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Step 0: Building Rapport & Trust

Lesson 70 from: How to Start a Photography Business

Pye Jirsa

Step 0: Building Rapport & Trust

Lesson 70 from: How to Start a Photography Business

Pye Jirsa

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Lesson Info

70. Step 0: Building Rapport & Trust

Sales start with a relationship. Establish that trust by starting a conversation with the client -- and not about photography.
Summary (Generated from Transcript)

The topic of this lesson is about building rapport and trust with clients in order to create a genuine and meaningful relationship.

Q&A:

  1. What is step zero in starting a photography business?

    Step zero is building rapport and trust with clients before discussing photography.

  2. How should photographers approach building rapport with clients?

    Photographers should approach building rapport by treating the interaction like a friendship and genuinely showing interest in getting to know the clients.

  3. What are some characteristics of genuine interest?

    Genuine interest is shown through slow smiling, being natural, and giving undivided attention to the conversation.

  4. Why is it important for photographers to see clients as individuals with their own wants and needs?

    Seeing clients as individuals allows photographers to better understand and document their journey and lives, resulting in more personalized and meaningful photographs.

  5. What types of open-ended questions can photographers ask to engage with clients?

    Photographers can ask questions about how the couple met, their hobbies, or their experiences related to the photography session, such as pregnancy.

  6. How can photographers make the conversation more engaging and light-hearted?

    Photographers can incorporate humor and fun into the conversation by asking quirky questions, such as who made the first move in the relationship.

  7. What are some tips for photographers to be genuine and genuinely interested in their clients?

    Tips include adoring clients, minding body language, smiling slowly, using clients' names frequently, listening and understanding, and giving genuine words of praise.

  8. How can photographers improve their conversation skills?

    Photographers can improve their conversation skills by talking less and listening more, using the 70/30 rule of letting the client do 70% of the talking, and focusing on the client's needs rather than their own.

Lessons

Class Trailer
1

Class Introduction

13:12
2

Common Myths & Unknown Truths

11:42
3

The Road Ahead

13:03
4

Find Your Passion

06:06
5

The Lin & Jirsa Journey

13:54
6

Part-time, Full-time, Employed, Partners?

03:51
7

Stop Wasting Time & Money

06:07
8

Your 12 Week Roadmap

04:33
9

Great Plans Still Fail

06:01
10

Strategy Vs. Planning

04:16
11

Mind Mapping

07:25
12

Select a Focus

14:16
13

Competitor Research

09:34
14

S.W.O.T. Analysis

13:54
15

Strategy & Long Term Goals

03:50
16

Values, Vision & Mission

27:49
17

Effectively Managing Your Time

15:05
18

Artistic Development

07:30
19

Create Your Plan

13:12
20

What's Your Product

10:51
21

Luxury vs Consumer Products & Experiences

11:44
22

Quick Break for Econ 101

16:31
23

Your Target Market & Brand Message

21:25
24

What's in a Name

09:20
25

Your Client 'Why'

05:43
26

Crafting the Why Experience

24:17
27

Document the Client Experience

08:29
28

Business Administration Basics

27:03
29

Book Keeping Management

06:51
30

Create the Logo & Branding

07:04
31

Portfolio Design

15:11
32

Design Your Services & Packages

18:51
33

Pricing Fears & Myths

08:46
34

Three Pricing Methods

25:39
35

Package Pricing Psychology & Design

06:15
36

Psychology of Numbers

07:29
37

Pricing Q&A

23:51
38

Grass Roots Marketing

09:36
39

The Empty Party

07:03
40

Friends & Family Test Shoots

16:28
41

Join Groups

04:32
42

Second Shooting Etiquette

07:44
43

The Listing & Classified Hustle

14:10
44

Make Instagram Simple

13:55
45

Your Automated Pinterest Plan

08:01
46

Facebook Because You Must

07:37
47

Giveaway & Styled Shoots

12:17
48

Content Marketing & SEO

08:12
49

The Monster: SEO

07:26
50

Selecting Your Keywords

05:45
51

Testing Your Keywords

07:53
52

Grouping Main & Niche Goals

12:39
53

Your Content Road Map

11:47
54

Content Marketing Q&A

10:45
55

Inspiration to Keep Working

07:45
56

How to Craft Your Content

15:03
57

Internal Linking Basics

05:30
58

Back Link Building Basics

04:55
59

Link Value Factos

14:38
60

Measuring Link Value

04:24
61

Link Building Strategy & Plan

06:10
62

Link Building Plan: Vendors & Guest Writing

06:45
63

Link Building Plan: Features, Directories, Comments

03:11
64

Link Building: Shortcuts & One Simple Tool

14:44
65

What is Sales? Show Me!

