Photographing for the sale is one of the toughest concepts for small business owners that are also in a creative field to grasp. At heart, being a photographer and taking beautiful images is why most people open a photography business. Quite often, photographers will go into a session without a true direction. They photograph a little bit of this, a lot of that, and everything they can think of because they are creating art. There is a common misnomer that if you can show your clients a plethora of beautiful images then you will sell more.
However, the point of the session should be to understand what the client wants, photograph those images, and then have some additional poses for them to add-on to their sale. We need to pick a lane for the session and truly stick with it, meaning listen to what they want and stay on course to create that for them. I am not saying that it is not okay to take some creativity time and create some additional options but I have found when we go too far off the desired path it generally leads to being lost or confused and without direction.
As discussed earlier, a pre-design consultation is essential, as it determines the direction for the photography session. Just because you are photographing for the sale does not mean you have to sacrifice the art or creativity. You can actually do both! The difference with this mindset is just fine-tuning the process and keeping your business on track to sustainability and profitability.
It is very important that all of the notes created during the consultation are reviewed and followed on the day of the portrait. The portrait pose or poses should be taken care of first, and then take some creative liberties. Take a little extra time and create other poses, groupings or looks. This extra 15 or 20 minutes of work will make the sale more profitable. It is crucial to go into the salesroom with several awesome portrait choices as well as other options (up to twenty) for add-on sale products. But the most important piece of all is to share and show what the client asked for first, narrow that down to the top pose(s) and then move on to some of those add-on images and suggestions for purchasing them. Do not start with your favorites, start with what they asked for to avoid the sale getting off track very quickly and confusing the client.
By following this concept, it truly streamlines the sales process. When we ask the client what they want, and give it to them, there is so much less confusion and indecision in the sales process. If there are too many options, the client loses focus in the sales room and quite often cannot make a decision. Please note that if you give them all of your styles or looks in one session (for example: studio, environmental, color, black & white, etc.) you have eliminated the need to come back to you? It is a much better option to stick to one style or product line per session, and then discuss future opportunities to work together again. Leave them wanting more!
Certified StoryBrand Guide
Profit First Professional and Guide
For almost 25 years Mary Fisk-Taylor has owned a portrait and wedding business with her business partner, Jamie Hayes in Richmond, Virginia. Hayes & Fisk Photography is one of the most sought-after Portrait and Wedding studios in their industry. Mary and Jamie are both incredibly committed to preserving family legacies, professionally capturing and printing portrait and milestone memories.They both believe that these fleeting need to be proudly displayed in family’s homes, not living digitally on phones, computers and modern technology. Mary also partners with her Mom and sister in a boutique volume and high school senior portrait studio that caters to local private schools and stresses both excellence in hometown and local client service and technical proficiency in the art of photography.
Mary was very pleased and honored to have received her Master of Photography, Craftsmen of Photography and Certification of Professional Photography in just three short years. Mary has been named Photographer of the Year in 2007 and has won Best Wedding Album of the Year in Virginia several times. Nationally she has had her prints and albums recognized as Grand Imaging Award finalists.Mary is also a recipient of the prestigious Virginia Award, which honors photographers for their commitment and dedication to their state association, and the business of professional photography. And, in 2012 she was awarded the PPA Charities Legacy Award for her work and dedication to the philanthropic arm of PPA. In 2014 Mary was awarded the Charles H. (Bud) Haynes Award for her distinguished service to PPA and its members and for encouraging business awareness and practices in the field of professional image-making. And in 2015 Mary was honored to receive the National Award from the Southeastern Professional Photographers Association for her commitment and dedication to Professional Photography and has gone on to receive two more National Awards from other affiliates. Mary has also taught and lectured all of the United States, as well as the Philippines, Korea, Canada, Mexico and Italy and most recently South Africa.
Mary is of course most proud of her two beautiful children, Alexandra and Jackson. Her husband, Daryl, and she enjoys the flexibility and joy that owning a profitable photography studio has allowed their family. Mary currently serves on the Executive Committee of the PPA Board of Directors, is a proud member of the Society of XXV, and is a past President of the PPA Board of Charities. She holds offices and board positions for her state professional photography affiliate, Virginia PPA and serves on several philanthropic and local boards.She is extremely active with Operation Smile International and has served as a staff photographer for several events and missions. At the age of 42 Mary was named one of Virginia’s Top 40 under 40 for her leadership in the community, volunteer and charity work and her business savvy.
https://www.maryfisktaylor.com
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Mary Fisk-Taylor
Mary Fisk-Taylor, MBA, M. Photog., Cr., EA- ASP, CPP, ABI, API Certified StoryBrand Guide Profit First Professional and Guide For almost 25 years Mary Fisk-Taylor has owned a portrait and wedding business with her business partner, Jamie Hayes in Richmond, Virginia. Hayes & Fisk Photography is one of the most sought-after Portrait and Wedding studios in their industry. Mary and Jamie are both incredibly committed to preserving family legacies, professionally capturing and printing portrait and milestone memories. They both believe that these fleeting need to be proudly displayed in family’s homes, not living digitally on phones, computers and modern technology. Mary also partners with her Mom and sister in a boutique volume and high school senior portrait studio that caters to local private schools and stresses both excellence in hometown and local client service and technical proficiency in the art of photography. Mary was very pleased and honored to have received her Master of Photography, Craftsmen of Photography and Certification of Professional Photography in just three short years. Mary has been named Photographer of the Year in 2007 and has won Best Wedding Album of the Year in Virginia several times. Nationally she has had her prints and albums recognized as Grand Imaging Award finalists. Mary is also a recipient of the prestigious Virginia Award, which honors photographers for their commitment and dedication to their state association, and the business of professional photography. And, in 2012 she was awarded the PPA Charities Legacy Award for her work and dedication to the philanthropic arm of PPA. In 2014 Mary was awarded the Charles H. (Bud) Haynes Award for her distinguished service to PPA and its members and for encouraging business awareness and practices in the field of professional image-making. And in 2015 Mary was honored to receive the National Award from the Southeastern Professional Photographers Association for her commitment and dedication to Professional Photography and has gone on to receive two more National Awards from other affiliates. Mary has also taught and lectured all of the United States, as well as the Philippines, Korea, Canada, Mexico and Italy and most recently South Africa. Mary is of course most proud of her two beautiful children, Alexandra and Jackson. Her husband, Daryl, and she enjoys the flexibility and joy that owning a profitable photography studio has allowed their family. Mary currently serves on the Executive Committee of the PPA Board of Directors, is a proud member of the Society of XXV, and is a past President of the PPA Board of Charities. She holds offices and board positions for her state professional photography affiliate, Virginia PPA and serves on several philanthropic and local boards. She is extremely active with Operation Smile International and has served as a staff photographer for several events and missions. At the age of 42 Mary was named one of Virginia’s Top 40 under 40 for her leadership in the community, volunteer and charity work and her business savvy. https://www.maryfisktaylor.com
