ala carte gives us our base sale, and the collections tempt them to go higher because of the value that's built into those collections.” -Sterling Hoffman

“Our collections should always start above your average sale. The purpose of the collection is to get people to go up.” -Sterling Hoffman

“It starts with the first phone call. That's where you're making that first impression. You have to cultivate and groom your top clients. Top clients are not found they're created.” -Sterling Hoffman

“It's cultivation that is based upon their experience with you and your experience with them.” -Sterling Hoffman

“We don't have a lot of different offerings, because too many offerings can confuse the client.” -Sterling Hoffman

“Questions are key. Questions show that you care.” -Sterling Hoffman

“We aren't afraid of our prices. We aren't embarrassed by our prices. But we want to bring up our prices at the appropriate time. And we want to be the ones to bring them up.” -Sterling Hoffman

“I think that everyone should experience luxury environments, whether it be an exclusive hotel, an upscale clothing store, a place like Tiffany's, walk-in, and just take in everything that you see. Look how they're dressed. Look how they speak. Look how clean everything is. It's a total package. And because of that, they're able to raise the bar.” -Sterling Hoffman

“So you have to manage your expectations by letting them know what's going to happen, and what we call that is bringing the future to you.” -Sterling Hoffman

Connect with Sterling Hoffman:

Have you been doing everything in your business when you only just want to do what you love doing– capturing smiles and memories? Do you find yourself struggling to get new clients and just feel like you could give more than what other studios could offer? Are you ready to find out how you can be more present, get higher sales, and do what you love to do with lesser stress and effort than before?

Taking pictures for a living isn’t so bad, but what happens if you’re doing all the managing and less of the picturing? Outsourcing isn’t something to be feared, in fact, it’s more of a blessing in disguise! You can’t be everything all at once. If that’s the case, then how would your business grow. Finding the balance of managing, marketing, and capturing pictures with the help of others is a step you could take to show the world what you have to offer.

If you are ready to take the risk, earn more, and touch lives through photographs, then sit back and get ready to be blown out. Stop the chimping and grab those perfect photographic opportunities to capture better memories, touch more people’s lives and grow your business! 

Rachael Boer, with over 13 years of experience in the portrait and wedding industry, brings creativity and vision to every photography session. Together with a small team of support staff, she has photographed hundreds of portrait sessions and weddings, and her clients are consistently thrilled by her stunning imagery high-quality artwork. Rachael's passion is giving families tangible memories of their most precious days together with the ones they love.

In this episode, Rachael talks about why outsourcing isn’t something to be feared but rather be loved and how it can greatly help you focus on doing the things you love instead of doing the things you dreaded. She also shares her insights on how marketing also plays a crucial role and doing photography for a living is more than just taking pictures!

What you will learn from this episode:

• Discover the importance of in-person sales and how it can turn your one-time clients into life-long partners
• Acknowledge outsourcing as a step for growth and stress-free business instead of something to be feared
• Understand how to give your website a bit of a pop and a touch of uniqueness with the power of copywriting

I'm picturing that amazing relationship that we have with our clients and the service that we provide, to take something off their plate. I'm not thinking about pushing something on them that they don't want to buy. That's never the point, never the goal, and that will backfire on you in the long run.”

- Rachael Boer

Topics Covered:

01:08 - Looking Out of the Picture: Rachael talks about how outsourcing is a power-saver, timesaver, and lifesaver that you need in your business

03:08 - Chasing that Life-Changing Freedom: Rachael shares how she overcame her fear and realized that it was time for her to ask for help

08:27: Catching Clients, Capturing More Memories: Rachael explains how outsourcing allows you to expand and level up your business

10:48:  Finding the Focal Point of Marketing: Rachael talks about why you need to market your business actively instead of passively

11:53 - Speaking Photographs: Rachael shares why the message we put out about ourselves and how we talk and present our studio is important

12:30- Seeing More Than Just the Picture: How copywriting is as important as the visuals present in your website

20:23 - The Little Marketing Bucket: Rachael adds to the importance of having a budget and being strategic in your marketing

23:25 - Transcending Over the Commonalities: Rachael explains how sitting down with your clients will get you the most out of your clients and vice-versa

25:09 - What is the IPS Mastermind?: Rachael shares how she was able to build amazing relationships with clients and give better service through her story

28:46 - The Power of Connecting: How can in-person sales change your life as well as your client’s

Key Takeaways:

“And I realized that, for me, when it comes to outsourcing, that's the secret. Give away the things that I am either no good at or I just simply don't like them.” -Rachael Boer

“When I can release those things, it frees up this like emotional bandwidth for me, and this energy to be able to throw myself into the things that I do love about my business, and the things that I'm actually really good at.” -Rachael Boer

“Someone else can take those little parts of your business. They can do just as good a job as you can. And in fact, it frees you up so much to be able to pursue the things that you love, which is a win-win for everybody in my book.” -Rachael Boer

“They do have the time, it's just that that time is being spent doing those lower level, you know, kind of, administrative tasks. And those are things that are really easy to let go of once we can get over that fear.” -Rachael Boer

“Marketing is the ticket to the whole thing. Without marketing, you don't really have a business for very long. Typically, word of mouth is not going to sustain you. Your beautiful images are not going to sustain you. And we all wish they would.” -Rachael Boer

“What is my game plan, not just today, but the next month? The next three months? The next year? You have to have that long-term vision for your marketing.” -Rachael Boer

