In my photography business, I follow the boutique business model.
I’m not right for everyone.
In fact, I’m not right for MOST people who are shopping for photography.
I hear no a lot. And that’s ok with me.
I’m not the photographer if you want photos of your kids to only share digitally on social media.
I focus on creating art for my clients’ homes.
I have a passion for decorating kids’ rooms that reflect how special and different each kiddo is.
And I’m definitely not the cheapest photographer in town.
Because of that, when I’m booking a new client what I do looks different.
I will not book a client by email.
Have I tried it? Sure.
But I found after 13 years in this business, is that it didn’t work for the type of clients I want to attract.
My business model is about developing high-touch relationships with my clients.
It’s about individual connections.
It’s about creativity and one-of-a-kind experiences.
And all of that is lost over email.
We can’t develop rapport.
We can’t bond over shared experiences.
We can’t connect.
And they can’t see MY personality and what makes an experience different when they choose me as their photographer in an email.
Think about it like this.
Every day we buy things and services.
And we have a choice every time we buy something.
1) We can choose the lowest price provider. We all do this with certain things we don’t value – like my fake glue on fingernails, gas for my car, daily play clothes for my kids, etc.
2) Or we can choose to pay more.
When you choose to pay more than the low price provider, you expect MORE in return.
- More conversation
- More connection
- More attention
- More choices
- More service
- More perks
So what do I do when I get an email asking for my prices or if I’m available on a certain day?
I pick up the phone and call the prospective client. And I have a 15 minute phone conversation.
I just follow my 7 steps to answering the phone so you get booked process that you can learn here.
I ask specific questions.
I follow a specific order of what I ask and when.
And I book from that 15 minute phone call if a client is right for me.
It works every time to ensure I never pick up my camera unless I’m going to meet my sales average with the session.
And when I don’t book a client, I know exactly why so I don’t beat myself up or go searching for reasons my business model may be broken or my pricing is wrong.
If you’re trying to book clients via email and you’re following the boutique business model, I challenge you to pick up the phone.
Stop hiding behind your computer and talk to your prospective customers. And if you need more help, grab my free guide, "7 Steps to Answering the Phone (so you get booked" Get it here.
