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Day 26: Handling Objections: Finding Your "Yes" Answers

All right, twenty six you guys and we're going to talk about handling objections today, finding those yes answers that's something that boggs everyone down. I know, you know, we think, you know, okay, we're getting our act together, we're getting all these things in place, and then when somebody throws something at us that we've already decided we're not going to, dior is going to be a no, you know, how do we answer them positively when it's really no, I'm not doing that for you, you know? So I want you to be thinking about those objections and those things that we want to answer together. I'm going to go through just a couple with you to kind of jog your memories a little bit and get you to start thinking, hopefully, some of you guys started thinking about some things over lunch, but the first one for me is, can I get digital files? And this was even more important to me, you know, a year or two years ago when I didn't have any digital file options on our menu, but my yes answer wass ...

you know, when a client would say, can I get digital files? And first before I even give you the s answer, I want to give you something that has really changed things for me now that I actually do have digital thousands and offering, I don't want to just say, oh, yeah, we've got an option for that, because that's not really what I want to sell them. It's just, you know, it's, just that I know some people will invest in archiving their images, but one of the first questions I'm gonna ask back to them is, would you mind letting me know what you plan on doing with your digital files? And you'll be really surprised if the answer is you get back, because just by and asking that question, usually almost every time it's gonna be oh, I just want to put on facebook, I want to share him with my friends, I want to put him on our family blogged, you know, they're saying something very simple to you, and so my answer to that is, you know what? You're going to get every single image order as a website in a website's version, to share a friends and family and put on facebook, you're gonna get this for free, you don't even have to pay for them. And so that's my first yes, answer every once in a while, I'll have somebody now that is a little bit more sophisticated, and they do wantto have the control of archiving their images and they even, you know, they put him in a safety deposit box or whatever they might do to archive them, and I'm gonna let those clients no, I'd completely understand. We do have some options for you, and I'm giving them that. Yes, but I want to educate them a little bit and I want to let them know digital files are fragile, they are not forever hard drive is going to go down. A dvd may not be able to be played in five years. We don't know, you know, my new back book air. I can't put a dvd in it. My new I'm mac that's in my order appointment room. I cannot put a dvd in it it's going away, it's going to be a cassette tape before we know it. And so, you know, letting our clients no, this is something that, you know, we're just educating them. We're educating them towards the final product that has so much more value for them. And so, uh so that's going to be another answer, and then the third and very rare answer is I want to print them, and honestly, you guys, research has been done and people are not printing their digital files anymore it's just not happening even the scrapbooking stores are starting to close there's it's just not as popular is that once wass you know we used to drop off of our film and we get our four by six is back and we did it every single time because that was our only option and now people are shooting thousands of images that never get printed and they live and then they die on our computers and we know this and so, you know, just being able to communicate that to the client when they say, well, I really would like to print them you know? Well, let me know you know what you're wanting you area scrapbook er you know what? What do you want in your prints for it's not gonna be typically that they want to print something for the wall because they really aren't thinking about that option until we communicate with them what we can do for them and so was there a scrap occur that's great. I'm gonna have that yes answer that's gonna be you know what? I'm gonna help you get all those smaller prints for free or very inexpensive. But what I wanna concentrate on for us something really special for your home that you're going to enjoy every single day so what I'm gonna be asking you to do is walk to your home and anyplace you consider hanging a portrait, take a snapshot of that wall and send it over to me you know it's a script same thing every time but you know, that's that digital file answer for me and the first answer is always absolutely every single image you order you're going to get a website's version of that image to share with friends and family I do put my logo on those images those I have, you know, it's there's a little see through bar that goes across them at eleven and my website logo was on those but they don't care about that they really don't were the ones who get bogged down in that, you know, well, I don't want to put my logo across somebody's face because they're not gonna want a posting on facebook they don't care you'll be will probably have one person of one hundred that'll rag on you about having your logo on their images they really don't care they just want to show off their kids or show off their family and so that's that first yes answer for me for digital files and that kind of leaves into can you put my photos online and you know, that's one thing that I refused to do I will not put your photos online for youto order from period, but I would never tell a client that in that way, you know, will you put on my photos online or you can I order