Today’s post is a little late because it was a big day for my nine year old…BRACES!  Yikes!  So we were at the Orthodontist all morning.  I think it definitely won’t be our last installment of braces because he clearly didn’t get my teeth! 🙂

Originally, I had another idea for today’s topic.  But I got a call from one of the attendees of The Seniorologie Tour California who needed help with something, and I thought what a great topic this would be for today’s post.

The attendee was a little frustrated because she had tried in-person sales for the first time and didn’t have the results she wanted and she wanted a little advice.  I am always happy to help and realize that she probably isn’t the only one that has ever encountered this.  In fact, I have been there too!!

All photographers rave about in-person sales as being the difference between a small sale and a big one.  And they are right.  However, there is a lot that goes into doing in-person sales that leads to the climb in order amounts.  It is not an overnight change.

When I first heard about in-person sales, I was at WPPI for the first time.  I was eager to learn and went to all different types of classes.  I remember sitting in several classes that mentioned in-person sales.  I remember thinking to myself, “there is no way I am ever going to make that in my town” and “it’s just so much easier to put the photos online in the comfort of my own home in my PJ’s if I want to.”  I also thought, “there is no way it makes that much of a difference for all the extra time it takes to do an in-person order appointment!”  Clearly, I was letting fear of change creep in and convince me that I didn’t need to do in-person sales.

After one class, all the ladies filed out of the classroom into the bathroom.  There was a lot of chatter and I was eavesdropping on this one conversation.  I overheard a girl, with a very distinct southern accent (my southern radar went off), talking about how she switched to in-person sales and it really did work.  I was thinking how it is one thing to hear the teachers of the classes talk about in-person sales, but it was another to see that a “real” person actually had the same success.  Now I don’t mean that the teachers are not real, of course.  But it is like saying Brad Pitt had success with something and then hearing a normal, non-celebrity also had success with that same thing.  It just helped me realize that anyone could do in-person sales.

I got up the nerve to ask the girl where she was from and it turned out that she was from this itty-bitty town about 10 minutes from where I am from.  I was blown away.  If you ever had the opportunity to visit this town that she was talking about, you would understand my surprise that she was doing so well.  This town is small, I mean tiny.  I think there is only one stoplight.  Not even a McDonald’s.  It would not be the place you would think would be able to support such a high dollar amount in photography sales.  And all from doing in-person sales!  My initial skepticism vanished and I was sold.  In-Person sales was the way to go!

So I went home and jumped in with both feet into in-person sales.  My first one went well.  Not great, but well.  And by that I mean I made more money than I had at any online sales in the past.  Now, I did not jump from $200 to $2000 or anything like that but it was more and I was happy.  Then the frustration came.  The next two in-person order appointments were not so great.  One client “forgot” her checkbook and the other needed to discuss it with her husband first.  No sales. I was disappointed.

So I slid backwards and did a few online sales again.  It seemed easier and less time-consuming, and to be honest, my fear and skepticism were back.  Then I revisited the in-person sales idea again.  This time I went about it differently.  I got together my thoughts, policies and procedures.  I organized.  I revamped my pricing and collections.  And then I started educating my clients.

What I learned from my experience of trying in-person sales then going back to online then back again is that in-person sales is not simply about being in person with your client.  It is about the entire process, from beginning to end.  Giving your client unbelievable customer service from the start all the way until after the sale is over and treating them like a friend that you are helping instead of a client you are selling to.

So here are a few ideas on how you can educate your client and make in-person sales work for you!

– Inquiry – at the initial inquiry of a potential new client, talk them through the entire process.  This includes the order appointment.  Most clients are not going to know what that is right off the bat, so explain it to them.

– Correspondence  – if you send out any documents or emails before the session, make sure they include a section about the In-Person Ordering Session.  This is your second opportunity to let them know that orders will be placed during this appointment.

– Session – at the end of the photo session, remind them again about the in-person order appointment.

– Reminder – send out a reminder to let them know that you are so excited to show them their photos.  You can even include a sample list of great people to buy for such as grandparents so that their mind is already thinking of what to get even before the appointment.  Or send them a tape measure with your logo on there so they can measure their wall space and know what they can purchase to fill it.

– The Order Appointment – show off their photos, walk them through each of them individually and give your honest advice.  Help them make a decision that they will be happy with instead of forcing them to purchase something they may not be happy with the minute they walk out the door.

Because this is a Topic Tuesday, I would love to hear your thoughts.  What do you do to educate your clients on in-person sales?  How do you make it work for you?  Share your thoughts, advice, etc in the comment section below!