But before you sell, you’ve got to get yourself a brand new mindset.

Lemme explain.

I entered the photography business by sheer…luck, fate, or universal mojo. I had zero talent, no experience with sales, and major stranger danger. What do you mean, I have to talk to everyone who enters the store?

I just knew I wanted OUT of my job and working at MotoPhoto, a photography studio/film lab, seemed as good a fit as any.

I quickly established a pattern for sales.

I had some software to use and some images to upload from the card reader, then I walked the client through every single image I’d just shot. Yes. Every single image — blinks, outtakes, mistakes, and strobe misfires. It was painful for everyone involved.

The clients ran all over me. Because I was just letting them see the photos — not guiding the sale, because what did I know about sales!? — their demands were outrageous. I obliged.

Show me that one again! Yes, one more time!

Can we go back to the beginning and start over?

Are you sure we can’t try taking a few more photos? ::goes into studio and takes more photos::

I’m not sure any of these are what we’re looking for.

Can you show me how that will look when it’s retouched? ::opens Photoshop and retouches::

Over and over, again and again, I learned that to take control — I had to TAKE it.

Control of the sales session is never given on a silver platter.

It was only my confidence that would allow me to say, “This is what we’re going to do” and then follow through on the sales steps.

If you’ve ever experienced that floundering moment when you lose control of the session to client demands, you know how important (and scary!) this moment can be.

Thing is, you’re doing the clients a favor by taking control of the sales session!  You’re actually allowing them to put all of your expert knowledge and wisdom to use.  

Let me repeat: you are doing your clients a favor by taking control of the sales session. 

Sitting back, relaxing, and letting someone else do the heavy lifting for decision-making is the ultimate service for your clients.

Back to those “sales steps” I mentioned — where did they come from?  I was making them up as I went along.

I went to a workshop to learn sales and the topic was mentioned for about twenty minutes. I went to a one-day seminar about marketing, and it was a thinly-veiled pitch for the sponsoring company. I attended a 3-day training in Atlantic City and was disappointed again.

The knowledge I needed simply did not exist in the photographic industry! I could buy DVDs of “rockstar” photographers in their million-dollar studios, lavishing ipods and prizes on clients perched upon $7,000 couches, but I couldn’t find simple sales information that would apply to me. To where I was — just trying to up my sales commission so I could stop racking up credit card debt and actually pay for groceries.

Months passed. Sales were getting better, meaning they’d increased from a $79 average to somewhere around a $149 average. (You’re jealous, I know.)

I was starting to figure out my own sales process. I was learning Photoshop and routinely retouching ordered prints. I was creating simpler packages that made sense to clients.  My boss was watching with sheer awe as I sold $300 and $400 packages routinely — an unheard-of feat in the studio!

Cut to 2011. I’m working with totally broke peeps in the photographic industry. When they ask how to sell, I know I can’t recommend sinking money into new equipment or sales training. I improvise, sending them off with a two-page document and asking ‘em to report back with their sales session experiences.

They were blown away. Many came back with their highest sales EVER — and more importantly, the confidence to keep pursuing their dreams. That two-page document became the basis for Sales Without Shame, which teaches you how to sell your portraits effectively and simply in person.

Every mistake I made and horror story I experienced over the course of those years holding multiple sales sessions per day has been translated into useful, actionable information in Sales Without Shame.

Step by step, I’ll help you communicate with clients more clearly, avoid the heartbreak of small sales, and love your business more than you thought possible.

I’ve been where you are, and I’ve created the program I would have given my left arm (and leg!) for access to a few years ago.

Your presence and your willingness to learn are all you need to start selling without shame.

Tell me, what scares YOU most about selling?

You can bet I’ve been there, and I’d love to help you work through your fears.  Lemme know in the comments below.  (And if you haven’t yet downloaded the free Sales Without Shame sampler — get on that!)

Want to read it on the blog? DO YOUR CLIENTS A FAVOR: TAKE CONTROL.

Ever wonder whether that spa down the street gives a decent manicure?

