Original subtitles

Right, so we're going to take a slight

detour out of business systems to talk about

selling and the art of converting, more specifically

Zoom calls with my couples.

But it feels like the right time in

the course to address it following on from

using a CMS to manage the client journey.

Before we get into the specifics of how

I approach video calls or meetings with my

couples, a little background for you.

In 2014, at the start of my second

full-time year as a photographer, I can

still remember having a Skype call with a

couple about their wedding in Sri Lanka.

Now, I'd just come off the back of

a huge year of weddings and in hindsight,

probably just thought I'd got it all sorted.

I was fully in the industry, my work

was good, I didn't have to fight for

any bookings now.

How wrong I was, they didn't book me.

Now, I will never know the reasons behind

their decision.

It may have just been budget or there

was just someone better than me.

But the impact of that rejection for a

job that I thought I was a shoo

-in for, was that I'd never take a

client meeting for granted again.

I'd never assumed they just wanted to book

me, but it also made me really analyse

what I said during that call and how

I approached those meetings.

And since that rejection over almost nine years

ago, I can think of only two couples

who haven't booked me, following on from a

video call.

That's a pretty good conversion rate.

Before we talk about the meeting itself, let's

cover some background and set up details.

First and foremost, location.

Make sure your background is clear and tidy.

Remember, they'll be forming an impression of you

from the second you appear on the screen,

so make sure you're well presented.

The space behind you is and you're smiling.

Smile.

Lighting.

There's no excuse here.

You don't need a huge studio setup, just

a ring light or a nice window with

some diffusion in front of you.

Avoid dark spaces or glaring sun cutting across

your face.

It's also worth investing in a better webcam

rather than using the built-in one.

I'll put some links below for you to

check out.

Final setup consideration.

Just be early.

Log in 10 minutes before the meeting start

time, open up the inquiry form they sent

you and jog your memory with their names,

the venue and location and just any details

they've mentioned during the email, so you have

some conversation points.

Okay, now we're into the meeting.

Remember, smile.

And this is where years of working on

a shop floor for me has paid off

because I'm very comfortable in these opening five

to 10 minutes talking to two complete strangers.

But it's really simple.

It's just about asking the right questions and

allowing them the space to answer.

So I'll ask them how they are.

Where's home for you guys?

What do you both do for a living?

Oh, what's your dog's name?

Where is he?

I do everything I can to make them

feel comfortable and at all costs, I avoid

talking about the wedding for the first 10

minutes of the call.

No wedding talk.

Get to know them and let them get

to know you.

Give them time to respond.

Don't jump in on their response and keep

smiling.

You're in sales mode here.

Switch it on.

I know what you're thinking.

There's so much to think about here and

we've not even got to the wedding chat

yet.

But do you know what?

It's just remembering the simple things.

Smile, ask questions, don't jump in.

Now, it's time to talk about the wedding

and here's how I go about it.

Let me get into character.

Okay.

Amazing.

Yeah, that's great.

And how's the wedding planning going at the

moment?

I mean, the venue looks incredible.

How did you guys find that one?

Let them answer.

Cool.

And from a photography point of view, obviously

we're chatting because I hope you've seen and

liked my work, but I suppose it'd be

great to get an idea from you both

what you'd like to get from your wedding

photography and what it is that you connect

with that you see in my work out

of character.

Okay.

So that question gives you two potential outcomes.

The first one is an almost impossibility, but

the couple could respond and paint a picture

of everything that you are not, which is

highly unlikely given your website, social media, all

of the comms you've already had.

But if they did, that's a huge red

flag and maybe a point at which you

need to consider backing out.

But for me, that's never happened.

In fact, what really happens is the couple

respond citing the components of your work they

really like and are drawn to.

And it then becomes your responsibility to just

reinforce those ideas.

A common point that comes up during this

opening discussion is that we don't want those

stiff and boring family photos.

Now, this is the only time I will

overrule the couple, but I do this by

recognizing why they're saying that and instead reassuring

them.

So back into character.

Okay.

Yeah.

Totally hear what you're saying there.

And you aren't the first guys to say

that, but I do think some family photos

are still absolutely essential.

I also think there'll be much better visually

than you might expect, but the key for

me is just keeping them to a minimum.

I don't want you guys standing in the

same spot for 45 minutes.

That's just a complete waste of your time.

Instead, I just recommend keeping it to five,

six group shots, parents, siblings, and grandparents, if

you're looking to have them there.

Also bridesmaids and groomsmen.

When you start to involve aunties, uncles, cousins,

it can just quickly descend into chaos and

become a bit of a conveyor belt, which

in turn makes people look bored and stiff.

