Pro Photo Business Forum

Some have said that the written word is the most powerful force in our universe.  I have been, and always will be, searching for the right language to use when replying to people who contact me about my wedding photography services.

The first words you use to reply to a prospect will communicate volumes to the reader/listener.  Immediately they will instill trust and confidence in you, or they won’t.  Indeed, the words you choose will be pivotal on your success.  Your words can produce a sale, or leave you dumbfounded, thinking to yourself “why did I say that?”  Your words can leave you questioning yourself for days to come, wondering what it was you said that caused your prospect never to call you back, or caused them to reserve your services.

I often ask myself what the sequence of words are that I can use which will cause a prospect to book my services right then and there?  I believe those words exist.  I also believe that those words are different for each and every prospect that comes through my door.

Trying to find the right words to illicit a response is not trickery.  The people that take the time to contact or visit with me want to spend their money on the services I offer.  It is up to me to educate the prospect as to why they should spend their money with me, as opposed to a fictitious photographer who has a business next door and charges the same price that I charge.  It is my responsibility to sell my services to the best of my ability, without being misleading or obnoxious.

As photographers, we are extremely lucky, because our images can speak for us.  There are times when I find that talking less is more, and letting my images talk for me can say volumes.

I will forever continue my education on the use of language.  It’s one of my favorite things.

As a wedding photographer, I like to have what I call wow products to show my potential clients when they come into the studio for a consultation.

When a potential client visits my show room, everything is in its place. Things look, smell and feel right. The stage is set for a presentation.

At the end of the presentation, I present my clients with my wow products, the first of which is Honeymoon Photography. In order to make the presentation of this wow product more memorable, this product is displayed in some of the most unique wedding albums I can find.

By presenting the product in this manner I accomplish many different goals.

1. When the prospect leaves they are sure to remember my studio and their experience.
2. The most important accomplishment is the fact that I have given myself an opportunity to sell my largest product. You can’t sell it if you don’t show it.
3. Even if the client doesn’t invest in the option for honeymoon photography, they still know that there is an upper level of wedding albums available to them.
4. A higher end of wedding albums makes the rest of my wedding albums look that much more affordable.

Wow products are so important when you a wedding photographer. It’s coming up with the idea of what those wow products should be that is so difficult.