Today on the podcast we chat with one of our favorite humans, a past course and workshop student of ours who turned into a sweet, close friend and a POWERHOUSE photographer. We get to talk to our girl Teresa Williams about how to get consistently booked as a photographer.
Today we dove straight in with Teresa on the age-old question “how do I get more bookings as a photographer?”
And girl did not come to play. She had SOOO much to say about marketing as a whole, and how to get consistently booked as a photographer. She gave us an entire breakdown of her actual inquiry response email and its GOOOD. She also goes over her process to lead clients from inquiry to booking, how she positions pricing on her website, and a little hack she does to get her in front of her client’s friends.
Teresa’s Story
Teresa is a Chicago-based wedding photographer and business educator, specializing in creating storytelling, candid, and documentary photographs. She has photographed weddings worldwide and has a team of associate photographers and videographers. Teresa is the host of “The Bold Entrepreneur Podcast,” and is passionate about empowering entrepreneurs to take their business from side hustle to empire and finding joy every step of the way.
Process of Someone Inquiring
They inquire with Teresa through her website. The first thing she looks at is their date and if she is available. From there she looks at the inquiry itself. She has them write out their story, and why they want to work with her, and from that she’ll gauge their personality and who they are as a couple. Where Teresa is currently being more selective for herself and the team. She’ll look at the location and then from there she responds.
Her reply to their inquiry is short, and simple and infuses her personality within it as well. From there they respond, they set up a time to chat on a phone, and where they talk about their day. Asking questions back and forth, walking them through the booking process. Teresa will then send over the proposal, sign it, make the deposit, and then from there, they are an official client of hers.
The most critical piece in the inquiry & booking process
Don’t overcomplicate it. A lot of photographers will write it from a fear mindset and not an abundance. When you write and serve from an abundance mindset and confidence, that reflects even in wording and phone calls. Stop being so scared, they are human beings, and make things easy for them. Couples getting married don’t have a lot of time.
Something to start today is to set up a link for them to set up a phone call so it’s easy for them and doesn’t require any back-and-forth emails.
Pricing on your website
You should include a starting price on your website. When potential clients and customers go to your website, if there is not a price on your entire website they could either think (1) this is great she probably charges XYZ for weddings I can afford her, or (2) there is no way I could afford this photographer. It creates a lot of confusion, doesn’t create transparency when it comes to money, and creates more work for you.
Don’t include all your pricing on your website, that is for your investment guide because it will give them an incentive to inquire with you.
Number one piece of advice to get more bookings
Start shooting and within that don’t be afraid to do a styled shoot. It’s not you giving a false narrative, it’s you proving to future clients and customers what you can do and this is what your photographs could look like. How do you expect anyone to hire you if they don’t know what your work looks like?
What is the biggest lesson you have learned in business?
You need to have processes in place. You have no idea what this next hour holds, much less tomorrow, a year from now, or two years now. Life is so short for us and more so the people we love. If you don’t have those processes set up in place for workflows and how you operate as a business. One day you might find yourself in a trance and not be able to work.
Set yourself up for success now, even if you don’t think you have more time. You won’t have more time whenever that difficult season comes into play.
What is your favorite book you’ve read recently?
Radical Candor by Kim Scott
Show notes
The Heart Conference Dallas: www.theheartuniversity.com/conference
Athletic Greens: www.athleticgreens.com/HEART
Credit.com: www.credit.com/heart
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Radical Candor by Kim Scott
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www.instagram.com/_teresawilliams
www.instagram.com/_theboldentrepreneur
The Bold Entrepreneur Podcast
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