Episode 42- Client Conversion Day 2
Building Client Trust and Pricing Confidence in Photography
For those who may have missed day one, it was pretty amazing. We're gonna go into day two today. I'm gonna share my screen and get this going today. Super excited about this as we go into the challenge. But before we do, I wanna ask everyone a question.
Whether you're here live or seeing the recording of this, I'd like to ask you, are you sitting back and waiting to be chosen? It's okay if that happens because I know a lot of people are. We are all like, um, kind of just waiting for someone to see our work and say, "I choose you." And that does happen sometimes.
I'm not gonna say it doesn't, because it does. However, it's not how you run a business. Running a business is challenging. This is a client conversion challenge, and I chose to use the word challenge because business is not easy. Whether this is your full-time business or it's just a hobby, wherever you are, this is not an easy business.
It can be challenging for many photographers. Uh, if you're just getting started, you may not know that. If you've been doing this for a while, you definitely know photography today can be challenging. So this is a client conversion challenge. Converting clients can be a challenge. No, it is a challenge. But it doesn't have to be, and that's why we're here today, to go through the steps to get you to understand that it's not about you.
It's not your fault if you're not getting work. It's just that we've been taught the wrong way. And I think a lot of that has come because today a lot of the time people are, are really... Actually, the companies are really consumed with doing one thing, having more business, selling more gear. But today is about going beyond gear.
It's about the work. So day one you discovered something very important in photography. You don't have a client conversion challenge yet, but we're here to fix that. Today, we begin building that system and dive into pricing. A lot of photographers are not charging enough for the effort, for the work, for the time that they put in, and they know it.
They feel it, but they're scared if they raise their prices, clients will disappear. We'll go beyond that. We're gonna dive into that today. Today is stage two, day two of the client conversion challenge, and we're gonna dive into a framework because a framework is gonna help you see things differently. So what is that?
What's the biggest part of the framework? It's trust. If clients don't trust you, they are not going to hire you. So it happens in stages. Stage one, it has to be more than just them seeing your work. It needs to be an emotional connection, emotional attraction to your work, to your messaging. If that's not there, they may not be coming the way they should.
Stage two, trust conversion. Right before we started today, I got a message from a client talking about a challenge that she is having, and after today I'm gonna contact her and get on and talk about how we together can work to build client trust more and convert more. It's very hard when you're doing everything by yourself, and today in photography, a lot of photographers are.
We're by ourself in our own head going through all of our struggles, our challenges alone. But I'm glad you're here because this is where we go beyond that. Let's talk about stage three. Stage three is the experience being amplified. That's exactly what I want to talk to my client about, amplifying the experience, and a lot of us don't think about that.
When you amplify the experience, that becomes an attraction mechanism to bring clients to you as well. And then number four, we talked about this in day one a little bit, that referral engine. You have to have that momentum of referrals or business stops. I want business to be easier for you, so today I'm gonna help you go through things that will help you to make it easier.
We'll talk about pricing also. We talked about pricing a little bit on day one. We're going deeper into pricing today. So thank you for being here. Day one was not about fixing everything. That's impossible in one day, as you already know. Today is about seeing clearly why things haven't been working out.
Today, we connect that clarity to pricing. To trust, which you must have, and your income. Let's get going today. Also, today will not be as long as day one. I won't keep you as long. Day three is a full packed day, and the most important day out of all these three days. But right now, let's dive into pricing.
Your pricing. Most clients can sense your value. They sense it when they see your work. They just hope you don't know it. They see your value. They're attracted to what you have. They may ask for a discount, hoping that you don't know your value. I want to make sure you do. Most photographers think that pricing, going up on your prices, is about courage.
It is not. Pricing, your price that you charge, is about trust, and trust is built with a system. Without that, you don't have that. You have to have trust for a client to pay your rate. They know what you're worth. They're hoping you don't see it. Let's talk about the reality of all of that. When there is no system in place, things get a little shaky.
It becomes reactive pricing. You may change your pricing in the moment. Even though you may have a price list, somebody ask for a discount, and right away you give that discount. That's reactive pricing. That's also a fear based decision because you may be thinking, "Okay, I haven't worked in the last two months.
I need this job." They can sense that, and you lower your price. That's a fear based decision, and it's a losing battle because that client knows, "Okay, this person doesn't believe in themselves." They sense that. They see your value. They know it's valuable, but they want that discount, and that client will keep asking for more and more and more, and you feel worse and worse.