my images online? I'm going to say you know what everything you order you're going to get a password protected gallery with all of those ordered images to share with friends and family to go back and review your order that's all going to be there for you so that's the yes answer is yes they're all going online for you everything you ordered and it's only after the order but you know, presenting it positively and answering their questions and you know, remember remember through all of this that an objection just means I need more information and so when they're asking those questions that's that's all that's all it is they just need you to tell them this is how this goes and so that's my s answer for can you put my photos online and we talked yesterday about having you know, can you put him on line for grandma she's gonna want to order one so go back and listen to that segment but you know we've got a yes answer for that as well we're going to put on those ordered images and find out what size grandma wants so you know that's another one I need my husband to make the final decision I need him here with me and that is something that definitely where you're going to take care of from the very beginning we're gonna let the client know we're gonna ask them from the beginning do you need your husband along with you during your order appointment to help you make decisions and she's either going to say yes or she's going to say no, and either way she is right? If she does not want him there, we know what on there either, and I usually will tell him, um, you know what? Whatever answer she gives me, I tell her, you know, most moms feel that way, I want her to feel very comfortable and whatever she just told me if she says yes, I really feel like I need him there to help me make decisions. I'm gonna say no problem. Most moms feel this that way, let's find a time that works for both of you. And so we want to make sure that that question is answered before they ever are in the order appointment and that's an example of one of those things that if something's happening again and again with you it during the order process, whether you're meeting with clients and person or you're putting them online, you know, whatever it is if you're getting an objection over and over, write it down and figure out how you're going teo answer that objection or, you know, not even allow the objection to happen and put it into your workflow ahead of time and find that yes answer so now I want to hear you guys was what are your objections? And we need to find answers to molly go eso won that I was thinking about is, um, you know, you're, uh, planning for little susie's room and it's all in yellow and pink, and you're planning the outfit to go exactly with the bedding, and then mom starts to think and it's, like susie's betting isn't going to be the same in a year, and then she's objecting to that investment on something this kind of temporary in her mind? Well and that and that is a good question, and that happens a lot of times with me with baby nurseries because we're planning for clients throughout the baby's first year, and then they are thinking about what about when we go to a big girl bed, and so I'm going to talk again to the mom and just started asking her questions. You think when you move to the big girl bed, you'll change all the elements in the room you think you're going toe, you know? And I'm asking her, not tryingto be negative at all, but, you know, not like, do you really think you're going to change everything? But, you know, how do you feel about the changes when that time comes when she's too or when she's three and she goes to a big girl bed will you be changing the paint color in the room when you be changing all the own it you know and then they stopped to think about it no, I've invested a lot of time decorating in designing this room I'm not going to change all the colors so it starts making sense to them that we're making an investment in this I've also suggested to moms you know you've invested in baby furniture and you've spent a lot of money there you spent a lot of money in the betting are you planning on reselling it when the time comes very playing on selling the room decor and a lot of moms are when their time to move to a big bed they're getting rid of the other and they're selling it why not sell those frames along with it if it really is time to completely change colors that's going to go right along it's the same as making an investment in a crib we're a changing table or a rocking chair whatever they're putting into the room we're talking about home decor we're talking about nursery decor you know, even if it's for a living room if you know if you're thinking about it in that way how often really do we change you know and buy a new couch five years, ten years you know, and so and if a mom is, even if they're thinking about buying a new couch in six months or she knows she's getting it for christmas, she's not changing everything else in that room, she's changing that one thing, so I'm usually I can kind of walk them through that and redirect that a little bit just by just by asking questions and getting to them to really think about what they just ask me. It's, just a objection. We'll take one online really quick when we've got one from rk photography whose says what if you get the I just really don't have any money to spend on photos e I like you, you know, if they didn't have any money to spend on photos, they're not going to call in the first place they're calling. Most people do call the price check. Most people are calling saying, how much your packages, how much your eight by tens? But one of the great things is when we start networking and marketing the way that we've been talking about the phone calls start coming in arm or and more qualified because of how they get to us. And so whether it's networking from another business or it's a referral from one of our clients. If