How to Upsell Your Photography Services The Right Way
Upselling is a common practice used in companies and markets worldwide. But how can you apply this practice to your photography business and maximise your revenue? This is a question we asked ourselves and to learn the best way to do it we turned to experts upsellers.
We spent time with Samira and Valentina so they could give us their upselling tips and tricks on the best way to upsell and make more money as a photographer. In this article, you will read about the 10 tips that will make your upsell strategies successful and increase your photography sales from 2 photographers who have been practising this for years!
But first, let's get to know our experts. Valentina is an Italian photographer with 13 years of experience, she came to live in Rome to study photography and started her photography business working with Smiler in 2022 and has been happy to do the work that she loves since then going from wedding photography to tourist memory photoshoots, or even flying dress.
Samira is an Iranian photographer who has been working as one for the last 10 years. Starting in Iran she owned her own photo studio. Then she moved to Rome in 2018 and realised she could make a living working with tourists taking advantage of all the monuments and historic marks scattered across the city.
"Let me say we are a really great team with Samira, we are friends and it's so beautiful for our work."
-Valentina
@svalo.photographyrome - Photos by Samira Bayat
@photographyasartvf - Photos by Valentina Fusiello
From the Q&A we've had with our 2 experts, here are the 10 points on how to upsell your photography services and guarantee the success of the upsell of photography products.
Build Confidence
If you believe in your work, people will believe in you as well. Your confidence will make people want to buy more of your pictures. Project confidence to reassure your customers they've made the right choice by picking you!
Maintain Transparency
Be clear to your customers on what is upselling, why you are offering it, and what this extra package will cost and contain. Giving them precise information from the start will avoid bad surprises to customers who see a sudden extra charge for more pictures they were unaware of.
Effective Communication
Be clear and direct when explaining to your customer what an upsell is. And that you are going to send over one to them. Tell them how it works every step of the way and make sure they understand you. Keeping them informed through the post-photoshoot process will help you avoid misunderstandings with them.
Create an Attractive Package
Though you don't want your clients to think you've put more effort into the upsell than the original service, it still needs to be attractive, so they want to purchase it. This can be achieved in many ways, depending on what type of upsell you are offering.
- You can offer to send all unedited pictures to them for an additional price.
- You can offer to edit more pictures.
- You may also want to go to a secondary location nearby and do a quick second photoshoot with them.
- Do you like working with Black and White shots? Make it an upsell.
The only limit is your imagination.
Tailor Your Offer to Your Customers
Remember to adapt your offer depending on the person in front of you. Offering packages that cater to your client's wants and needs will entice them to purchase them later. Having a nice light-hearted conversion about what your customers are looking for with this photoshoot can give you a lot of information on how to make this upsell a success.
Use the Smiler Photographer Suite tool's
The quickest way to create an upsell when you are already familiar with the Smiler Photographer Suite is to go into your customer's gallery and click "Extra Gallery".
Then, you can choose the pricing and upload your pictures in under 5 clicks. You can also go into our uploading page and select "Send additional Gallery". You will find all your previous customers and pick the right one.
Engage with Your Client During the Photoshoot
It is a tale as old as time: when people like you, they want to do more for you. Building a rapport with your clients and making the photoshoot a fun experience for them, will enhance their satisfaction.
A happy customer is a customer who will want to receive more of what you have to offer. Use this excitement to talk about the additional service you could offer them. And in general, if your clients enjoy their time with you, they will turn into returning customers.
Showcase the Value of Additional Pictures
By using your communication skills, you need to show your clients the additional value of these extra photos. Present their uniqueness and value to encourage your customers to purchase them. Provide examples of why those pictures can be valuable to them.
Follow Up With Clients
Once you have sent over the original package to your customer make sure to follow up with them. First, make sure they liked the original pictures but also emphasise the good time you have spent together with a sentence like "I hope you've enjoyed the photoshoot as much as I have!" or "It was so lovely working with you!".
You can then follow up with "By the way, I have some extra photos I'm going to send over. I mentioned this when we were together, you're free to purchase these extra photos if you'd like". Always insist that it is not an obligation but their decision to make that purchase.
Adapt Your Pricing Strategy
By developing a flexible pricing system you will be able to cater to all customers and make sure your upsell will be purchased every time, maximising your earnings. You can also offer discounts or bundle deals that make your upselling more attractive.
By applying these 10 points to your upselling strategy you can maximise your photography revenue and take your photography business to the next level!
Busra Islek
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