That's not a business. Let's get to that dream island, away from that old reality to a new reality where you have predictable income. That takes having a system that you work each and every time. You're not rehashing something new each and every time. You're working that same system. It's a repeatable system.
It's value based pricing, and clients understand and see value. We all know that. We all know the discount stores. We all know the high priced value stores. We know the discount cars What they look like. We know the valuable, expensive, beautiful cars. We know what they look like and what they should cost.
Your clients know also. And when you present this in a calm way, clients will make a calm decision. So we all know this. Now we have to use this to our advantage. I had you pull out your workbook in day one. You were supposed to download that. You can also download it even now. The download is in each and every one of your emails for the workbook.
I'd like for you to pull that workbook out now. And this is where you write. There is really power in writing pen to paper. So with your workbook, it's great when you can print it out. It's a PDF, you can print it out. I'd like for you to keep this workbook long after this three-day challenge is over, and I'd like for you to look at it every single month, let's say the beginning of every month, to look at that workbook and ask yourself, are you growing as a photographer, as a business?
You're not staying the same. Either you're either getting worse or you're getting better. Nothing stays the same. This workbook shows you where you are and how to grow. So I asked you on day one a very scary question. I asked you to make a goal to double your numbers. I asked you to write down two different numbers and to double them.
And I know that part may feel scary, right? It doesn't have to. When I ask you to double what you made over the last twelve months and to look at that number, that's a number that can be a goal. Now, how do you get there? With a system. The system helps you get there. This, this doubling your number, this new income goal of what you made last year or in the last twelve months, it may feel impossible, but with a client conversion system in place where you're not guessing, you're not making last minute decisions, you're just working your plan, it becomes easy and predictable.
But you've got to have this system in place and not make fear-based decisions. I know that it's hard to do at first. It takes practice, but you can do this. I want you to imagine this. What would it look like to run your photography business, be it a hobby, business, on the side, wherever it is for you right now.
What would it look like? Imagine this with a clear, straightforward System instead of struggling to survive. What would that look like? Better yet, what would that feel like every month to know that you had clients coming in, every month to know that you're not worried about income? That would be a good feeling.
I want you to take that in because that's what a system can give to you. Now, where is the system breaking down? Ask yourself this honestly. This is not for me. I want you to ask yourself these questions and think about each of them. Are clients asking your price, then going quiet? Ghosting. They ask for your price, you give your price because you want to honor what they asked, and then they disappear.
There's a way around that, and that is called having a system in place to do those things I talked about in the beginning. Connect emotionally. Giving a price doesn't have an emotion. Maybe fear, but not the right emotion. The system I teach teaches you how to change all of that so they don't disappear and they don't ghost you.
If those inquiries are disappearing, it's because they're only looking at numbers and only thinking with one part of the brain, and it's not the emotional side. Are clients booking you one time and never referring you to another client? Or even worse, are they ref- never coming back after that first time?
That's the lack of a system. And it's not our fault. As photographers, it's not our fault because we weren't taught this. You learn this by going through the ups and downs of business, and that's why I'm here teaching this. So you now know it's not your fault, it's just that we haven't been taught the real reason about having a business and running our business in a way that feeds our soul is by having structure.
A system is framework, it's structure. Do you feel uncomfortable when you present your price? Somebody asked your price, and all of a sudden you gotta figure out how you're gonna give it. If that's what you're feeling each and every time, that's also the lack of a system. The system takes all of that away of guessing how you're gonna do something.
It gives you a straightforward path to doing it. If even one of these things I've just mentioned is happening It's not a talent issue, and very often, photographers, we feel it's a talent issue. It's not. It's a system gap. That's all that is. It's not about your talent. Pricing success is a process. It is not a number.
Don't think about the number. Whatever you charge, that part doesn't matter. As a matter of fact, when you have a system in place, you can raise your prices and attract better clients who see and understand your value. So let's do this right now. Let's go through three steps to pricing success, three steps to having success with raising your prices, getting your price.
Step one, you've got to dream it. You gotta visualize where you want to be with your prices, and actually see people paying you what you know you are worth. Before I go on, I want you to even just close your eyes and think about that. What does that feel like to be able to charge what you want and have that client hire you?
Take that feeling in right now, because it's a good feeling. Define your price goal clearly. I had you write it down on day one. I know that's a scary one. But I want you to take that in right now and ask yourself, what would a true breakthrough for you look like and feel like for you? For each of us, it's very different.
