Trouble booking weddings?
WHY A STYLED SHOOT WILL SKYROCKET YOUR BUSINESS
Truthbomb: people won’t book your services if you aren’t putting out the content that they want for themselves. No, seriously. When I started out as a photographer, I wanted nothing more than to book weddings. But there was this one major issue: how in the world would I get people to trust me with their biggest day, when I couldn’t even show them what I was capable of?
People don’t trust easily. I know, I know, that sounds very sad and depressing, but it’s the truth. It’s even a famous saying: we need to see to believe. Our first response is often to undercut our value and lower our prices (sometimes even to ridiculous amounts). We try everything to be given a chance. If you recognize that, ask yourself the following question: are those prices really going to get you your dream clients? And is that really what your art is worth? Trust me, it’s not. That is where styled shoots come in.
First things first: what is a styled shoot? Well, a styled shoot is basically a make-believe wedding (or other type of photography session) that is set up to have the perfect conditions: models that know what they’re doing, hair and make-up that stands out and styling that’s just out of this world. Everything together creates the perfect environment for you to make the perfect content. And not just perfect content, also a wide variety of content.
You may want to ask me why you need a wide variety of content. I mean, isn’t it easier and cheaper to put someone you know in a wedding dress and take them to a pretty setting? Yes. It is. I’ve been there, done that and it didn’t work. I was still stuck at zero bookings. Let me tell you a secret. This is actually one of the things I most vividly remember from my first business coaching session. It’s one little sentence that will make your business grow so much faster: fake it till you make it. Yeah, I hear you thinking “what now??”, but it’s true. A part of starting up a business is faking it. Pretend you’re confident, even though you’re not. Talk about your bookings as if they are the most normal thing in the world and you’re not screaming inside with excitement. Tell people you will check you agenda for available time slots, even though it’s empty. That one friend of yours in a wedding dress might make a difference, but content of three fully styled weddings will definitely convince more people to actually book you for their wedding, because nobody needs to know it’s not real. And that’s not cheating, because it not being a real wedding simply isn’t relevant: with styled shoots, you can show what you are made of. You can show what you can do for your clients. You show your talent and that is everything they need to see. When I started posting pictures of my first “wedding”, the bookings suddenly started to flow in at a pace I could not even follow. And, more importantly, people started booking me at my full price. In less than two months, I booked 9 12-hour weddings at full price, something I had never dared to dream. That styled shoot I earned back with my first deposit alone.
Thought I was done presenting all of the upsides of styled shoots? Nope, I can keep going: during a styled shoot, there is no pressure, no prying eyes, no people getting in your way. You have all the time you want to shoot a wide range of poses and experiment with techniques, which you definitely don’t want to do on your first wedding (and practice makes perfect!). And if you get stuck, there are so many other great photographers around you that will help you and support you. The best way to learn quickly is to learn from each other. Ask questions, observe how other people are getting creative, and most of all, don’t hold back. Okay. Now I’m done. For now.
So, is a styled shoot worth its money? You tell me when you have done your first one. I will say an 100 times yes.
xoxo
Erin