Out of character.

Okay.

So do you see how I respond to

that comment by hearing it and then reassuring

them?

I pass on my experience of shooting hundreds

of weddings to them and put them at

ease about their fear, which in turn builds

trust and trust is one of the final

pieces in the sales jigsaw.

They can see your work, see who you

are and what you're like, but if you

can add trust onto that stack of cards,

trust that will just allow them to relax

and enjoy the one day they can't redo

your work here is almost done.

Okay.

Back to the video call.

And I've talked about reinforcing their connection to

your work, which for me is documentary moments,

nothing staged or crazy over the top poses.

And I'll use this window to describe how

I see my work and to also reinforce

the trust we need in our relationship whilst

also managing expectations.

Back into character.

Yeah.

I think it's that unpredictability that I love

about weddings.

I find it quite surreal that I get

to go to weddings and document them because

I have absolutely no idea how it's going

to turn out.

But what I will say is this, that

the body of images I do get will

firstly be unique to your day.

You'll get images that no other weddings have

and vice versa.

But I also see my work as kind

of a visual representation of how your day

unfolded.

And that's why I don't really stop constantly

moving and getting involved, observing and trying to

capture those, you know, ordinary moments and connections,

but in a creative way, out of character.

So far then we've built trust, reinforced their

connection to my work and just painted a

little picture of how I work and how

I see my work as a creative process.

They know I'm going to work hard and

put in a shift.

Next up, I'll ask them if they have

any questions.

Is there anything you guys want to know

about or ask?

After that, it's time to deliver a sort

of script to leave with them.

And I say script, it's kind of a

list of points I have in my head

that over the years I've just crafted together.

So back into character.

Amazing, that sounds great.

Well, just a few extra things to run

by you that I like couples to know

about and that we haven't already covered yet.

First and foremost, this is my full-time

profession.

And although I have a good laugh and

a joke with my couples, I do take

what I do extremely seriously.

And there's a huge amount of pride that

goes into my work.

I hope that shows.

On the day of the wedding, I shoot

with two cameras and multi-lenses.

I have backups of backups and both cameras

are shooting full raw to both cards.

And the very, very first thing to happen

when I leave a wedding, even before I

get in the car, is that those cards

get separated.

One stays in the camera, the other goes

in my pocket.

And they stay apart until everything is backed

up in the studio.

And another copy is then taken off-site

and stored at home.

I think at one point, kind of have

about four copies of every single image from

your day.

So yeah, I take precautions.

I wouldn't even be able to sleep if

I didn't have that system in place.

After the wedding, you'll get a preview of

30 to 40 images within the first week.

I think it's really important you guys get

to see some of those images and know

that they're okay.

Also, there's no upper limit in terms of

what I call and deliver.

So when I'm calling, I'm looking for the

best shot in each sequence.

And if that means I have 850 to

edit, I'll edit 850.

I never could get rid of a usable

frame just to save on my edit time

because I don't know who's in that shot.

It might be the only one I have

of Uncle Brian, for example.

It's usually a minimum of 500.

But if it's a long day, you have

120 guests and the dance floor is bouncing,

that could easily be 900.

When the full gallery is done and ready

to be delivered, you'll have a private gallery

and slideshow.

Only you guys will see that until you

share it with friends and family.

You'll be able to download all of the

images from there.

And you'll also have a full license to

print and share those images.

So there are no hidden costs from me.

The only extra would be the cost of

you going to a printer and asking them

to print those images.

And the only thing you can't do with

the images is sell them.

Finally, the difficult one, what happens if I

can't make it?

I think it's really important you guys should

know my procedure if something did happen.

First and foremost, it would have to be

something very serious.

I won't be calling you up saying, oh

guys, I've got a bit of a cold

today.

I can't make it in.

That's not going to happen.

But if something did happen, I do have

a really strong sort of network of photographers

all over the country.

So I'll be working hard to get some

cover in place.

Obviously, if it's a Saturday in July, it's

much harder to get similar cover than maybe

a Thursday in October.

But the very least you would expect is

a full refund.

I also have full insurance, liability and indemnity.

And I think that's about it.

I've thrown a few things at you there,

but all worth knowing, hopefully.

So I'll leave it with you guys.

You're in the system.

If anything comes in that clashes with your

date, you guys get a 24 hour kind

of first dip period.

So the date won't just go.

But any questions in the meantime, just give

me a shout and I'll be more than

happy to help.

Out of character and breathe.

So there you have it.

The structure and general script to my video

calls that have converted all but three couples

I've spoken to in the last 10 years.

I hope there's some good value there for

you.