But for you, what would it feel like to have a real breakthrough in your photography business? Only you know that. What would that look like for you? If you had that workbook, do me a favor and write that down in your workbook so you understand what it feels like. Sometimes we hide from things that we, we need to know.
When you write it down, and you're writing this down for yourself, and it's not for anybody else, when you write these things down and look at them, your own handwriting, not on your computer, not on a, on a device, your handwriting, pen to paper, pencil to paper, whatever you wanna do, when you look at that, it hits differently.
This is why I really love when you can write. So imagining things, sometimes it's hard. So I have this picture here for you to just imagine how beautiful life can be. Take this picture in right now. We've all seen a moment like this, and we all know what this feels like. Even though we see a moment like this throughout our lives very often, it never gets old, right?
There's nothing like seeing a beautiful sunset. It makes everybody stop and take it in. If you're on vacation on some great island or somewhere beautiful on a ship, it doesn't matter where you are, and the sun sets, everybody pauses, stops, and takes in that great, beautiful feeling. That's what your business can feel like, where you stop, take it in, and feel like, "Okay, I am growing.
I'm not where I was before. I'm on the other side." That's why I'm here today to help you get there, to take it in and feel it. So dreaming it is very important. Setting three goals is important as well. I asked you on day one to set a big, scary goal, and I know that can be hard. So let's break it down now to three different goals.
You had that big, scary goal. That was your first one. You wrote that down on day one. I asked you to double your numbers. But let's also make two more goals that aren't as difficult, so we can visualize this as well. Besides that big, scary goal, make a second goal, a solid goal. But this needs to be a number where you are proud of, of where you're growing.
You're not where you were, but you've grown enough where you feel proud in that number. You've got to know if you're growing or not. You can't just go through and not knowing these numbers. They are important for you to see if you are growing or not. Then make a third goal. This goal is a safety goal.
This is the minimum price that still moves you forward. So now you should have three goals written down. That big, scary goal. Then a goal that's a proud number. You're, you're growing. It's not the big, scary goal, so you're not doing, like, doubling your income, but you're growing enough, maybe twenty-five percent more than what you were making, and that makes you feel good.
Then make a goal where you're moving forward. You're not where you were, but you're moving floor- forward a little bit. Maybe you've only added one more client from where you had last year. That is still growth, and I want you to celebrate when there's growth in any way. You have to feel good, take it in, and acknowledge that.
So having goals is very important. You can't just willy nilly go through things and not take account of what's happening. You have to because you need to honor it and celebrate your growth. Let's go to step two, your client journey. This is the journey that your client goes on the moment they inquire about your work and hiring you.
Your client journey determines what your prices mean. Maybe you've never heard about a client journey before. You're going to hear that a lot from me because it is very important. If there is no client journey, clients disappear. They ghost you. They do not refer you. That's not a business. That's a hope. I want you to have a business where you're thriving.
And guess what? No matter where the economy is, I know we're going through challenging times all around the world, but people who are thriving, they're not as worried. When you have a system, it is economy proof. It's recession proof. And we all need that. Trust me, I've been through so many throughout the 30 plus years of my career.
Everything, dot com bust, you know, 9-11, financial upheaval in the market. All those things don't matter when you have a system. Not as much. People go out of business because they don't have a system. I don't want that to be you. Prices without a journey, they feel expensive.
But prices inside of your journey feel intentional. Do you see that difference? You've got to understand that difference because that is a very important step. Step two is a very important step for you to keep clients, to get referrals, to feel good about working all the time. This is a system in place. Let's talk more about that client journey because it is so very important.
Most photographers respond. When you're asked about your prices, you respond with your prices. Book photographers, those who have clients all the time, they design the response. They're not responding by a reaction. Everything is designed. The system is designed. You get an inquiry from a potential client.
That's the first part of the journey. Your response to your client begins their journey. What you show to your client is part of now What you show is not just based on what they ask. What you show ignites part of your design in the journey. Your potential client's emotional journey is the first important step you must take.
I didn't say anything about showing the prices. Number one, when they ask your price, you respond by igniting an emotional journey. This takes them by surprise 'cause it's not what they're expecting. They're expecting for you to answer their question with your price, and instead, you do something different.
You see, client pricing confidence, your client journey determines what your prices mean. Before you can give your price, you have to establish that. On day one of the workshop, you saw where clients fall through the cracks, and this is a big part of the crack. When you just respond with your prices, that's a crack, and they fall through, they disappear, and they ghost you.
