7 Ways For Photographers To Increase Sales

What is your average sale when a client comes into buy?

Are you still handing over the digital files (or worse, negatives) when a client comes in for a photo session?

As a photographer, you make your money from your finished product. If you're providing your client with the raw files, and not a finished product, you are actually doing your client a disservice. Your job as a professional photographer isn't just taking the picture and letting your client have the image. It's also about seeing what others don't see. A professional photographer has the ability to see things in unique ways, and give their client above and beyond what they could get anywhere else.

Become a Picasso

One of my favorite stories is about Pablo Picasso. Picasso was sitting in a restaurant having lunch with a friend when a woman came over and asked Picasso to create something for her on her napkin, and she would happily pay him for what it was worth. After a few minutes, he gave her back her napkin, and a bill for several thousand dollars. After the initial shock, she questioned why he could charge so much for a few minutes of work. Picasso responded the price wasn't based on the few minutes it took him to create her artwork; it was based on the years of studying, education, training, and mastering his talents. She happily paid the price.

As a photographer, your prices should reflect your talents, not the final output. Anyone can snap a photo and print it out on their home computer. Where the real talent comes from is within the photographer herself.

And by the way you present what you do to your customers.

It's easy to increase your sales potential on every client. Start with thee 7 ways to put more pizzazz into the way you market your photography.

1. Create better packages.

People like deals. And they like to get what everyone else is getting. Packages actually make the buying/selling process a whole lot easier. Your customer can bypass the ala carte section, and trying to decide exactly what they need. Instead, they'll simply buy what looks like a good deal. And if it's your best seller, why not choose what everyone else is buying?

2. Don't just sell one - sell multiples.

What if you could buy one for $9.99 or two for $14.99? Aren't you more inclined to buy the two, even if you really only want one? Of course. It's human nature. Just by selling your photographs in multiples, you'll easily see your sales increase. After all, who can ignore a good deal?

3. It's not all about the photographs.

When your client brings home her photograph, what is she going to do with it? She's going to put it into a frame. Or she's going to put it into an album. Or she's going to scrapbook with it. Whatever your clients are into, find a way of incorporating that product line into your business. Don't just sell your photographs. Sell everything about it.

4. Always have a special.

Just because your client purchased products from you months ago doesn't mean they won't purchase more. Offer timely sales throughout the year. Need some ideas of successful campaigns run in the past?

• Offer a 3 day event during your slow periods in which all past clients can come in and order anything from past photography sessions for ½ price. Only offer this to your customers that have completed their purchasing on their session.
• Any type of sale can be successful around the holidays. Offer free holiday cards with a purchase. Offer gift sets of frames and photographs. Offer gifts for grandparents a few weeks before grandparent's day. There's always a reason for a sale.

5. Offer your best deal before the event.

Aren't you always the most excited about things during the planning stages? That's also the time your most likely to spend. Whether it's a wedding or a portrait, you can always excite people more before the event itself. It's the anticipation. Use this to your advantage by offering special deals if they buy before the session. Buy one get one promotions on parent albums. Creating packages around specialty wall collages. Use your imagination, and sell while the excitement is high.

6. Use seasons and holidays to create special photography sessions.

What's special in your area? For me here in Denver, it's the Rocky Mountains. People love having the mountains in their portraits. And it's easy to use this to your advantage.

Create special days throughout the year in which all of your clients meet you at a specified location for your special event. Several Saturday's in September are perfect for photographing family portraits using the changing aspens. Or how about winter wonderland portraits in January when the snow is several feet deep? Because you're meeting several clients in one day, schedule each client session every 30-60 minutes to guarantee creativity.

7. Free family sessions.

Who are your best clients? Offer them free family portrait sessions. If they've proven their value to you in the past, give them special rewards that tell them how happy you are to be working with them. Always reward your best customers. And because they have purchased from you in the past, even with a free session, you're almost always guaranteed a sale.