Imagine that one day, you walk by and see that it had just won an award for Best Manicure in Philadelphia, 2012. And the next day, you walk by and see that it has won another award — this time for Best Manicure in the county.

Having seen these awards, you figure ‘What’s the worst that can happen?’ and book a manicure. You’re confident that you’ve made the right choice because you have the backing of both the voters who chose the award winners and the organizations that created the award.

You don’t think about how it’s ‘bragging’ to put awards in the window for the spa, am I right?

But somehow, the awards you’ve won, the blogs you’ve been featured on, and all the other ways you can make it easier for clients to choose you aren’t on your website. Or on your blog. Or on your Facebook page, or anywhere else clients might look when they need a bit of reassurance that hiring you is the right choice.

Here are 5 quick ways to show clients they’re making the right choice by working with you:

Share any industry organizations you’re a part of — large or small — in your website’s footer.  In your prospective client’s mind, professional affiliations mean you take your business seriously and have achieved some level of professional success.

Share awards you’ve won with the rest of us!  There’s no way I can know you won the Ultimate Grand Supreme Queen of E-mail Logistics trophy unless you tell me — and that knowledge will be particularly helpful if I’m in the market for an assistant because my inbox is overwhelming me, yes?

Tell us where, how, and with whom you’ve studied.  Whether that means you’ve attended a workshop with Tony Robbins, shared a stage with an industry icon, or trained with professionals you (and others!) admire, tell us!  Your education lets prospective clients know you value education, and that they’re in good hands when they hire you.

Show us where you’ve been featured.  Yes, that means linking to blog posts, magazine features, and other press!  Clients want to hire a somebody — and if you’ve been featured all over the place, you qualify.

Let us know what you’re REALLY good at.  Whether you’re a master of photographing natural light or a spirituality coaching ninja, you’re gonna want to let your people know they’ve found EXACTLY who they’ve been dreaming of all along.

If you’re a photographer, this whole idea of “bragging” to get clients on board with your brand is explored and elaborated upon in Sales Without Shame, which comes out on May 30th.  Download the free sampler here.

Go on and tell me in the comments: what do your clients need to know so they realize they’re meant to work with you?

As always — if you dig it, share it by hitting the button below.

Want to read it on the blog? WHY “BRAGGING” IS ACTUALLY DOING YOUR CLIENTS A FAVOR

And yet. Your online sales just aren’t making you do a happy dance. They’re kind of mediocre. And there’s a lot of chasing your clients down via e-mail that has to happen. They never order on time, what’s their problem?

You freak out because obviously, the problem is your work. Your work is awful. Or no, wait — actually, it’s your pricing. Yah, your pricing is the culprit. Or no, actually — it’s your shopping cart! Yah, it’s your shopping cart! Time for a new one!

The problem with your sales process isn’t your pricing, your work, or your shopping cart. It’s simple. Your clients need more of YOU.

They need your expert opinions and professional help to create the killer image displays they dream of buying.

You are enough.

Your expertise and guidance is more than enough to help clients figure out what they want and help them create it.

It’s easy to think that apps, programs, accessories, slideshows, software, and gadgets will help you sell your portraits so much better, but YOU are enough. Just by showing up for your clients in person, you are well on your way to selling effectively.

You have enough.

This can be hard to believe, ’cause there’s always something new and shiny coming down the pike. But I promise, your clients are not showing up to your sales session because they heard about your new sales app or your sample collection.

They’re showing up with an open mind to see the images you’ve created and to get a little guidance from you, the trusted professional.

You are in charge.

As you start to do sales sessions and it’s not going as planned, it’s easy to get your feathers ruffled and you can’t stop thinking about how this is NOT going as planned. Just get back to the place where you are in charge and you bring the conversation back to a place where it’s comfortable for both you and your client.

It’s hard to believe you’re in charge because you don’t feel like you know what you’re doing, but I promise…you’re in charge. You’re fully capable of selling without shame.

When we put all of those together, we end up with the best sales mantra on the planet:

If you just breathed a little sigh of relief — well hey, that makes selling in person sound simple! — then I encourage you to download the Sales Without Shame sampler and listen to the full audio version of the mantra, along with exactly what you need to know today to start selling your portraits in person tomorrow.

