Can someone post closing questions while on a meeting with clients. I think I am to laid back and it's hurting me. Out of 10 meetings,I usually only have about 6 signups. I wanna make this number closer to 10 out of 10. I often tell them there's no rush and they can take the contract home,think about and sign it at their convenience. This might be my weakness. Maybe I should push them to sign the contract on the spot.
Please help me out. We have 2 more photographers in our town and their wedding photography is a bit more expensive. I also don't think they are better than me. I need to use this somehow in my advantage as well. I am also only 28. I am starting to think it's one of the reasons doesn't allow me to make higher conversions. I guess some brides think that at 28, I am not as good as other photographers,who are about 45-55.
Your age has nothing to do with it.....your work should be the reason they want you.......don't let your age affect your attitude.........if your presentation is top notch, the clients could care less if you were 15.......
Sales is always so important.....sell yourself, your personality, the fact that having you makes the difference........your work should be the slam dunk.....your personality should be the icing on the cake......
Hi pressure sales turns people off...make a connection with the bride......one where she can't wait to sign up for your services.
hassy501 wrote:
Your age has nothing to do with it.....your work should be the reason they want you.......don't let your age affect your attitude.........if your presentation is top notch, the clients could care less if you were 15.......
Sales is always so important.....sell yourself, your personality, the fact that having you makes the difference........your work should be the slam dunk.....your personality should be the icing on the cake......
Hi pressure sales turns people off...make a connection with the bride......one where she can't wait to sign up for your services.
if there are only three wedding photographers in your town, including you, those 10 clients that are shopping and are shopping all three of you guys.
So when you sign 6 out of 10 clients in the market, you are signing %60 of the business in your town. That is a pretty big number in my scenario.
However, if I am wrong, and I am sometimes.....
What I do in a meeting is first, ask the client to please ask all of the questions that they have. I answer each one as best I can.
One time I was caught of guard with, "What makes you good as a wedding photographer?"
Anyway, after I give them all of the information they want, I tell them that I have some questions as well:
locations, guest count, tentative schedule, special requests....
If all of the questions that I ask produce information that show that I am fully capable of handling this client and I feel that we are a good fit, I take out my contract, tell them that I'm just going to go over it real quick with them so that they know what they are looking at when they go home. Then I read it over, they ask some questions, I write some notes on it.
Follow up phonecall and email in the next day or two.
LET your age work for you. I'm young too and I've booked 9/10 I've met with so far... when I started out I was 21 and felt insecure about how people would perceive a young photographer. What I eventually realized is that you have to spin your age so that it works to your advantage. You aren't young and fooling around, you're EDGY. Creative. If you have a young couple, they'll be more likely to think you "get them." Think about stereotypes associated with young people, then think about how they can work for you. Embrace a few of them -- think about how they might influence your style, and define "you" in your clients eyes.
Make sure everything you do reflects this. A website with a contemporary feel will help you. Dress professionally, but stylishly. This might all seem like superficial nonsense, but it works. Either way, best of luck.
I began the process of closing in the first minute.
My brides would come into the studio. We'd sit down for the consultation, visit for a minute and before showing any of my work, I'd say: "I know when we set up our meeting your wedding date was open. I know there's been a lot of interest in that date and I just want to check the master calendar in case my secretary heard back from another bride." I'd then get up, go the the calendar book, and come back saying "Great! That day is still open!". This accomplished several things. First, if I didn't feel we were a match personality wise, I could gracefully decline with an apology about the date being confirmed less than an hour before. This also indicated that I was in demand and planted the seed that if the bride wanted to use me, she better pull the trigger quickly.
Sometimes my brides (and their moms) would want to sign, but Daddy Warbucks was at work and they needed to run it by him. I'd say: "Tell you what, to assure you have the date, we can go ahead and do the paperwork. I'll hold your check until you can talk it over with your dad. If there's any problem, just call me back within two days and I'll send the check back to you." This way you ask for the check without asking for the check. I can't recall a time when they called me back and cancelled.
If you watch closely, you'll recognize the instant you've closed the deal. A lot of times, it's at the first of the consultation. The rest of the time is just dancing around, waiting for them to say it out loud.
Lastly, 60% isn't a bad close rate. Trust me, you don't want to close every bride you meet with.
stockriderman wrote:
Can someone post closing questions while on a meeting with clients. I think I am to laid back and it's hurting me. Out of 10 meetings,I usually only have about 6 signups. I wanna make this number closer to 10 out of 10. I often tell them there's no rush and they can take the contract home,think about and sign it at their convenience. This might be my weakness. Maybe I should push them to sign the contract on the spot.
Please help me out. We have 2 more photographers in our town and their wedding photography is a bit more expensive. I also don't think they are better than me. I need to use this somehow in my advantage as well. I am also only 28. I am starting to think it's one of the reasons doesn't allow me to make higher conversions. I guess some brides think that at 28, I am not as good as other photographers,who are about 45-55.
You are fine. 6 out of 10 is a good return rate. I get around 7 or 8 out of 10. i do the same. Say hey nice meeting you take the contract home and send it back. I never push. You dont want to look desperate or push someone in to something they are not ready to do.
The key is to get back to them after the meeting. I go home and send an email thanks for meeting blah blah blah. Then if I dont get a contract within a week I send a second email asking if they have any other questions. If I still dont hear back I make one final call asking if thy need additional time because I have another bride interested in their date. By this time they ahve had 2 additional weeks to shop around and tink about it. 9 out of 10 will book on my call but ususally get 6 or 7 to book when I send my first thank you email.