“And sales and marketing are all about creating a desire in your prospects to own what it is that you're selling, really honing in on what their pain points are and their deepest desires, and then showing how what you sell can fulfill those desires. And to do all that you have to use words. You have to write copy that converts.”  -Rachael Boer

“Create some language on your site that's going to make you stand out.”  -Rachael Boer

“If you can get some great copy that converts on your site, on your social media, on any printed material you put out, that's going to be just as important as those beautiful images.”  -Rachael Boer

“Think about the service that you're providing to your clients. And think about how you're helping them go from that place of overwhelm and confusion to, ‘Hey, listen, you don't have to do a thing. Sit back and relax.’”  -Rachael Boer

“If you leave clients with a pile of digital images, I always say it's kind of like a chef coming out to your table with a basket full of ingredients and saying there's your dinner.”  -Rachael Boer

“That's the world they're living in, where they have these special moments, and they're archived. But they just stay in the archive, and they're not on display. And they don't understand the impact they'll have in their lives from there.”  -Tavis Guild

Connect with Rachael Boer:

Have you always wanted to start shifting towards in-person sales in photography but you just haven’t found the drive to do so because of uncertainties and fear? Have you already experienced having clients who only purchase digital copies in order to avoid paying for something ‘more expensive’?

Do you want to be able to help yourself and your clients in a way that serves both of you best? Do you want to live life away from the cages of disks and hard drives – a life that will live forever, something that you’ve always dreamt about?

All of us here have a photography journey of our own, and without a doubt, change is something that scares the spirits out of people who once dreamt high. Some people undercharge clients for the service they provide while others assume clients already know whatever it is that they want.

You’d want to have your product the best one you could ever find, but without elevating your service to a greater height, providing a low volume, high touch experience is something you wouldn’t have in this life. 

Listen to this episode and be up for a treat that will serve you in packaging all the glorious experiences up at the same time!

Rae Barnes is an award-winning entrepreneur, a photographer who has been in the industry of photography since 2004. She started as a wedding specialist, won numerous awards, and even got her works published in dozens of wedding magazines for her outstanding imagery. Currently, Rae specializes in family portraiture through IPS, mostly in Philadelphia where she resides. 

In this episode, Rae and Tavis talk about the shift Rae had towards in-person sales as soon as she started doing family portraits. Here, Rae shares tips and stories that will help people realize how doing in-person sales pave the way towards memories that will stay in our hearts for the rest of our lives. 

What you will learn from this episode:

•  Understand why shifting towards in-person sales is something you shouldn’t fear doing;
• Find out how you can help both yourself and your clients in living a life that isn’t caged in hard drives; and
• Discover tips and stories that will guide you in making that shift towards a well-lived and amazingly photographed life. 

“Anyone who is scared to jump to in-person sales needs to realize that most people have no idea what to do with the portrait and they’re just going to live on a hard drive. We, as artists, have the capability to create something for them pretty simply that they will love and treasure forever.”

– Rae Barnes 

Valuable Free Resource:

 How to Serve Best After Shifting from All-Digital to Doing In-Person Sales 

• First of all, do not be afraid of making that shift. Take that leap. Go ahead and let those who want to come to enter your new space.
• When thinking about starting IPS, take note of these things:
• Run your numbers
• Understand how experience can either raise or lower your value
• Provide higher service. Elevate the products that you offer.
• Invest in education for both yourself and your clients.
• Listen and learn from the success stories of different people.
• Have a plan on how you’re going to serve your clients.
• Preferably, have a meeting before the actual session.

Topics Covered:

02:29 – How It All Started: Talking about Rae’s shift towards in-person sales (IPS) – leaving the wedding industry and focusing on family portraitures from then on

07:07 – Rae’s How-To’s: Tips on where you should put your focus on when thinking about doing IPS

12:33 – Listen, Learn, Plan, and Practice: How to exponentially raise the value when photographing your clients’ wishes

18:52 – An Angel in Disguise: A narrative about Tavis and his wife’s experience of having no idea on where and what to start with

21:18 – Digitals Only, Please: Purchasing the digitals alone vs. entrusting all the work to your skilled photographer

22:58 – More on the Meetings: Rae shares how she did business back during the days of pre-COVID

26:27 – Wonders behind Portraits: A story showing how life-changing Rae’s service is for a client

Key Takeaways:

“You kind of have to just rip off the band-aid. Some people feel like they need to go from all digitals, download, online gallery to hybrid and then go to IPS, but I felt like it was just best just to rip it off like a band-aid. Just go ahead and lose the clients that weren’t going to come with me, bring the clients that were, make that jump. Once we got passed it the first few months, it’s been awesome.” – Rae Barnes

“I can’t just continue doing what I’m doing and expect people to pay twice as much for that exact thing. I need to do whatever I can to build the value of what I’m giving to my clients, and I need this to be valuable to my clients. I need them to feel like this is worth it. For me, that meant higher service.” – Rae Barnes

“Our businesses should serve us in how we want to live and how we want to give. It should not be the other way around. We should not be serving our business. Our business should be a tool so that we can accomplish our passions and desires in our lives.” – Tavis Guild

“I inundated myself with education. I’d listen to anybody who would talk to me about in-person sales and how they did it. And the biggest thing that I learned is to have a plan of how you’re going to serve your clients.” – Rae Barnes

“Every time we add a point of contact that isn’t meaningless, we have the opportunity to build value.” – Tavis Guild

Connect with Rae Barnes: