Quick: When you pitch your photography services to a potential client (be it in person or via your website), what are the first 3-5 things that run through their mind?

Write them down (no really, grab a post-it!):

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

If you don't know what they are, make it your business to find out.

Because what runs through their mind at first is often what keeps them from hiring you.

For example, the sequence might go something like this:

1. That sounds great!
2. Oh, if only…..my husband would never agree to do this.
3. I need to save money for a vacation/new roof/pet wallaby instead.
4. Plus, my hair needs to grow out before I even think about pictures.

Often times, we think the star of this little mental drama is money, and sometimes it is.

But money-related concerns often come with a whole supporting cast of other issues. (In the example above, the money concern snowballs with spousal and appearance worries. And even the money concern isn’t really about money – it’s about priorities.)

Past experiences. Weight. Hair. Time concerns. Feeling busy. Feeling overwhelmed. Procrastination. All these are heavy-hitters in swatting clients away.

So when it seems like clients aren't nibbling, here is something bold to try:

Quote those exact concerns, in your clients' own words, and address them directly.

You can try this on your blog, in an FAQ section, or even on a booking page.

For example:

Now, you might be thinking: “But Jenika, I already talk about the importance of getting pictures taken. I already say why newborn photography is great. Why do I need to quote my clients like this?”

The answer is – well, you don’t need to.

But have you ever read an article online somewhere, where someone said something you've secretly been thinking – and it made you gasp a little?

There is power in finding your private thoughts splashed across the screen, coming from someone else.

For one thing, you freeze in your tracks a little when someone calls you out on something you’re thinking, at the exact moment you’re thinking it.

For another, it connects you with the author of those words. They know what I’m going through, too? Like, someone else has experienced this exact thing? Wow!

It makes you feel understood. Startled. Intrigued.

When you're writing about your own work, your reader knows you're trying to “sell” them. And while you're busy listing all the reasons why they should hire you, they're busy listing all the reasons why hiring you is impossible.

So list those reasons yourself, and don't give the ideas a chance to take root in your client's mind.

In professional sales writing, this process is called “overcoming objections.” (I prefer calling it “making the client feel like you can read their mind.” It sounds more jazzy.) We all have objections, and only buy once they're overcome. But when the objections seem to loom larger than the benefits, that's when you lose people.

So stop them in their tracks. At the very moment they're thinking those things, call them out on it. Address those thoughts directly, and diffuse them. Dispel myths. Provide more information. Use the very same words they're thinking, and offer an alternative way to think about it.

Why not find a way to give it a try in your business?

Did you enjoy reading this tip? If so, you'd probably love Irresistible Words – an entire course dedicated to helping you sell more of your work. By the time you're done, you'll have an entire toolbox to help you connect with your audience and persuade them into buying.

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