What if my clients only want digitals?

Summary

In this conversation, Christa discusses the common misconception that clients only desire digital images from photographers. She shares her journey of transitioning to a full-service photography model, emphasizing the importance of educating clients about the value of physical products. Christa highlights the need for photographers to guide clients through the selection process, ensuring they understand the benefits of investing in tangible memories. She also outlines her approach to creating a sustainable business model that allows photographers to provide high-quality service while maintaining profitability.

Takeaways

• Clients often desire more than just digital images.
• Sales should focus on sharing value, not being pushy.
• Educating clients on options is crucial for their decision-making.
• Busy clients need guidance in choosing products.
• Physical products help clients relive meaningful moments.
• Photographers should structure their offerings to include products.
• Guiding clients through the process enhances their experience.
• Every client should walk away with a product they value.
• A sustainable business model allows for higher income with fewer shoots.
• Educating clients leads to better sales outcomes.

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Transcript

Christa (00:01.27)
In this episode, I'm going to be talking about debunking the myth that clients only want the digital's all the time and the offering products is a waste. No one wants that. They just want an Instagram post. They just want access to all the digital's and that is it. I'm excited to dive in with you guys because I actually used to think this and the funny thing is when I pivoted my business to being full service, I'm going to shoot you guys straight. It actually wasn't even because I was

so incredibly passionate about products. I was newly married. I didn't have kids. I really didn't understand the full value of products. I had bought a cheap album for our engagement photos that I kid you not is breaking in half. I had never spent significant money getting something printed nicely, professionally framed, or like a professional album that I spent hundreds on.

So I share that because there are sometimes photographers I coach that say like, I don't know if I'm my ideal client and that's okay. I definitely wasn't. But one of the reasons that I did pivot to full service was because of the business side of things. As I understood that being shoot and burn wasn't going to launch me to my next goals, wasn't going to create the life and business that I knew was so possible, that shoot and burn was going to lead to burnout, that it was capped, that I would always have to book.

more and more and more to reach my next goal. And I just was not here for it. So when I had hired my first coach that kind of touch pointed this and introduced me to like, there's a way that can be product focused. It really was because of the growth capability of it. But as I continued in my business, I did learn and dig in deep and understand the value of why products.

And I do believe that has to happen in this transformation. No, you don't have to be fully there when you pivot, but you do need to challenge yourself to continue understanding. it's because when you're passionate about something, that passion is going to show. Think of it when you've been sold to. Now, being sold to has very negative connotations, but wherever you're getting, when you go to make a big purchase, I want to be sold to. I want someone to take the time to sit down with me and share the value. I want that help.

Christa (02:18.904)
Whether it's a waiter or waitress at a restaurant that you're at, that's a nice restaurant. You really want to pick the right things that's worth getting, right? That waiter or waitress is actually selling it to you, but sales doesn't need to be pushy. Sales is sharing the value. And I want to be able to very clearly share the value of products to my clients. And in order to do that, I did have to take like a personal journey through the process of like myself understanding that value. So when we chat with clients and assume that they just want Digitals,

Our assumption often is portrayed. Just like if we talk to a client and assume they're not going to book, often they don't. Instead of really assuming that the client is here for it, they're excited about this process, they want lots and lots of products, this session is so meaningful to them that they have to have this step. I can't wait to serve them better than anyone else, what anyone else in my area is doing, just throwing them this gallery of digital without that next step. We want to go into it with that energy, already excited about it. Now.

The first thing that we need to do in order to get our clients excited about the process and excited about more than digital is first of all, educate them. And I'm here to say, I can't tell you guys how many times I've gotten a DM or an email saying, I think we just want a mini session and all the digital. And then they've gone on to spend over a thousand dollars on their session and walk away with amazing products. Okay, why is that?

And you might say right now, yeah, I have inquiries like that too. And I even had someone in our group Slack. So in our program, we have a group Slack that myself and our team is in every single day through the week, Monday through Thursday, answering questions. And I actually had a student ask this where she said, I got this inquiry. Is it worth connecting with them? And I'm like, yes, because my job is to educate the client on what is possible. So I use the example that when Edward and I had moved into our second home together,

there was this bed of my dreams from Pottery Barn and it was beautiful and I had been eyeing it and I loved it. Now, when I walked in there, I would have been offended had I thought I really want this bed and the salesperson looked me up and down and assume she can't afford this and her little old Navy outfit, right? And started showing me other options than truly what benefited me most even at the higher price point.