one of those people calls, I have a lot less work to do that I have to do with somebody who's calling and saying, hey, I found you online and you know, how much are your packages that person? Yes, that maybe put some person that is going to say no, I really wasn't intending on investing in that, but you know, that's why I really being directed and thoughtful in your marketing and networking process is really I mean, the whole process is so much better for the business because they are a little bit more educated when they call, but I promise you nobody calls thinking they're going to spend a ton of money that's just not the way the consumer thinks about photography anymore, so that's, why we've got to educate them and start talking about decorating for their home and something special they're going to enjoy every day we're talking about how they're gonna feel about these portrait's and the experience of the portrait session and you know what? It is it's all hard work you guys so we're working at every single stage and that's why I'm having the phone scripts and having those yes answers in places so so valuable to that final sale and final product and and really even what's best for the client in the end um laurie, we do try toe pre sell our albums or a wall collage like you have here and a lot of times the objections that we get for moms are we want to see the pictures first and then decide we've never had it a problem that there hasn't been enough choices but we're now doctor had to tell people that without sounding obnoxious well what that astounding obnoxious if somebody said to me you know what we really want to see the images first I'm gonna take control back of that and again that's that's something that that's all they know you know in their minds they've never done anything like this before and so what I'm going to tell them is you know what I'm going to promise you that you're gonna love we capture of your family tell me a little bit more about your family and I'm gonna get her to start talking and it's just turning that question back around to them and then when they start talking about their family and I'm asking them questions and now we're getting involved in personalities and what they love most about their child what they're into right now and we're talking about you know well the way the family bonds together maybe things I enjoy together as a family the back those questions just kind of go away you know it's like we this is what I'm thinking because it's all I know but once we start building the relationship and start educating then it's just not what they're thinking about any more so I would redirect that question and just tell them I guarantee you're gonna love what we do you know tell me about how we're going to photographing all right? So I have one online from lauren benson who says hi from alabama one odd objection that I've gotten is the client wanted her files for to herself alter or manipulate the images on her own and to practice her on photo shop skills, but this makes me uncomfortable because of copyright and it no longer being my artwork, but on top of that I have also seen or heard people saying, well, I know how to post process or, you know, I know how to do that myself I don't really need your your services in that part just give them to me and I'll take the editing from there. So what do you know that? And I think that, you know, there's there's two different pockets of clients, you know, there's two different pockets of people that we we want to reach out to and, you know, the one you are really only one we want to reach out to and that's our target client, the other that doesn't sound like my target client hopefully I wouldn't even attract that person to call me, but if someone literally said to me, I've never had I said, but if somebody said to me, well, can't you just give them all to me? I'm great in photo shop, you know, I would let them know, you know, if you're great and photoshopped, then you're probably pretty great with your camera to go ahead and take those images yourself you're gonna be so much more satisfied if you've taken the image and then then the manipulation with it and that's great and I even tell I talkto high school senior moms right now because we do have for the very first time this year we've had people that have said to us, you know, my daughter's best friend wants to be a photographer, and she really wants to take her her pictures where my daughter's teacher is going into photography and she wants to do her senior pictures, my daughter's coach, you know, I mean, it happens more and more now, and so I you know, I found my yes answer did that because it happens once for me, and I'm gonna know how I'm going to dress it the next time, you know, that's just yeah, you got to do it. And so the first time that somebody said that to me, I just planted this would be my answer and what I say now is, you know what having your daughters, your daughter, having your picture taken every day of her senior year is gonna be something that is so important to the memories that she has of her senior year that's all about what they where they are right now, they're being photographed every day they're doing snapchat and instagram and, you know, all these things and we're all about it, so let that be part of her high school senior experience, but what I want to do is I want to create something special for you that you're going to enjoy every single day in your home after she's off to college, and so it just kind of, you know, turning it, let that be her experience, let me do something different, you know, and posing that to mom, you know, if she is mom really going toe take something that her best friend took or that our teacher took no, because you know what they're doing, they're giving them all the digital files, you know, what's going to end up with those digital files they're going on facebook, and then they die, right? And really, when