Getting paid is hard for many. The old axiom “when they show up, bill em!” sounds good on paper. But in real life, many artists struggle with getting paid and asking for money.
Unless of course you have a Tina in your life.
Tina, my wife, and business partner in crime, I’ve joked over the years, has a black belt in studio management.
She’s no nonsense, to the point, “nothing personal, just business” and is super effective.
She makes a good match up to this flighty, airy, lost in space dude who loves marketing and would give everything away if he could.
Fact is, I can sell. I just don’t like it much. I faked it for years before showed up and graced my life with her profit enhancing aura.
Faking it works.
I’m like the introvert who has to go out and make a speech. Each time, a struggle. I need to psych myself out and work at getting into the right frame of mind.
Not Tina. Asking for the money is as natural as rain in April for her.
Each and every promo we run is often modeled after our fairy day sessions:
Irresistible offer with print. Take the call, or email, book em, get the entire session prepaid, book the viewing app’t.
Each step an ascension into our selling process.
See the above image for our Family by the Falls promo as example.
A few years back I ran a presentation called Wealth Attraction strategies for photographers. In it I revealed how I went from poverty and rags to a healthy mindset where I was at peace with making money and sales.
This is important, since the struggle is real, and starts way deep in us all. This presentation is pure gold for anyone struggling.
Every month I run a Marketing Mastermind meeting where I discuss and explain marketing, showing many of the steps, strategies and promotions I run in our studio.
If you struggle with selling and/or marketing you’re not alone. And there is hope. This is an ongoing process, and a skillset we can and should master.
It’s not something you’re magically born with. It’s something you need to work at.
Robert N. Provencher – Your Master Coach Marketer