Today, you're seeing why this kills pricing confidence in photographers, in you. It's not your fault. Stop beating yourself up about that when they disappear. But from this day forward, you now know where the cracks are and why they are disappearing. Step three, confirm it. Use calm, positive language when you speak with your clients.
Now, you're probably saying, "Well, Matthew, it's coming through a text message or an email or, or a DM." Still, the language that they read needs to feel that way as well. Calm, positive. I want you to think about how does your message feel? Very often we respond not thinking about what our clients will feel when they read it.
It should feel calm and positive. It should reinforce your value throughout the entire process of the journey, and you have to always think customer first. Step three is important. Calm, positive, value, process, and thinking customer first. You're thinking about them. Clients don't just pay for photographs.
I mentioned this on day one as well. They're not buying photographs. They pay you for security. They wanna know you can off-- you can give them what they're asking for, and they wanna feel safe about that They wanna trust you. They wanna trust the process. And you having a process, a journey that they go on, builds the trust that you are a professional, that you know what you're doing.
It gives them peace of mind, and that peace of mind helps them make that decision. Your system that's designed communicates value before you ever say one word, before you ever speak to them. Wouldn't you want that? A calm way that gives security, trust, and peace of mind so they can make a clear decision.
Let's take a look at what that looks like with a before and after picture. Before is a typical inquiry response. They ask you for your price, and you're just like, "Okay, here are my rates. Let me know what you think." And you know what that leads to. Them disappearing, not responding, being quiet. Let's look at the other side, the after.
When you are using a client conversion response, clients respond to you in an emotional way because you create an emotional connection right away from that very first response. You reinforce their vision for the shoot, for hiring you. They have a vision right away in their mind, but you're gonna reinforce their vision.
You frame the experience of what it feels like to work with you. I haven't mentioned anything about price yet. You anchor value before pricing, then you get booked by them. Then there's a conversion experience. Then you have a happy client, and you have a client that's referring you. Now, look at that before and after and ask yourself, where are you?
Are you just giving your price and saying, "Let me know"? That's why they are disappearing, not hiring you as much as they should be hiring you. This is a big difference. And now you know. It has not been your fault. It's just about the structure. You don't build this all at once. You build it one calm decision at a time.
Makes a big difference. Now, let's have a reality check. If your client journey is unclear in any way, if there's any doubt, your prices will always feel heavy To your potential clients. If there's any fear, they walk away. If there's any doubt, they walk away. It has to be crystal clear. So ask yourself, is your process clear to your clients when they inquire?
Will they know what's gonna happen? 'Cause if they don't, they're not going to say yes. So what's next for day three? On next Tuesday, we'll be diving into most important part of your journey. The most important part of your journey. On day three, I'm gonna show you something extremely important. A client conversion system is not just an idea, it's something you can install in your business.
Whether it's your business or a hobby, or you're just thinking about making it your business, or you want extra money on the in, on the side. I'm gonna teach you how to install it. I'm gonna show you how to install this system. So join me for day three, 'cause day three is the most important day of this three-day conversion.
I told you today it's not gonna be as long as it was on day one, but I wanna thank you for being here because today you saw it's really not your fault. You talked... We talked about pricing today. We talked about these three steps you need to take. When we end today, we're about to end today right now, I want you to look at your journal.
Look at what you wrote down from day one, and then also today in day two. Take a good look at that. Day three, we're putting it all together and fixing your journey. That's what this is about, you moving forward. I wanna thank you for your time today. I wanna thank you for being here. Day three, we're putting all this together.
I wanna see you grow. I wanna see you make steps. I wanna see you look at where you were before this challenge and look at yourself after this challenge, and see how life can be much better on the other side If you have questions, do me a favor. Go to the Facebook group. We have a pop-up Facebook group.
In all your emails, besides the workbook, you also have a link to our pop-up Facebook group. The Facebook group is live whenever we're doing this challenge. And then it goes away. We put it in hiding until the next time we do this a few months later. But for right now, it's live, which means any question you have from today or from day one, you can go through and put it in there.
I'll go through, check out all the messages and respond right away. On day three, you will be able to ask questions at the end live. All right, everyone. Thank you for today. I'm going to contact my client and talk to her about how we can do more and grow together. Thank you for today. Thank you. Make sure you are here on time for day three because day three is the most important day out of all these days.
Thank you so much for your time. Thank you for being here. I'm so glad to have you here. Have a great rest of your day or night, wherever you are in the city, in the world. And I'll see you on day three of this client conversion challenge. Thank you, everyone. Be good. See you soon. Bye.
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