we think that these things through we know this speak to be true, but we let other people's objections and excuses and even their, you know, their thought processes. Is he allowed them to become ours we allow them to take over how we think and feel and really even what I mean that's not what's best for that client in the end does she not deserve to have something in her home to remember her daughter every single day when she's off to college? Does she need portrait center home to remember daughter no but is it going to make her happy every single time she walks down that hallway especially after we get down you know done with this session and I've been talking to her about what I see in her daughter and how special her daughter is and how beautiful she is and that I love the relationship between the two of them even if it's not perfect and many times with high school seniors it's not you know but really you know the things that I'm seeing in them and she is going to see those things every time she looks at those portrait and there is value there you guys and no learning to communicate those things to your clients just really it changes the perception of even those ideas when they called that well should we be doing this? What would not be doing this? You know, everybody's photographing her and so I'm agreeing with her everybody's gonna photograph her she's gonna be photographed every single day and that's such a fun part of her senior year you know, go with it well but uh let's go so during the ordering appointment even if you've had all that clear communication that you're gonna have to make those decisions and do you need your husband there? But in that moment they say I just I just can I have a couple more days or can I can I sit on this? I really need toe go back to my house and look at the wall again they have more time and you know and and I'm hearing that teo but we're also considering not having on through this entire process so if that happened in on my couch then I would have to look back and say where did I let this now because I've already shown them their wall I don't need to see it again they know that's their well and they've seen stuff finished on their wall we've talked through everything we've talked about having their husband their if there happened to be something where they would get there and they would say, you know, I know I told you that I needed to have my husband here, but I really wish I would have had him here I'm gonna say the same thing back to her again, I'm going to say, you know what? I'm gonna help you through this we're going to get through we're gonna make those decisions and I'll use that that online gallery as a tool and I'll say let's get through it let's make the decisions was get everything that you love what I'm going to promise you is that you're always going to go back to that first initial impression that first thing that you love even in the slide show I will tell people that the first thing that you went you know we're left or a smile or you know major cry or whatever that first little thing and I watch for their reactions and I will tell them you're going to go back to that every single time it doesn't matter how many times we look through these and it really helps them to go ahead and just plant you know, make that decision and so I'll use that with them and you know, let's just let's get through this let's make sure we have everything a place that you want and I'll sure I'll give them twenty four hours teo, you know, go back into their online gallery and check everything out and show their husband but once has done, you know, very rarely or you gonna have somebody who actually comes back and says no, no, never mind if you've taken all those steps in between if that's the first time you're doing it is during the order appointment absolutely urine have people that are like a really I'm not ready to commit to this because how could they be they you know, that's the first time they're being presented with you know, this is going to cost fifteen hundred dollars, whoa, I had no idea let me go home and think about this it's a natural natural reaction. So if we take the steps along the way for, you know, giving value, communicating value, building a relationship, educating, going through that consultation call doing something really special for them if they have taken the time to take those wall snapshots for me, and this is where I'm considering hanging a portrait and then we talk during the consultation and they get excited about what can happen for their home, and we're talking about interior design, we're talking about home decor and you know, it it's not about pictures anymore, you know, it's out memories and moments and the decor that's happening is it's, you know, it's personal portrait art for the home, and so, you know, I guess the biggest thing to think about through the process is just know whether it's albums or wallick or or, you know, whatever it is, you know, just leading the client through the process, planning, preparing with them and doing those things at every single step, you know, we talked about the client education process and all the different steps that we go through to make sure that we're educating at each one of those steps, continuing the conversation, continuing the relationship, making sure everything builds on the last thing, so that by the time they sit in the order appointment, they should not be, there should be no more questions, and yes, when you start doing it, you may have some things where somebody's has a tent, but you have to write that down and go through your that sales record of sales and say, you know, this person had this objection, okay, let me look back through all the things that I was supposed to do, and what didn't I say? What didn't we communicate, you know? And if she's hesitant at any time, you know, up to there that's, when we address it, and that's, when we fix it, we don't