Christa (04:39.094)
And so I want to be as a consumer educated on my options. It is not for us to decide what our clients should and shouldn't spend. It is not for us to pre -qualify a client's financial decisions. That's not our job. Just like I don't appreciate when someone does that for me because little did he know I have planned to invest in this. I want the bells and whistles. I want this to be amazing. This is something really important to me that I value.

and I do want to drop a certain amount of money on it. So put yourself in that buying consumer position. I want to be educated on all of my options and be empowered to make the best decision based on what's being shared. But in order to do that, I have to be aware of my options. I have to be educated about it. And being educated about products is not, do you want products? Yes or no? Okay. I have to take the time with my clients to share, here's the value.

of having something more than digital. I actually used to just throw digital at clients. You know what I found? I would have clients reach out to me years later asking for the link. They never got prints or products. And often when I tell a potential client that they say, yeah, you're right. I've done the same. And I'm like, I get it. And I might use myself as an example. I'm a busy mom now, right?

I even hired one of my full service students to do my daughter's newborns. bought an album from her. didn't buy wall art, because I was like, I'll just do it. She turns one next week. I still haven't done the wall art, and that's what I do, right? Our clients are busy people. So I need to take time to educate them on why products, OK? I need to dig into their session with them. This is such a special time. I'm going to educate first on the why. This is a really special time.

I want this to be enjoyed further than an Instagram post that gets lost or an image on like a Facebook album we forget about or somewhere like way back on the cloud. And if you guys can think about this personally in your own life, if you've had portraits done of yourself or your family or your partner or whatever that looks like, if you didn't do anything with those images, think about how often do you actually look at them? Because for me, it's not much, right? And versus when I have something

Christa (06:58.39)
and print in my home, I see it all the time. I see it every day. I relive that moment. And I truly want that for my clients. And I want to be involved in sessions like that. I want to be involved in sessions where these moments are so meaningful. We want them in our home to see it and enjoy every day. That's when I pivoted from being the anything and everything and birthday party photographer and all of this photographer and all these random things to being very intentional and structuring my pricing and options and.

my business in a way that was serving at that higher level. And it gave me more passion for what I was doing because I know these images are going in my clients homes. It's not going to be an Instagram post forgotten about, right? It adds so much to the why of my craft and what I'm offering to these clients. But in order to do that, I have to educate them. They may never have worked with a photographer before that takes care of this for them. So we need to step into it as this is

something that they might not know. So many clients were like that. I've never worked with someone like this, right? Like, I didn't even know this was possible. Now some have and they're like, okay, yeah, this makes sense. We've had other photographers like this, but for the majority, they haven't. But it allows me to stand out, you know, because they probably, if they reached out to me and found me on Google, they may have reached out to five other photographers who are all doing the same shoot and burn thing, but Krista takes care of them that extra step, right? I'm gonna come alongside them and help them and ensure these images don't get lost, ensure that it is a full service experience.

For every client that's, yes, this is great for me. Some clients it's no, this is not for me. And that's okay. Cause my goal is not to be the photographer for everyone. That's not sustainable. Now stick to my notes here. Okay. We have to educate them. So I'm going to walk them through again, why products and why have me take care of them? Why not order from these mass consumer sites? And I'm going to take time to share the value and in my specific product offerings, the heirloom quality of them.

how incredible they are, how it's not like buying a frame at a mass store and popping a print in it. This is so much more special and so much more valuable. Same with albums. And what I want to do is, second, really paint the picture of what they could use these images for. And this is going to vary client to client. Some clients have big blank walls and want them full. One client was in a really small studio apartment, and we did a, I still sold a frame to her, we did a smaller frame, and then an image bundle, right?

Christa (09:24.404)
But I want to get clear on that and I'm going to paint the picture for them of what is so possible with products and how this is so much more meaningful and going to go so much further and they can have their favorite to see and enjoy every single day. And I'm going to walk them through and educate but also get clear on what type of products would serve them well. Because even if I love a specific product but they don't resonate at all with it, it's not going to benefit me.

I have one of my top students, her average is actually higher than mine. She sells albums at almost every session and doesn't sell as much wall art. She's just very passionate about albums and that resonates really well with her clients. For myself, I'm selling wall art at almost every session. And so I want to really dig in with the client and get clear. A great way to ask this is give them options and ask like, which product fits your home best? Notice I didn't say yes or no. I was like, okay, great. You love wall art. I love it. Which wall in your home are we thinking?