Emeril Lagasse, lasagna flipper tools, and cheese grater app examples will keep you entertained while I help you realize your full selling-without-shame potential!

Want to read it on the blog? THE SALES MANTRA THAT CAN DOUBLE YOUR AVERAGE SALE — IF YOU’RE BRAVE ENOUGH TO USE IT

Yes, strategy.  The “S” word.

I used to think strategy was a dirty word.

Like, shizballs! Strategy means I have to manipulate people, connections, or the universe to get what I want!

Or icksauce! Strategy means I have to sell people stuff they don’t want to buy!

The truth is, we use strategy during every single one of our days on earth.

Strategy lets you map the route from your house to Whole Foods in the car. It lets you change direction in case of construction, too!
Strategy helps you win at Angry Birds.
Strategy allows you to fit your work schedule around a Bravo TV marathon of the Real Housewives season you have yet to catch up on.

Strategy says, “How do I get from right here to where I want to go?” and then maps out a plan to get there.

I didn’t really start using strategy in my business until I took Marie Forleo’s B-School. She helped me get super-clear about where I wanted to go — AND about how I was going to get there.

As a result of working with Marie, I grew my e-mail list by thousands(!!), created a product you all had been begging for that I absolutely ADORE, and am preparing to launch said product — Sales Without Shame –  on May 30th.

Oh, and Marie KILLS IT with marketing training. To quote Rachel Zoe, “I die.”

If you need more strategy and marketing in your life (and trust me, you do!) pretty please share this post on Facebook and then click here to sign up for Marie’s free videos.

Want to read it on the blog? The “S” Word.

Unfortunately, it’s not that simple.

The help of an expert to place an order simply isn’t available in an online gallery, and the decision to put off decision-making is a common one with images posted online. When faced with too many options, clients will choose the ‘more time’ option whenever possible.

You know this to be true, but you’ve got 3,427 obligations to take care of for your business already — you can’t possibly justify the time it will take to start selling in person!

I got it. Just hang with me for a simple exercise, okay?

Let’s take a minute to figure out how much it’s costing Anna, our example photographer, to sell her portrait photography online.

First, we’ll determine her average sale. Let’s use her last three portrait sales as the basis for this math.

We dig up her last 3 sales receipts and add ‘em up to figure her average sale. They are $250, $400, and $550, for a total of $1200.

Then, we divide the total by 3. Boom! Anna has an average sale of $400.  Here’s where it gets interesting.

DOUBLING your average sale is a common side effect of starting to sell your work in person, which means Anna could be averaging $800 per sale with the same photographs — without changing her pricing.

Tragically, this means Anna’s failure to sell her work in person costs her $400 per photography client.

Since she has four portrait sessions a month, NOT selling her work in person costs her $1,600 a month. That’s $19,200 this year that Anna ISN’T making because of her choice to sell images online instead of in person.  With the same number of clients and a $600 average sale, she loses $28,800.  An $800 average sale means losing $38,400 in the coming year.  All because of her online portrait galleries.  I have good news for Anna, because…

The skills Anna needs to recover those lost thousands of dollars — and start selling in person — are free.

Anna just needs the Sales Without Shame sampler, which is brand new and free right here. Get on over there to learn about my friend Nicki, who makes Anna’s sales projections (a mere doubling of income) seem ultra-conservative.  I’ll meet you there with a sexy video and a virtual cocktail par-tay.  Join me, baby!

Want to read it on the blog? THE HIDDEN COST OF SELLING YOUR PORTRAITS ONLINE

Today’s topic has to do with a recurring theme I’ve noticed in my one-on-one mentoring sessions: overcomplicating things.

For example.

I could launch my state-of-the-art electric wheat-rectangle warmer and then apply vigorously pasteurized cow mucus with a steel-forged utensil-like instrument.

Or, I could make toast and then add butter with a knife.

I could activate my internet-browsing software and then point my internet protocol address to the world wide web’s most popular URL.