fix it in the order appointment, and I have found for me that if I let it get there and something's broken a lot of times, it is too late twenty four hours. Then do you follow up on the phone, and then you take that first half payment? When do you take that? Yes, and I don't mind holding it for him that's totally fine, what I tell them is, is that when we you know, when we have half down will place your order so if they need twenty four hours and the more and more you do this, the less unless you you will have to give that option. But if they want that twenty four hours to look, I'll just let them know if I don't hear from you with twenty four hours, I'll assume that you're okay with me starting your order that's a little charge that happened will continue on, so we have one from melissa k. We've talked a lot about very soon, but we haven't talked about clients at st they don't have time to do a pre session, I'll extend that too don't have time to come in for an ordering your viewing session don't have time to take pictures of their walls or talk through this. Can I just show up and you take the pictures and then I get them? Well, that's, what's great about letting the client know that I'm going to be planning a designing their session with them once I get those while snapshots and so and that that's really made a difference, as well as giving them my cell phone number. Even a year ago, I had clients that would they wouldn't do and they wouldn't do it and it's because it takes effort to get it from my phone to my computer. And you know so I just I went to a cellphone for my studio phone for that reason because I want to take away that objection and so I let people know from the first phone call now I just kind of walked to your your home anyplace you consider hang your portrait somebody take a snapshot of that wall sent it over to me you can text it to me and then I let them know when I get those images when I get those snapshots and I'm really careful about saying snapshots and images when we're talking about their wall snapshots but when I get those snapshots I'll be calling you to plan and design your session I can't plan and design that session until I have the snapshots I'm not saying it like that I'm saying it as soon as I have those I'll be calling you to plan in design your session I've never had somebody who was said to me I don't have time for that, you know I mean we're again where you're telling people this is how this goes we're giving them the process and we're talking them through word letting them know you know here's something that were that I'm gonna do for you I'm gonna create a custom wall concept for you I want you walk to your home anyplace you consider hanging your portrait's have you thought about where you're gonna hang your portrait's no absolutely not, you know? And so I want them to start thinking about it just walked through the house, you know, they might say to me, I you know, all I have his window space there's no place to hang a portrait and I'm going to say, you know what? I love a challenge walk through just take those snapshots for me, let me see what I can do for you, and there are very, very, very few women in any bracket of income that can not get it excited about decorating for their home. So, you know, especially not somebody who's calling to have a family portrait done, so how I answered that it was a great one, so we've got maybe one mohr cisco, deanna, who says I have a client that wants me to drop my rates for the sake of our long relationship, and we'll give a referral to her friends and etcetera, etcetera and the client has a close relationship with my sibling and so it's like, how do you deal with people who I want those discounts because of family relationship or friend relationship for a long time client or sure? Well, a couple things put a referral plan in place and you know whether it's fifty dollars a credit or hundred dollars or credit or whatever you want to give them to somebody if they have said to you, can you give me a discount? You know, I'm going to send you referrals, you know what? Great, let me give you a stack of cars and for every person that comes in and books a session with me, I'll put fifty dollars a credit on your account and put the ball back in her hand. So she's doing it first, you're not doing that session expecting for those referrals, you know? And you know, and then the other half of that is, you know, what about friends and family who want discounts? And we talked about putting friends and family days on your calendar and letting people know you know, these air these days are reserved for my business. I have friends and family days booked on these days which would be better for you and just take control. Yes, we want to take care of those people who are our friends and our family and, you know, my brother I would never charge him for his pictures. He gets it all free. You know, I only have one brother and one day he's that makes it evil on me. But, you know, but definitely there were lots of friends in the beginning when I made this decision that I was photographing and doing things for cheap and you know nothing and you know I had to make that decision at some point teo say the's air my friends and family days if you'd like to come on one of those days yes, I can do this for you at half off or yes, I can do this for you for free if that's my choice but that's plan and I decide I don't let them take control of my appointment book and take away a client session where I could be profiting my business to have any more in the studio. Yeah, go ahead. You never get anyone who says, you know that that sounds great. I like the design called this consultation. It all sounds good. Can you just send me your priceless before I send you the snapshots? Like, absolutely just the ballpark ever come up? You know, when did ask? Sure. Come in on dh that's. Yeah. It's a great question. Always on the first phone call, price