Wedding Photography Techniques - Selling Your Work

No matter how good your wedding photography				the opportunity to fill some of those needs. Steer
techniques, if you are in business your work has to				the conversation round to the wedding and find out
be sold.				all you can about the day, the family and the bride's
The idea that good wedding photography work will				expectations.The essence of salesmanship is listening,
sell itself is nonsense. You will starve in the meantime!				allowing the customer to talk.
So whether you do the selling yourself, leave it				Most people have a tendency to talk on, but the
entirely to another, or in fact handle some of it, you				salesman needs to check himself and encourage the
need to be aware of the characteristics that go to				client to do the talking. As the client does so, you
make up the expert sales person.				must listen intently, and not be thinking about your
You've heard the clichés "Salesmen are born,				own sales pitch.
not made"; "Selling is a skill that can be learnt like any				Alertness: Willingness to listen needs to be reinforced
other". You need both acquired skills and personal				by alertness. Observe carefully as they speak; body
qualities. The skills come from training and experience,				language may be telling you something else, not
but they only result in fruition if the individual has a				expressed in words.
number of personal qualities.				Enthusiasm is good; it stimulates attention and
The basic ones are belief in the job, empathy,				generates conviction. But do not become the bore
enthusiasm, integrity, loyalty and friendliness. Many				that you have met so often! The most difficult thing
people have these qualities but they do not have the				here is to strike a balance between being enthusiastic
training needed to succeed, or they may be				so that you excite and stimulate the client on the
restrained by inhibitions.				one hand, and being over enthusiastic on the other.
Let us look at some personal characteristics required				The latter can turn the customer right off you and
by the wedding photography salesperson: -				your photography.
Belief in the job: You must believe that what you are				Be positive: A conversation can easily drift into a
doing is a worthwhile job and that your product -				series of moans! Control the situation and keep it
your wedding photographs - is a benefit to the client.				positive at all times. Be the optimist for whom the
If you are interested only in taking the photographs				glass is half-full, not the pessimist who sees it as
and sell under sufferance, you will fail.				half-empty. A positive attitude produces sales;
Empathy: This is the understanding of the customer's				allowing the conversation to become negative loses
feelings and opinions. You may not share your client's				them fast!
views, indeed you may differ on many counts, but				Be open minded: Although you have a particular style
you need to understand and respect his or her				and package to sell, be open minded to alternative
viewpoint.				ideas that may be suggested from casual remarks or
Listening will tell you what the client needs and wants				specific requests. Many good sales are made by being
in way of photographic coverage. You will then have				receptive to the desires of the client.