12:58
66

Your First Massive Failure

05:17
67

The Sales Process

07:31
68

Your Second Massive Failure

05:23
69

Understand Buyer Psychology

10:00
70

Step 0: Building Rapport & Trust

15:14
71

Step 1: Identify Need or Want

15:39
72

Cognitive Dissonance

12:01
73

Steps 2 & 3: Value Proposition & The Solution

14:21
74

Step 4 : Close, Make the Ask

04:32
75

Step 5: Follow Up & Resolve Concerns

06:13
76

Family Photography Hot Seat

12:06
77

Business Example Hot Seat

15:52
78

Boudoir Photography Hot Seat

16:09
79

The Best Sales Person

07:45
80

Your Mindset, Vibrations & Frequency

06:56
81

Always Positive, Always Affirming

11:55
82

The Second Money & Dual Process

07:39
83

Chumming the Price Waters

03:57
84

Creating Want or Scarcity

09:54
85

Timeless Advice on Being Likable

11:53
86

Selling Over The Phone

10:59
87

Forbidden Words in Sales

11:40

Lesson Info

Step 0: Building Rapport & Trust

Now let's go through step by step. Let's talk about each of these processes. Step zero, that it doesn't need to be said step, let's just build some trust first. Let's build a relationship. Okay, build your rapport, create the trust there. And this is where you talk about anything but photography. I don't care what you want to talk about. This is your personality and how you conduct your meetings but think about this from a friendship standpoint. If you were encountering a new friend, what things would you say to get to know that person? Treat it that way if it makes it easier for you to think about. This must be genuine, not feigned interest. I have learned all of your names, not because I want you to feel like I care, I want you to know that I care because I actually care and I want to know your names. I have a genuine interest in hearing and knowing about each of your lives and what that needs to come from within you because otherwise it's very easy to detect if you're not being genu...

