The “Not-So-Hidden” Secret of a Service-Based Business You're Not Accepting
Issue #32
[Read Time < 6 Minutes]
I was reading a newsletter from a legendary copywriter this week.
He told a story about copywriting, but I couldn’t help but translate it to the world of wedding photography or any service-based business, for that matter.
His story is about a mentor of his who revealed a secret when he was struggling to build his business. Here’s a mildly edited version with the part about Copywriting replaced with Wedding Photography.
“I call it a ‘secret’ because it’s precisely that.
Most service providers truly don’t know or understand this simple fact.
And many of those who do know the secret ignore it, because it clashes with their view of the way the world should work.
But I’m not interested in the way the world should work. I’m interested in the way it does work.
And the way the world works ... at least when it comes to the way people buy services...is the harsh reality that this principle reveals.
Within a year of discovering this secret, sales of my Wedding Photography services more than doubled ... and within two years, were more than triple my first year’s earnings.
Here’s the secret he told me that day, decades ago:
‘It’s all well and good that you provide clients with quality service. But so do a lot of your competitors.’
‘The fact is this: those who make the most money selling their services in any field are not necessarily the best at their profession or craft...they are the best at MARKETING and SELLING their services to others.’
What this means is that it’s not enough to be good or even great at what you do.”
I learned this lesson when I started many years ago and I honestly didn’t know how powerful this was and how level the playing field became until I embraced it fully.
Photography is not unlike other creative endeavors. Painters, writers, musicians, and artists of every kind, in every medium, since the beginning of history, have competed for their share of recognition and fame in their creative space.
I can easily imagine Neanderthals fighting over who created the best cave drawings.
But the very moment art and artistry became revered, they also became valued and thusly, something to profit from. I think you understand the history lesson, so let’s talk about what this means to you.
You may be a brilliant photographer, or you may be amazingly average.
It does not matter.
What matters is how you position and market your wedding photography to your prospective brides (Note I said “your” and not every)
Now, for the photographic purists, this statement may sound blasphemous. “Of course, only best photographers command the best rates!” And to that, I say respectfully,
“Well, that depends on what you consider The Best.”
Have you ever seen a priceless painting that you hate? I have. I’ve also seen some terrible photography regarded as brilliant. So who’s right?
The person PAYING for the work is right.
You’ve heard the line, Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, right? I agree, but I also think Value is in the eye of the buyer. That doesn’t sound as sexy though does it?
Folks much smarter than I am have repeatedly said,
People buy with emotion and justify their purchase with logic.
Value is a mixture of both emotion AND logic - ask anyone who pays six figures for a car why they paid that much, and you’ll see.
This is a very important thing to recognize when you are selling your work.
Another equally important thing is to ask yourself, “How can my wedding photography be positioned uniquely so I have no competition?”
It’s not an easy one to answer, but this is where YOUR positioning comes in.
OR you can not answer and take an easier path.
If your work is good and your prices are below the market average, you’ll book brides. Guaranteed.
I consider this to be the middle-of-the-road approach.
You may not get rich, and you may not make enough to become a full-time wedding photographer, but you’ll book brides and make some money.
You may call it a “side-hustle approach” if that makes you feel better, and that’s fine. Again, you won’t make a living, but you’ll make some money.
I get it, you’re modest.
You’ve accepted the reality that you’re not the best photographer (and you’ve never claimed to be.) You’re also not the most expensive photographer, so you will get clients who are (more than likely) shopping on price first and quality second.
They’re Value-Shopping and, as Jerry Seinfeld would say, “Not that there’s anything wrong with that.”
If you want to make a living from your photography however, you must make some hard decisions.
You have to position your work and your services to match the lifestyle you want for your business.
From an economic perspective, I recommend starting with your COGS, factoring in your desired profit, and dividing by the number of weddings you want to shoot in a year. That’s basis business stuff, though.
For the bigger question, “How can my wedding photography be positioned uniquely so I have no competition?”
Remember that modified quote from above? The answer is in there.
The power of marketing…and marketing well will pull you apart from your competition, IF you have “the goods.”
Want to be a great photographer who commands top prices in your market?
You need to walk the walk (as in BE a great photographer) and talk the talk (as in POSITION your work as a premium product).
Your marketing will help you talk the talk, and how you position yourself will help you walk the walk.
Trust me, if you’re NOT, The Market will tell everyone, but if you’re good, there’s no reason you cannot be The Best for YOUR brides.
I know the purists hate to hear that. You’ve heard of “starving artists?” Those are the ones who refused to embrace marketing and positioning in the sales process.
That does NOT have to be you.
You CAN make a profit from your passion.
Feeling a bit forlorn right now because you love photography and hate the thought of all that sales & marketing stuff?
Try reading Start with Why by Simon Sinek. It’ll get you started on the right foot.
Want more? Keep reading this free newsletter and get targeted, educating and motivating information on how to master the inner game of weddings and become a professional wedding photographer.
Good information, combined with action, builds confidence every single time.
“Those who make the most money in any field, industry, or profession are not necessarily those who have the most knowledge, are most experienced in their craft, or sell the highest quality service. No, those who make the most money, charge the top fees, and are constantly in demand are those who are best at selling and marketing themselves!”
– Jack Forde
Marketing and selling are just a couple of parts of the “inner game of wedding photography. THIS is what I write about each week in this newsletter.
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If you’re starting out and haven’t quite figured out to how to handle the hundreds or even thousands of photos from an event, I’ve created something special to help you with the organization.
It’s a guide to help you process a wedding in one week and it’s a system I’ve used for over 25 years and still use it to this day. Don’t spend weeks trying to process and missing out on The Glow. This system will help you get your photos to your client, make them happy and make you look like the professional you want to be.