comes up whether it's the very first question they ask or not it's going to come up at some point. Usually it is at the beginning and by just asking questions were into something else, so no matter what they asked me when they first call, usually it is a price question, you know, can you tell me about your session fees or you tell me about your packages, whatever they're asking, I'm gonna say, absolutely I'm going to send you our entire product menu. Tell me about how we're going to be photographing. Yeah, or tell me about how you heard about me, so I'm asking questions. I'm finding that common ground I'm starting to build a relationship and then at the end of that phone call, which means that I've built value, I've started the relationship I am absolutely going to send in that product menu. Sometimes it does happen that I'm going to do it before I scheduled a session. If someone is very concerned about that and that comes up again and again and they aren't overly thrilled with the idea of me designing for their home. Sure, I'll send in that pdf I don't want to go to the trouble either. No, let's not waste either of our times, so I'm going to send him over the pdf and I'll just tell him I'll send that over to you, take a look through everything and let me know if you have any questions and part of the beauty of having a product menu is and then we're going to get that and we're going to know if it's the right side or not. Because it's kind of talking them through what it's all about and they're seeing lots of images of home decor and they're different product option so you know, we definitely definitely want to get that all the ways earliest possible just building excuse me building off of that it's not exactly an objection but goes directly to that danielle nickel from nebraska had said when you realize potential client may not be a good fit for what you do do you do you recommend another photographer as a yes answer and maybe is there actual script that you use in that I actually will recommend another photographer if it gets to the point where she really isn't a fit for anything that we do however we do have special events that we have on our calendar and you know carly that's here I used to recommend her here in there when I knew somebody was just a digital client I knew she'd do a good job I knew she was killing herself but she'd do a good job and she'd hand him over the files you know and that was okay I can't recommend her anymore because she's way too busy and she's gonna tell him no anyway so but what I do is I'll let them know you know, it sounds like maybe one of our regular sessions isn't a great fit so would you be interested in staying in touch and hearing about our specials that are coming up and so I can let her know about a special event and, you know, fifteen minutes mini session maybe the way to get her in the studio and still be able to do business with her but yeah, I'm not going to take her through the entire process where we're doing lots and lots of work and it may be my second shooter that's photographing it instead of me and so just, you know, having those suggestions in place and being ready because not one hundred percent of the people who call are going to be your target client and that's one of the things that I keep telling carly because she books almost one hundred percent of the people who call her and it literally is like, you know, I think like one session last year that called didn't book with her which means way, way too cheap you gotta have some people saying no, you know, it can not be right for everybody I couldn't even eat or sleep if I was right for everybody that would be a terrible thing, you know? So some people yeah, so some people it's not going to be right some people are gonna be no and it does go back a little bit tio once that marketing gets put in place when that networking it's been put in place, you're gonna have more and more people calling that are qualified to work with you because they've seen what you've done they've been able to see and experience your product on somebody's wall there best friend is so excited about having worked with you and she's so excited about having something hanging in her home or she's been in a display and then like I've gotta have that you know who did that and so when those kind of phone calls come you're not having to work so hard at what it is that you know walking them through all these things because they're excited about it to many more in the studio all right well I think that it's time to look at our download the download of the day is a view and choose appointment reminder and what this is it's a little folded piece of folded bookmark that you can give to your clients when they come into the session we circle the month and the date on here and write in their time for their view and choose appointment and it's just a little card that you khun again layered t stu can change the colors dropping your logo all that good stuff you can even drop in an image if you want well of it all right with that folks we are done with twenty six so we are going to cross that off the board scandal let us talk about day twenty seven which is many sessions and special events all right, and I do. I want to say to that, if you're out there and you didn't get your objection, answer, go photo, talk for him and sign up for a free membership and there's gonna be a day for you day twenty five, that no dating me six, six correct, that was I finding that, yes, answer. So put your questions there, put your objections there, and I'll be there to help you answer those. So the next day, we're talking about special events and many sessions, and we've kind of been talking along the way about referring people to those special events. If you need thio, if you're at that place where some of those people are not going to be right fit for you anymore, because of what you're offering and let's plug him into something different.