I'm digging deep. It's not guess or no questions that can easily be written off. It's asking for information so that I can paint the picture and be the guide. That goes into my third point of being the guide. Don't put this work on them.

I have other episodes that talk about why online galleries don't sale. It's like going to that fancy restaurant without a waiter or waitress helping you and just being expected to spend, you know, maybe drop 100 or 200 on a meal and not have anyone there to answer your questions, to give recommendations, to guide you based on your preferences. And you want that high touch experience when you're investing in something. It means a lot. It's going to go a lot further and it's going to make that investment more worth it when they can help with that.

So I want to paint the picture and I want to be the guide and take care of this for them where it's actually easy for them to walk away with products. They're not sitting behind an online gallery having to like decide and measure their walls. Like I'm able to take care of that process for them and guide them through this album leather cover option would be beautiful if your colors in your living room are this great. I've taken care of the design for you. Like I'm the one guiding them through. I'm not dumping the work back on them. Okay.

Christa (11:32.982)
Okay, the final thing that I do to sell products at every session is I've created my packages very intentionally where they get both. If they buy a product, they get the digital. If they buy a digital, they get a product. And the reason I love this is if a client is like, just really want a lot of digital, I have that option for them. I don't turn them away. And so that can work really well. And even guys, if they really don't want the product and don't even want to put it in there, I actually can use my same structure

and still have over a thousand, over $2 ,000 sales, even just from digital. So it's valuable, but I'm very passionate about products and I want every client to walk away with them. So I really only open that door for things like branding or headshots that I might do all digitals, but keep the same structure. But for all of my portrait sessions, products are involved in the process. That's just part of it. Everyone walks away with products. It's how my sessions are set up, but it's not that they're getting the products and no digital.

they're actually able to get both. So it opens the door for that conversation because it is part of my process. So I wanna encourage you to really share the value. can do that in ways where you can. Now here's what I would not do that I've seen people do. They do a poll on their story and say, would you guys rather have digitals or wall art or products? Everyone's gonna say digitals, why? Because they're not educated about it.

They don't know the value yet. You're not walking them through it. So don't do that and base it on that. And instead get clear with your clients, share about products from the start, share how it would benefit them. I've even done mockups like for my clients walls or they sent me a picture for their wall and I can show them ideas. And if this sounds interesting to you, if you would love for all of your clients to walk away with products and you would love to be compensated your worth, I actually teach my step -by -step process on how to do this and how I've sold.

multiple six figures of products in a single year. And the changes that it brought my business was I was uncapped. The client could now spend as much as they wanted, maybe several wall portraits, maybe several albums, lots and lots and lots of images. And I could give each client the time that they deserved and walk through and make sure that those images.

Christa (13:42.434)
were amazing for those clients and not get frustrated if I need to change something or do some master retouching. It's part of my process at that higher level of service, right? Like just like going to that nice restaurant with the waiter or waitress helping you, I get to do that for my clients. And what that means is now that I don't take on as many shoots, now that I coach a lot and I have a one -year -old, I'm still able to take on sessions and still have a multi -four figure average serving clients. So it means you can actually shoot less, but grow your income. means you can...

Be more intentional with every client. means you can know like, hey, I'm not worried about do my clients like these or not, or did they ever do anything with them? But every client goes through this experience and process with you. And what I do is I teach the step -by -step process, literally video by video to set this up, a pricing audit to make sure you know intentionally.

why you're pricing your products at what you're pricing. It's not numbers pulled out of thin air or taking pulls on Instagram or asking a client like what they pay. It has to make sense for you with what you're charging and the time you're pouring in and what your products are costing. And we actually give you an in -depth pricing audit with our numbers coach there. We also do group calls to keep the momentum up. I have guest speakers come in. I share motivation and tips based on what I see my students are working on. And we actually give you access to our group Slack.

which is this really cool free app you can use on your computer or phone and so that when you do get stuck and have questions come up or specific client situations come up or need that kick in the pants, you have that support. If this sounds interesting to you, I have the application linked in the show notes or you can send me a DM on Instagram and I would absolutely love to connect so that every single one of your clients can walk away with products and you can build a much more sustainable business.