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Who is Your Ideal Client?

Lesson 40 from: Creating Your Ideal Photography Business

Kathy Holcombe

Who is Your Ideal Client?

Lesson 40 from: Creating Your Ideal Photography Business

Kathy Holcombe

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Lesson Info

40. Who is Your Ideal Client?

Lessons

Class Trailer
1

Class Introduction

07:01
2

How To Price Your Products

05:01
3

Which Products Will You Offer

13:14
4

Methods For Pricing

10:38
5

Mark Up Factors On Products

05:46
6

What Is Your Per Hour Figure

04:45
7

What Is The Feasibility Of A Product

11:28
8

Target Sales Average

08:04
9

Session Fees Pricing Strategy

09:48
10

Minimum Purchase And Incentives Pricing Strategy

05:53
11

Bundling Pricing Strategy

25:47
12

Pre-Design Pricing Strategy

10:33
13

Album Pricing Strategies

10:33
14

Example Pricing List

17:33
15

Business Basics Overview

07:07
16

Tracking Product Lines In Your Business

14:01
17

Track Your Session Counts

07:19
18

Know Your Sales Average

06:41
19

Importance Of Data Analysis

10:14
20

Overview Of Costs

13:46
21

Professional Photographers Of America Benchmark Survey

18:57
22

Creating A Vision For Your Business

08:25
23

What Do You Want To Accomplish

13:31
24

Take A Leap Of Faith

20:19
25

Refine Your Vision

12:44
26

Products That Sell

07:48
27

Identify Pricing Strategies

03:03
28

Portrait Pricing Strategy Example

15:57
29

Album Pricing Strategy Example

09:21
30

Online Pricing Strategy Example

08:21
31

Fine Art Prints Pricing Strategy Example

05:54
32

Packages Pricing Strategy Example

12:39
33

Sales Strategies Overview

05:45
34

Portrait Sales Session Overview

05:34
35

Sales Strategy for Portrait Sales

22:56
36

How to Present Images to Client

23:03
37

Sales Strategy for Wedding Sales

09:49
38

Album Pre-Design

18:51
39

Marketing: Define Yourself

12:55
40

Who is Your Ideal Client?

05:12
41

Who is Your Ideal Partner?

03:27
42

How to Start a Partner Business Relationship

08:29
43

Marketing Strategies that Work

17:10
44

Product Lines: Business Plan Part One

09:07
45

Workload: Business Plan Part Two

08:23
46

Sessions: Business Plan Part Three

16:06
47

Expenses: Business Plan Part Four

11:14
48

Clients: Business Plan Part Five

05:29

Lesson Info

Who is Your Ideal Client?

This was the hardest question for us to answer. Whenever I would go to marketing seminars, they would say, "Okay, just go find your ideal client "and tell them what you do." I was like, "Well, who's my, I want somebody "that invests in photography; who is that?" (laughs) It took me a while to realize that nobody can tell me who my ideal client is. What I started doing is looking at the clients that I really enjoyed working with. I had to start to define who that ideal client was for me, and it took time to realize that. It's kind of trial and error. You think you're on the right track, and you'll get the wrong type of client that doesn't value what you do, and then you realize what's not your ideal client, and that helps you define what is your ideal client. For us, our ideal client is artsy. They appreciate fine art. They go to museums; they sometimes are collectors. That's first and foremost. They value photography as an art. Just because someone is an art collector doesn't mean that...

they consider photography to be art, so you have to be sure that you're clear on that front as well. They're very well educated. Almost all of our clients have graduate degrees. We've just learned that over the years. They are very successful. Oftentimes, both parents work. The bride and the groom client, they're both executives. They both have MBAs or some other kind of graduate degree. They both are in leadership roles in their business, so they oversee other employees. They're used to running the show, kinda high powered jobs. They are healthy. They are climbers and runners and bikers and kayakers; that's about 3/4 of Colorado anyway, but (laughs) that tends to be who we attract. They're active; they're out all the time, doing things in nature. Typically, people that are active in the gym are different than our clients. Our clients are active in the environment. That's a key distinction. They're outdoorsy; they camp. They don't mind getting dirty. They don't mind it if its cold and rainy outside. We do sessions rain or shine most of the time. It's taken a long time for us to figure out who this is. While I said successful, that doesn't necessarily equate to wealthy. There's a difference there. Our clients value time away from work as well. While wealth is always an advantage in the sales room, it's not critical. Some of our best clients have very low incomes, and they really have to stretch to be able to invest with us. They value it; we give them a means; and they figure out a way to make it happen. When I first started trying to answer this question, wealthy was at the top of the list. Anybody that has extra money surely will buy our photography, and that's not necessarily true. We learned that the hard way. As you go through your business, think about the people that you have really enjoyed working with, or the people that you think you will enjoy working with. What are they like? What do they like to do? How do they spend their time? Where do they spend their money? Our clients often have ski passes up into the mountains, which is a thousand-dollar-per-person investment every year, and ski equipment on top of that. Skiers are a great target market. They have expendable money, they're outdoorsy; they're active; they're healthy; they fit the profile. If I can build a relationship with somewhere where skiers hang out, I can capture that client. That's one option. Climbers, anybody that climbs big mountains, spends $600 on a pair of boots, that's my client, on hiking boots, not dress boots. That's my client; that's the person I want in the door. If I can go into a high end mountaineering store, where people with families come, and I can connect with those clients, those are the people that I wanna interact with. If I can connect with a family that spends more time at REI than they do at the mall, that's my client. Knowing that has really changed with who we build relationships with. Think about that, where does your client spend their time? Where does your ideal client spend their money? Then, you can start to define who your ideal partner is to build a relationship.

Class Materials

Bonus Materials

Business Plan Worksheet
Expense Worksheet
Sales Averages by Product Line Worksheet
Sales Projections by Product Line Worksheet
Session Count Worksheet

Bonus Materials with Purchase

Art of the Sale Book
Creating a Vision Workbook

Ratings and Reviews

Lindsay
 

I started my business a year ago with little formal technical photography education. It's hard to admit but I've been winging it, figuring out each small task that goes with photographing a session, editing one, and working with clients as I go. I may be doing things backwards, but now that I feel like I'm more comfortable in those small, specific parts of business, I need to figure out how to make this business sustainable and profitable. Kathy's class felt perfect for this time in my business to take a step back and look at the bigger picture of what I want to focus on and where I want to go (and how much I want to pay myself!). She uses realistic, specific numbers: something that's SO helpful and I feel like I rarely see in the photography community. And she breaks everything down in an organized and easy to understand way. The classes were easy to follow along with and Kathy's positivity and patient manner is inspiring and motivating. The fact that she used to be a school teacher is clear. Thank you so much Kathy (and the rest of the Holcombes)!

Jenny Farrell
 

I am so glad I was able to attend this course in person and receive all the wonderful and practical information Kathy shared with us. I also really enjoyed the connections with other audience members and side conversations with Creative Live peeps as well as the Holcombe family. What an inspiration this family is--lots of practical info, but also a great pep talk to not sell yourself short and get out there and do what you love, but use sound business practice while doing it. Thanks so much for these incredible two days.

Vanessa
 

Fantastic course! Very helpful instruction and how-to guide for anyone considering starting up a photography business. Kathy was an excellent instructor, with a wealth of knowledge and experience. I gained a good understanding of the practical everyday aspects of running this kind of business, and how to create my own vision.

Student Work

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