Or I could open Mozilla and go to Facebook.

Overcomplicating isn’t always so obvious, though.

Sometimes it makes creating a complicated “communication system” look like the best solution — when a phone call will do.

Sometimes it means you sign up for six of those $19 a month services — when finding a way to use Google apps or (gasp!) pen and paper will keep track of your business data just as effectively.

Sometimes overcomplicating forces you to think buying X is the ONLY way to achieve your goal, where X costs roughly a bajillion dollars.  (See more on this topic, complete with my dairy dilemma.)

Overcomplicating is the enemy.

Sometimes a phone call is the solution you need and a free download is the answer to your prayers. 

I’m guessing you don’t need to purchase a shiny new electric wheat-rectangle warmer — you just need to embrace your toaster’s full potential.

What will you stop overcomplicating in the coming week? I’d love to hear in the comments.

Oh, and I’ve got the ULTIMATE simplification tool for portrait photography sales hitting the blog on Thursday. Yay!

Want to read it on the blog? PARTY LIKE IT’S 1999.

There’s a downside to loving your work — you take on more of it.  Your boundaries are clear but you’re so excited that it’s only 6:00 p.m. and you’re done working — why not make it 7:00?  Or 8:00?  Or go out for a beer and then come back and work?

Today I’m making the bed, switching the clothes, tidying the books, and planning a major book giveaway.   ::pulls up a chair::

What’s unmade, out of line, or otherwise feeling overwhelming in your life?

Tell me in the comments — and let’s hold each other accountable for gettin’ a jump on the chaos today!

Want to read it on the blog? THE UNMADE BED.

When you sort of have a sore throat/runny nose/icky stomach feeling and you know you could push it — but if you just rest, you’ll be fine tomorrow?

Rest. Just this once. Instead of pushing through — rest.

Give yourself a break.
Cancel your appointments with a smile and self love.
Choose a quiet activity to tackle instead of pushing through your body’s signals (again) .
Make tea, hug the people you adore, and get comfy on the couch.
Read a book.
Watch a movie.
Savor the simplicity of a lazy day.

It’s only by giving yourself permission to rest when you need it that you can do your most important work in the world.

You know, the work you were made to do.  The images you were meant to create, the words you were meant to pen.  The kids you were meant to love.  The paintings, the crafts, the programs, the products, the inspiration, the motivation you were put here to create — THAT work.

It doesn’t happen when you’re not at your best. It feels hard and distant, so there’s no use fighting your body’s signals.

Give up. Rest. And hit it harder tomorrow.

The next time that sort-of-sick/body-needs-a-break feeling surfaces, what are YOU doing to do? Tell me in the comments, I’d love for you to share your lazy-day secrets!

Want to read it on the blog? HOW TO TURN YOUR TOUGHEST DAYS AROUND

To get what you want, you have to know exactly what you want.  

“Of course, Kristen!  Everyone knows that!”

Ah, but here’s a new angle: what, exactly, will do you when you get what you want?

This brilliant new angle on getting what you want comes from a video featuring Marie Forleo and Danielle LaPorte, so go on and watch it if you’ve got a few minutes!  (There are also some free worksheets to help you with the big-dreaming process that are super helpful.)

I’ll give you the speedy version if you’re short on time.  Their conversation breaks down to some simple questions:

What is the major accomplishment I’d like to make happen in the coming months?  How will that feel?
Who are the first three people I’m gonna call when this major accomplishment happens?  What are those people gonna say?
How am I going to celebrate this accomplishment?  What foods, drinks, places, outfits, etc…will be involved?

Those questions prompted me to make my celebratory list for upcoming projects.  (Translation: I know exactly when my cutest shoes are making an appearance!)  I have the list of people I’m going to call and I’m pretty clear what my three people are going to say.  (Many of their words won’t be recognizable, but they will be joyful and laced with crystal-clear celebratory swear words!)

If you’re anything like me, you put a ton of time and energy into working toward achieving your goals. 

This involves checklists and to-do lists with a healthy dose of careful planning.  But planning the feelings, the fun bits and pieces, and the general YAY I DID IT!!! celebrations before the project launches or the event goes down?