ine. We'll talk about some clues when we go to the advanced side of sales and fine tuning. There's certain things that we do body language wise that gives off feigned interest. Like you all know that sales person that smiles just a little bit too quick. It's an interesting thing, smiling quick, it's the actual speed of the smile. How fast you go hey, versus it's really great to meet you guys. The speed of the smile actually will indicate a false genuineness in a person. And I can think of all these different like the typical wedding coordinator. Oh my gosh I'm so excited that you're getting married. Are you really that excited that I'm getting married? (laughter) But you know what I'm talking about because you've all encountered someone at some point who has had that feigned genuineness, right. And one of those things is being slow to smile. Slow to smile, be natural, that shows that you're being genuine. Now I don't want you to show it. I want you to understand what things can come off as being fake or perceived, I want you to actually be genuine. This is where coming into being a better photographer is gonna help you. This is the unfortunate perception that we get in the industry, because we see our clients as money. We see them as a customer, we see this, they just got engaged, oh man, that's an engagement session right there, that's a potential wedding. That's what I see. Slow down, slow down, what am I gonna say? Slow down. Slow down muchacho, thank you. Thanks, Joe, that was solid. This is the reality, okay, when somebody comes to the door yes the perception is they just got engaged but this is his reality. He played football in college. He wanted to go pro but he got injured. He met a lot of girls but he's never interested. He met her at the gym. She was the first girl to make him laugh. He loves her smile, he love her intellect. His favorite features are her eyes. He feels like she would be an amazing mom. I mean knowing this, would that not help you to be a better photographer for those people? Oh yeah, it would. Majorly, but not to mention, I'm hoping that you stop seeing people as this. And instead see this. And you see her reality. She focused on her school and grades. She didn't really date that much. Most guys seemed shallow. She religiously exercised, loves the outdoors. Hmm, in all of the things that somebody might say to identify themselves and who they are, you can sit here and grab items out of here on how to better document their journey and their lives. Loves the outdoors. Loves his drive and motivation. Makes her feel like a better person. Can you picture, maybe a photograph where he's standing there holding her hand and she's looking up to him. Like all these different things that she might see in him documented in a form of a photograph. This is her reality. How about they're having a baby. Oh another maternity client, great. Get some pictures. I'm gonna sell some wall art. Here's the reality. I'm loosely basing this on some of my experiences. We had two very, very difficult pregnancies. And if I'm gonna hire a photographer to document my children, they better damn well be in tune to what we've been through. Had difficulty getting pregnant. She feels like a failure. Wants to adopt but's scared. The pregnancy was a miracle. She's excited but she's scared. There's several complications. Dealing with emotional stress, fear of miscarriage. Trying to have a child for years. frustrated by the difficulty. Thought of adopting. Finally got pregnant. Nervous to be a father. Feels unready. Worries for her health. Finances are tight. Can't wait to see his child's first smile. The first step is starting to kind of see clearly who it is that you're engaging and who it is that you're talking to. Understanding they don't give a crap about what you're selling and it's not to do with you. It has nothing to do with you. Now do each of you see the people walking into your door or the potential people coming in and patronizing your business a little bit differently. Is that an odd thing? They went from another customer to people, individual people with their own wants and their own needs. And that's what we're gonna get to. Because our questions then, should be open ended. Leil Lowndes as a great book on how to talk to anybody. I'm gonna give you a couple thoughts from it. She gives an example of open ended. Questions need to be open ended, thoughtful and with purpose. So we avoid things like what brought you in today? Well duh, I do wanna get some pictures. I do want this product, this service. We can ask what do you do for work. But we're gonna be careful with that statement. Ladies will know this. Why do you be careful with that statement? Stay at home moms. Haldis you are amazing. Stay at home moms, if you ask what do you do for a living, or what do you do for work, that's kind of insulting because if you are at home, that is your full time job. But yet that's a very stigmatic question designed for, it's kind of sexist to be honest. So instead, gentlemen, it's a better question to ask what do you like to do with your free time? And you know what, if she's a stay at home mom and she also works, she will also say I work a lot but when I'm not working. And then you can ask, what do you do for work? Oh, easy, we can back our way into the same like place right without asking questions that are insensitive. Ask questions like how did you both meet? I want to give you guys ideas on how to get to what you saw in terms of our perception and the reality. What questions do you ask. How's the pregnancy been? Careful guys, careful. If you haven't gone through it, probably don't ask about it. She better be ready to burst before you ask this question, because I think we all know, you don't go just asking somebody hey are you pregnant? That's a terrible question. But if you've been through it and you can empathize and you know how difficult it is, then okay, how's the pregnancy been? My wife had a really difficult time too. I can't completely understand but I can sympathize. That's where we would ask those kind of questions if you understand. Girls you have a little bit more of this kind of empathetic strength on this side. Where you can pretty much ask whatever you want. To both sexes, and you're good. One of my favorite questions, all right, so who made the first move? This kind of fun, quirky, awkward sense of humor that is me, it goes very much into my shoots, my meetings, everything, I love it. I even say things like, Erin, I'm gonna ask you to tell me three of your favorite physical features on his body. Be clean with it, Erin, don't get dirty. And then I always get that laugh, right. And they take the joke. But you know what I actually want to know those things. And give me that answer. I know it seems odd, but tell me. What are three things you might like on a guy. No it totally counts. Okay. So she said smile, personality. Now I said physical features, so physical features. Three physical, smile is one of them. I'm gonna go with smile, overall physical health, and mental health. Like fitness and mental health? Yeah. Gotta be stable, need to be stable. That takes me out of the running right there. And me too. But you saying smile. Now I could play into that very easily. Erin, would you love a photograph of your significant other looking into the camera with that genuine smile that you mentioned that you love? And you're standing there right next to him, looking up towards him. Is that a shot that you might picture that you might want? This is why I ask those types of questions because if you love his smile, I want to document him from your eyes. And then she's like oh, now I understand why you asked that question. But I'll play the awkward humor side of it until we get to that place, and then I bring it back and give her the meaning. How did he or she pop the question. You got it, it's up there, it's fine. Have you ever had a she pop the question? I haven't yet. I'm waiting for it. Girls, you guys gotta step up on this. Go start asking them guys. Is that, can you not do that. Oh you can't, yeah. Anybody, anybody, be you, ask the questions that are genuinely you. 10 tips on being genuine and genuinely interested. Simple 10 point checklist. Adore your clients. Vision, mission, values, we carry that back, right. Sit forward, mind your body language. This is pretty easy. Body language is a big thing and we're gonna talk about how it carries over to actual in person, phone, all of it. Smile but smile slowly. That was that whole thing like yes show your excitement. Yeah it's perfect. So probably don't want to be doing this. Too casual. I don't want you guys to sit back and even when you're on the phone, when you're laid back on your sofa and you're on the phone and hanging out, you sound like you're laid back and on the phone and hanging out. So I want you all to have a upright, sitting forward, leaning in and engaged posture. Doesn't matter whether you're talking on the phone or in person, but make them feel like you are present and engaged with everything that is being said in that conversation. Use their names frequently. Listen and understand. Oh man this is a big one. How many of us when we're talking to somebody will be thinking about the next thing we want to say. Almost constantly. There's a good reset for this. If I'm talking to you and I kind of lose presence, I can actually look at your shoes. I look at your shoes and I trace back up and it pulls me back in. Okay so if you can just mentally think, like while talking, if I just. If I'm dazing, if I'm out, if I'm thinking of my next question, if I'm thinking of something else, just trace the shoes and go back up and now you're back in. It's just a simple mind game where when you make that action, your mind goes back and focuses in on what it is you're trying to be present about. And you do it enough and you can stay present a little bit more. Micro expressions are gonna betray you. So if you don't actually feel genuinely interested, all those little things and quirks are gonna betray everything. Most are self serving. Remember how we talked about most of us just wanna figure out how do we sell our product to them. So just by differentiating this factor of focusing on them, you've already differentiated your service and who you are between the next person. Who simply sold themselves. Give words and praise that's genuine only. I think your hair's adorable. I actually do, but if I didn't I wouldn't say it. 'Cause if I didn't feel that way, it would probably come off as disingenuine. Right, so it's one of those things like you don't just go throwing out praise just to throw it out. Disingenuine praise, it has a harmful effect versus a positive one. It's not about you and stop talking. So Haldis and every single person here, I want you to take the 70/30 rule into every one of your conversations. Where if you are 70% of who's talking, dial it back and go back to the 30%. And you know what's interesting about this? Let's see, How To Win Friends and Influence People, a Dale Carnegie book from I don't know how long ago. Is still so useful in all the things that it teaches you to do and a lot of these things are listed in there. As well as Leil Lowndes's book and all these other books that talk about being genuine and how to make people like you. But one of the biggest ones was stop talking. Because being a good conversationalist means that you're not talking. Isn't that weird. In a survey, being a good conversationalist, they did tests and they're like oh yeah, everybody said from this test that we did that the better conversation was actually the person that spoke less, they didn't know it was based on the number of words, they just simply completed a series of tests. Talk less. Listen, sense, and move on when it's necessary, not out of your own need. Because you know what, I've had so many client meetings where we never talked about photography. We just talked about them, their lives, what we're gonna you know, everything. And I'm like cool guys, I have a contract right here, let's go ahead and just, my studio manager will get this signed up for you guys and we're good to go. I'll shake their hand and I'll leave. We didn't even say a single word about the pictures we're taking. That's okay too, what's your rush? Why do you gotta get to the, why do you gotta sell them anything, you're just, talk, get to know them.

