You've Got To Show It To Sell It In Your Studio!

I learned this valuable lesson a long time ago - you have to show "big" to sell "big." Too many photographers have way too many albums sitting around their studios. The reason is to show the client all the different styles and colors of album they have available to sell. Sometimes, I want to say to photographers out there - "Read My Lips, it's not the color or the style of the book that is going to make you successful, it's the number of images in the book that will bring about the higher sale."

You have to build that expectation with the client. 28 years ago, I decided to show a triple volume album in my studio. I had never sold a three volume multi-album in my life. Of course I had never showed one either. I remember the day when the box arrived from the album company with my three volume set in it. I had a consultation later that day.

I remember my potential clients sitting down on the sofa and upon seeing the giant 3 volume album set sitting there exclaimed, "Do people really buy 3 volumes of wedding albums!?" I remember thinking, "Not yet, but you could be the first." Here is the rest of the story - within my first year of showing the 3 volume set, I sold three of them! Not bad for building the expectation.

Last year we delivered three six volume sets to one customer!! That was our biggie wedding sale for the year. We routinely deliver multi volume sets about 30% of the time these days. You've got to show it to sell it!!

Image Courtesy Zookbinders