Huh.  It just hadn’t occurred to me.

Since this exercise helped me get super clear on exactly my accomplishment will look and feel like — not just how I will achieve the goal, which is where I put a ton of time and energy — I figured I would share with all of you.

If you enjoyed this exercise — and who doesn’t enjoy making lists of ways to celebrate accomplishments? — please share it on the Facebooks.

Oh, and please comment on this post with your own celebratory ideas if you’re so inclined!  I’m thrilled to help you plan the next appearance of your cutest shoes.

Want to read it on the blog? WHO YOU GONNA CALL? THE BEST BIG-DREAMING TOOL EVER.

1.) Make a single offer.

Just like an effective blog post, a good sales message will include a single offer.

“Ballerina flats are on sale!”

“Beach portrait sessions are now available!”

“Massages are buy one, get one half off!”

Short, sweet, to the point. Details of the offer must be shared at some point, but the main idea should be so simple that a 3-year-old can understand what’s on sale and how much it costs.

Again: the main idea of your sale should be so simple that a 3-year-old can understand what’s on sale and how much it costs.

Of course, your sale is not limited to a reduction in price, my lovely!   Incentives are the key to creating a sense of urgency without giving away the farm.  (For my favorite Brand Camp article about this topic, click here.)  You might offer a gift certificate to your own shop, a favorite local shop, or an extra Starbucks gift card as an incentive for booking.

Stick with me if you’re in the “My work is never going on sale crowd” and I’ll pay extra-special attention to you in the example incentives.

2.) Limit your sale by quantity or date.

A limited quantity of available items will help to add a sense of urgency to your promotion. As in, “What!? There are only 10 portrait sessions, 5 massages, or 15 car washes available? I’d better call/text/e-mail/buy!”  The limited quantity approach is great for moving services, as it means you’re in charge of how quickly your calendar fills up. This promotional incentive is also great for filling in last-minute holes in your calendar!

A limited time frame for picking up your products means everyone who wants to partake in your offer can, as it’s not limited by quantity — they just have to get on the sales train at a time of your choosing. This is great for moving digital products and low-priced items. This is also the most common sales method you’ll see used by opening your newspaper or turning on the T.V.

Here are sample incentives built using this two-step formula:

The first three people to book a beach portrait session will receive a $25 gift certificate to Taffy Land!

Limited by quantity, and where Taffy Land is a local shop next to where your beach portraits are taking place!

The next five people to make a purchase in our online store will receive free shipping and a secret treat.

Limited by quantity, and where the treat is a handwritten note or a gift of your own imagining.

Each person who makes a purchase on Tuesday will receive free shipping!

Limited by date.

This exclusive portrait product is only available to those who book by xx.xx.2012!

Limited by date, and where the product is only available for purchase for a limited period. No reduction in price required!

Be one of the first ten to try our baby plan and receive an exclusive blanket from Tara’s Treats!

Limited by quantity, and where Tara’s Treats is a local retailer you simply adore.

Finally, please remember that sales and incentives for buying require a bit of advance notice.

Let’s use the iPhone 4 as an example. We all had to hear about the motherflaming iPhone 4 for MONTHS, from keynote to first glimpse to techy blogs to news reports, before that puppy hit stores. If Apple requires a lead time of months, don’t expect your people to hop all over your shiz on thirty seconds’ notice.

Make references to your upcoming sale at least a week before it happens, and give people plenty of time to make arrangements if limited quantities are available. (‘Surprise! It’s a sale!’ only pisses off those people who work on Monday nights because they weren’t home to get your e-mail. Now there are no car wash spots left, and their mini van is dirty, and they can’t afford to buy a regular MegaWash, so they’re drinking a bottle of bourbon to drown their sorrows. OY.)

Go on, brainstorm a sales message or incentive you can use in the next 30 days for your business.  Share it in the comments and I’ll personally give you feedback, baddabing!

Want to read it on the blog? The 2-Step Formula for Holding a Killer Sale Without Breaking Your Brand