Class Materials

Bonus Materials with Purchase

How to Launch a Photography Business Workbook
Experience Pricing Example

Ratings and Reviews

Armstrong Su
 

This class and materials are to the point and eye-opening on the business side of photography. Pye Jirsa is an amazing and fun teacher as well! Most photographers need more business classes offered to bring us who love to create art back to reality for a more successful business that makes a living on it's own. This course will definately get you started in the right direction and so cheap too! Great investment! armstrong outdoor tv case outdoortvcase Pye Jirsa is one of the best instructors that I have the pleasure to learn from. He and his team have given me so much more than they'll ever realize. Knowledge, wisdom, training, friendship, mentoring, inspiration, joy... I cannot thank Pye enough for changing my life for the better. I owe them more than they'll ever realize. Thank you, Pye Jirsa!!!

Angela Sanchez
 

This class has been an eye opener for me; a point of change in my vision as photographer. Pye is and AMAZING, INSPIRING, GENEROUS instructor, with an, authentic desire to help people and to share with them the best of his knowledge. I will not have enough words to say thanks to Pye Jirsa, as a teacher and as a human being, and thanks to Creative Live who allows us to benefit from the experience of such a knowledgeable, educated, well-versed photographer and instructor. 1000% recommended!

Yenith LianTy
 

Been following this guy forever. Pye Jirsa may be well known in the wedding & portrait photography world and if there is something that this guy knows it is how to create a business, a sustainable one. The workbook he provided is comprehensive, and I honestly wish I had this when I first started out as a photographer! I love that he talks about his failures, keeping it real and honest for anyone starting out. He is definitely one of the best instructors around, super humble, down to earth and with a sense of humor to boot. The course is worth it! THE WORKBOOK is AMAZING! SUPER DETAILED!

Student Work

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