First; those of you who expect clients to sign on the spot need to relax. Often times it is best for potential clients to walk away and discuss things in private. They need to weigh the pros and cons of you on their own because they are spending a great deal of money and it is hopefully a once in a life time event. And yes, I have signed several on the spot but most times I prefer that they wait. Heck, I may want to think about if I want to work with them too.
I currently allow couples 4 days after our initial meeting because I understand making a rash decision is not the best option. Although I may change it to 2 days I date and time stamp the contract and let them know that after the grace period the date is open to anyone else that comes along. This removes pressure from them but also lets them know if they don't jump on it someone else well.
As for your age, I wish I was only 28 and shooting weddings. You should have a great relationship with most couples because you are closer to many of their ages. As long as you present yourself as a reliable professional you will be okay.
As for 6/10, that's great! The only time you want to be 10/10 is when you know your work is good. Then it's time to raise your prices. Even at 6/10 are they hiring or not hiring you for the reasons you want them too?
Cindy Shaver wrote:
So, how would you encourage them to sign on the spot?
Cindy
Put a gun to their head ?
Tell them you can't guarantee that you will be available if they should wait ?
Offer to shoot it for free ?
All low pressure sales pitches..............
Any type of pressure put on a client is a total turn off............just think of a used car salesman pressuring you to "sign today" because that car will be gone tomorrow.............brides feel the same way if you put pressure on them to "sign today"............let your work and professionalism sell you............
stockriderman wrote:
Out of 10 meetings,I usually only have about 6 signups.
That could be a good number, or a poor number. It all depends on how much info they have PRIOR to meeting with you.
If they know your availability, pricing, and portfolio before meeting with you then 95% should book.
OTOH if you're waiting until the meeting to give them this info then 60% is about all you can expect.
So solid advice cannot be given based on what you've told us here.
I book 98% of couples who meet with me .. BUT .. before meeting with me they know my availability, pricing, and have seen my work. For me face-to-face meetings are just to handle the paperwork & retainers.
Pre qualifying clients ensures a high percentage booking rate........as Mike said, if they know your particulars even before they meet you, the chances are that they will book with you.
I book 7-8 out of 10 prospective clients that I meet with. I will NOT sign them on the spot. I tell them I want them to look over all the info presented and go home and discuss between themselves and their families before making a final decision. I want them to be 100% comfortable in their decision and not feel pressured. I know it is not proper salesmanship 101 standards, but I feel very comfortable with my methods and many of my clients have indicated they appreciated my less aggresive sales style. If I were in a different market with a different level of competition, I might act differently. My philosophy is, there is enough pressure in planning and preparing for a wedding, I choose not to add to that pressure.
Mike Mahoney wrote:
That could be a good number, or a poor number. It all depends on how much info they have PRIOR to meeting with you.
If they know your availability, pricing, and portfolio before meeting with you then 95% should book.
OTOH if you're waiting until the meeting to give them this info then 60% is about all you can expect.
So solid advice cannot be given based on what you've told us here.
I book 98% of couples who meet with me .. BUT .. before meeting with me they know my availability, pricing, and have seen my work. For me face-to-face meetings are just to handle the paperwork & retainers....Show more →
Interesting. So do you encourage them to get all of their questions taken care of BEFORE meeting? Personally I don't enjoy the meetings. The weddings I have booked seem to all be from people who had made their mind up before meeting me. I am not good at sales tactics and rely heavily on them being sold from seeing my work prior to meeting. I have a lot to learn in this area.
I never have anyone sign on the spot, I always let them go away and think, and 100% sign up with me (so far). Encouraging people to 'go home, have a think about it' is actually an established sales method - you let them choose to book you, rather than put them on the spot, which could well be very awkward (even if they were thinking of booking you anyway)
First off all, anyone who tries to "close" on the spot or are looking for ways to push people to sign before they leave, is just a ticking time bomb of sleaze. I don't appreciate it when I'M the shopper, and I'd never try to do that to the people potentially shopping ME.
I tend to book 8 to 9 out of 10 interviews (I'm expecting that to go down because of my raise in prices... but that's okay). And more times than not, I send people home with a contract and BEG them to go interview with someone else. The hope is that they'll be comparing the next guy to me... trusting that my work and my personality will bring them back... not some pressure-push.
Also - these meetings are a two-way street - some clients you do not want - suss that one out.
The wedding deal is a longer term relationship then most would consider. So - if the couple are too freaky or out of touch with the reality based world - keep away.
mpaul73 wrote:
Interesting. So do you encourage them to get all of their questions taken care of BEFORE meeting? Personally I don't enjoy the meetings. The weddings I have booked seem to all be from people who had made their mind up before meeting me. I am not good at sales tactics and rely heavily on them being sold from seeing my work prior to meeting. I have a lot to learn in this area.
Martin.
Martin .. maybe if you were to get away from the "sales" frame of mind and just look at the meeting in the same way you would as having a couple of friends over for a coffee.
Be yourself and relax .. the sales will look after themselves.
And yes, most questions (and certainly the key ones such as style, package pricing, & availability have been taken care of before the face-to-face meeting.
Edited by Mike Mahoney on Mar 21, 2008 at 07:45 PM GMT
