Ask Questions First – Shoot Later

What do we do when the telephone finally rings and we find someone on the other end that’s possibly interested in hiring us to photograph their wedding? The scenario probably goes something like this: We excitedly describe our wonderful photography, our packages and prices, and then get really excited when they say they’ll think it over and call us back, right?

All very good, except for one big problem – How many of those prospects actually do call back and hire us for their wedding?

Not very many, that’s for sure. But why is that? We’re left wondering why they bothered to call us in the first place! We surely feel let down that they lied and never called back. You don’t need me to tell you just how very frustrating this can be.

I’m Not Trying To Sell You Anything:

Fortunately, there is something that can be done to raise our hit rate on such calls, and it’s a lot easier than you might imagine.

Part 1 of the secret is that you are NOT going to try to get them to book over the telephone. That’s right – this is just too big a step for most people to take in one go, especially as they probably haven’t seen you or your work yet.

This in itself takes some of the pressure off you and the prospective client. The objective of the call, for you, is to simply get them to agree to meet with you for a friendly chat over a coffee at your studio or somewhere suitable.

How do we achieve that? On to part 2…

Control Freaks Go First:

Well, maybe not control freak in the strictest sense of the word, but it is true that you, not the prospect, needs to be the one in control of the conversation. If you let them ask the questions then they get to choose when to end the call when they feel they have enough information, which is not a good thing. They will simply come up with the “think it over” excuse – an excuse for ending the call.

So you need to take control of the call by simply being the one asking the questions, rather than the one answering them!

95% of the calls I receive start with the prospect asking, “How much do you charge for wedding photography?”

When I didn’t know any better, I would answer their question and they would say, “Thanks” and hang up before I could really say much else.

Now that I do know better, I thank them for calling, politely say that I would love to discuss my charges with them, but then start asking them questions about their wedding, how they heard about me, what things are important to them, etc. This is all part of building rapport with them, making them much more likely to like you and want to work with you.

Twenty Questions:

The more questions you can ask them, the better – and (this is very important) make sure you listen to their responses carefully. You can use their answers to your key questions to further explain your unique selling points – those things that are unique to you and your business that will make them want to at least meet with you.

If they ask you a question you can answer it and then immediately ask them a question back to regain control of the conversation.

Finally, when you’re ready, you can ask them how they feel about what they’ve learned and then close the “sale” by suggesting a time and place for them to meet with you. If you’ve built good rapport with them, shown them your unique selling points and shown interest in them and their wedding, you should be well on the way to booking them as a client.

Connect With The Photography Coach On Google+

Share these photography business ideas with others:

Tweet

Take A Second To Share Your Thoughts - Add A Comment

Sales & Marketing selling