This is episode 56 of the Photography Marketing Masters podcast with special guest Steve Saporito, who shares his in-depth expertise on the power of the design consultation in the portrait sales process.
Do you struggle with the sales part of being a professional portrait or wedding photographer? Does the very thought of having to sell fill you with a sense of dread?
Even if you’re comfortable with sales (which we all need to aim for in this business), you might not be seeing the results you should be. Or, perhaps you’ve avoided the whole process of doing in-person sales presentations with your clients for one reason or another, in which case this great chat with Steve Saporito should help alleviate many of the apprehensions you might have.
In today’s episode, we talk about the “design consultation” and how a simple shift in thinking can dramatically improve your results.
About Our Guest: Steve Saporito
With several decades of invaluable experience, Steve Saporito has become one of Australia’s most sought after portrait studio training consultants.
Originally an accountant, Steve’s love of photography made him seize the opportunity to purchase a portrait studio and embark on a new career. One studio soon expanded into three, and Steve’s career shifted again to training studio owners and employees using his highly successful systems.
For the past few years Steve has been busy creating successful portrait selling spaces across Australia and New Zealand, having opened and designed over thirty studios for his clients. His training is helping both home-based studio owners and large retail studio owners to deliver the highest standard of customer service possible. He has trained his clients to consistently achieve $3,000+ average sales, thus resulting in them earning million dollar a year turnovers from the comfort of their own homes.
Steve’s biggest strength is in understanding people and what motivates them to desire and invest in photography. His method lies in creating studio systems that honor the client’s desire for beautiful and meaningful portraiture that they will cherish for a lifetime. His training empowers the confidence to learn how to engage, service and retain your clients with a strong client-focused attitude.
Podcast Episode #56:Â Summary
Here are some of the great topics Steve and I talked about in this packed episode:
- A recap of our previous chat on the power of excitement calls…
- The importance of knowing the end purpose of each photography assignment…
- Why most sales presentations cause stress for photographers…
- Why sales presentations should be done in person…
- A mind-shift – treating sales presentations as design consultations instead…
- Why photographers avoid in-person sales presentations…
- Why it’s not about “the money”…
- What a typical design consultation looks like…
- How the order of images in your sales presentation makes a difference…
- Why “price lists” can hurt sales when used at the wrong time…
- How this system minimizes the effects of “buyer’s remorse”…
Recommended Reading
The Photographer’s MBA
By Sal Cincotta
If you have finally taken the leap with your photography and gone into business, or if you’re considering it, “The Photographer’s MBA” will prove a helpful guide in navigating the often confusing and occasionally frustrating territories of business, marketing, pricing, and contracts.
Photographer Sal Cincotta, who runs a highly successful portrait, senior, and wedding photography business, deftly leads you through “the other 90%” of the job of a photographer
