What is your client really saying when they are throwing an objection at you?
But first of all what are objections? Objections are a call to action for more information.
What to do: ask them questions and reassure them.
What can objections look like? Read on.
There are a lot of wild questions out there. Treat the client/lead as if it’s something you get asked all the time. If it’s something that you don’t do in your business or maybe you’re not comfortable doing, then DON’T DO IT. We have an episode coming up on boundaries and it’s probably one of the many things I LOVE to talk about. For example, I don’t do couples sessions. Do I get inquiries about them? All the time. I don’t do them because I don’t feel comfortable.
Here’s a few objects that my students and I have gotten over the years, and how we’ve overcome them.
“I need to lose 10lbs first” - “Just about everyone that I’ve worked with has said that, done their shoot, and loved their images. I’ll guide you through posing the entire shoot and position you in the most flattering way. I would love to share more information about the session and answer any more questions you have over the phone. When is a good time for you?”
“I only want the digitals”- “That’s great Veronica, digital images are $250 per image. It would be more cost effective for you to get an album, though. That way you’ll have something in print and digital.”
“I have no one to do this for.” - “You don’t need to do this for anyone but yourself. You can have a boudoir session just because it’s a Tuesday in March.”
“You’re so expensive.”/ “I don't have it in my budget”/ - “Yes, I am. But you’re going to get the best quality and experience working with me. I offer interest free monthly payment options. If you’re not ready for a session yet you can reach out to me when you’re ready.” You’ll want to always stay positive even when they’re being snarky about it. They could be a future client.
You may get the occasional nickel and dime objection, like my student did. My student had no idea how to answer this objection. This client/lead couldn’t understand why my student charged so much for prints. The client went to a photographer friend of hers to talk about my student’s pricing. The other photographer, who is a fine art photographer, wanted the client to ask my student where she gets her prints from and why she charges so much.
I told my student that her client is receiving a one of a kind piece from you. She isn’t paying for the medium that it’s on, she’s paying for the work it takes to create the image and a custom work of art from my student.
The client clearly wasn't’ seeing the value. I told her if she doesn’t end up buying anything, it’s ok to let her go. There’s no arguing about your prices, you just state what they are and it’s not your responsibility about how someone reacts to them.
Hey there! I'm Bethany. The Photographer, Coach, and Podcast Host behind
Boudoir Business Education. “All I want to do is photograph women in black and white and give them a beautiful and empowering experience.” Is what I wrote in my journal. Playing my idea off of a few trusted people, I was told, “There’s not a market for black and white boudoir photography”, “No one will pay for that.”, and “This is a weird idea.”
I followed my gut and went for it anyway. Right out of lock down, I had a new studio, was booked three months in advance, and haven’t looked back since. I love to photograph and empower women that understand my vision, love my work, and pay me what I’m worth. This process showed me that I can make my dreams possible and profitable. Now, I want to share what I learned (but in a much faster way) to build a thriving boudoir photography business.
