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The Psychology of Sales

Lesson 17 from: Wedding Photography Problems and Solutions

Roberto Valenzuela

The Psychology of Sales

Lesson 17 from: Wedding Photography Problems and Solutions

Roberto Valenzuela

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Lesson Info

17. The Psychology of Sales

Lesson Info

The Psychology of Sales

Take a look at those uh take a look at that clients on the photograph they look like normal people but there's a little little tiny part of the brain that behaves on its own that part of the brain is the honey badger off the brain like I said, you never know what to expect that part of the brain don't care can roberto that part of the brain don't care? Kim your wife is over there nodding her head that uh oh my gosh when you go to the grocery store and you buy shampoo and toothpaste, your behavior you're purchasing behavior is on something like that, which is a law involvement purchase has a lot to do with family and what your family trained you to do when you buy a toothpaste is usually the toothpaste you grew up with when you buy a serial even when you're an adult, you usually stick to the cereal cereals for comfort that you like like cocoa krispies or any of the really bad ones e that's what I have in my house is full of, you know, cocoa krispies and the chocolate the ones you know, ...

but all the healthy ones are the ones you're the other part of your brain you're singing part of your brain says you should probably buy this one, but the partner says this brings him back to being a kid that's, the old master that's, the decision maker, part of the brain anything that goes back to being a child is goingto talk to that part of the brain because when you're a child, everything is happy. Everything is calm on. The only worry you have is how you're gonna have fun next, right? That's your worry on the brain likes that that part of the brain lights that comfort that is a beautiful comfort zone to being okay when you're start triggering one of the major mistakes we do us photographers is we're talking to our clients, trying to sell them on something, and we're talking to them. But we're talking in a way that only the thinking part of the brain is triggered like you're talking to them in a way that makes them think you're not talking to them. You know where that makes him react. What I did to poor ashley right now was make her react. That is the way you want to go about selling your photography products. So that's toothpaste, serial shampoo bottles, paper towels, all of those lo amo lo involving purchases have a lot to do with tradition. Very, very difficult to change somebody's mind. About those things cos spent a lot of money trying to switch you over to us to their product but once you're stuck once your mom or your dad or your uncle has bounty paper towels or whatever it is that the pounded tuna I need I hope it wasn't like a car tyre company and still you mess that up you know it was good uh I mean you're going to switch it to another one was another paper company welll use bounty she actually that's another another marketing thing right it's kind of like it's kind of like a like kleenex you know, this is not some doing but I just quit kleenex make was a victim of its own marketing because their success in marketing was so large that all tissues were called kleenex so there was no there was no brand differentiation whatsoever anymore everyone is like you give me a kleenex and just man gave me a piece of paper well, I came you you know, tissue on places like no, no, I'm kleenex I'm better these other guys are not going to exist issue please on they have to pull back and they had to kind of, you know, they never really recovered, you know, the people still call, they kind of have a kleenex place like that's it you know you're done so uh when you're talking about selling wedding photography you're talking about ah high very high emotional consumption that means when a client comes to your house they come with all sorts off pre determined issues and problems and worries in their head because they're about to buy something that requires a lot of decisions to be made hand to decisions decisionmaker remember that decisions? Okay um uh that client that client that is purchasing ah high emotional involvement product like what in photography is goingto come it's a very different kind of plant or they come with a very different mindset then a client is going to buy toothpaste at the store so this is a very much this is very much the map off a person committing to your studio toe go look to see if they're going to hire you on your services the first thing is you're gonna have they're going to come with extensive research when you go by when you go by um what something a napkin or something you don't come with extensive research do you just say do it I need a napkin just give me a napkin whatever works we don't have this one fine give me the other one with wedding photographers you know, say or fortune photographers or children for talking for you to say I really want this person we don't have that person that person available that's okay, give me the next one you don't think like that you think no, I really want this I will reschedule if I have to you know um the second one is the type of client that comes with hicham with high emotional consumption is much more sophisticated in other words they do a lot more work they know they talk to people they read articles there read magazines they talk to their friends they ask questions there are much more sophisticated you trying to play a little hard to card sale techniques they're going to catch you you gonna smell it and they're not going to like it because to the decision maker part of your brain a sales technique that sounds sleazy basically means it's a trap on a trap means danger and you're going to get away you're going to reject danger just like when I scream to you right now and you flinched and everything happening your body very quickly you're going to you're going to reject danger so when people say uh I went to business school right on they were talking about the dangers of doing the hard sell very dangerous game especially when you're dealing with emotional consumption's there's a better way to do it and we'll talk about it there's a better way you want to talk to them in terms of their survival on in terms of um alleviating their worries that's truly the best way to sell and that's the hard sale that does not get rejected by the brain okay long sale cycle the third one is don't you think for a second when someone comes to you when they meet with you that that's the last time you're going to hear from them and you're gonna be able to make a decision which takes him to the next point you're trying to close the deal right there and then if you can more power to you but they don't know who you are you don't have a huge reputation they're not totally sure that sale cycle is gonna be a lot longer for you you first start with an email that is first that is a phone call there let's set up a meeting I didn't want to talk to you about stuff and they want to hear your voice and they want to hear how you react are you friendly are you easy to talk to right I know they're going to come to your house I go to your studio and your studio better be clean especially the bathroom very clean before you had a studio where do your clients I still need him in my house my studio is in my house okay you always met them at your house uh and there's a reason for that remember high emotional consumption they need to relate with you where do you live how do you live so they're relate with you and we'll talk about that more yes, like so we had this discussion the other day and I live not I mean my house is fine but it's not I'm marketing too like the higher and market and I don't want them coming to my house and saying like you're paying me this much money and this is where you live enemy so where would you recommend your fucking mind going there? I just remodeled my my my whole has an actual studio attached it's like a home studio thing and I just remodeled the whole thing the whole thing was remodeled and during construction on all of that I met with clients like almost every other day I just went off at the nearest four seasons hotel. Now if you don't have a forces hotel, go to the near share it and come on there's gotta be a share it on somewhere there or go anywhere else but you can meet him at any restaurant, lounge or whatever. I just think it's less personal you know, I still put my weddings but it's less personal when I meet with clients and I want to share this with you and everyone watching online there's a lot of psychology that goes on behind the scenes that has to do with your home and your studio and the decor and the props that you have in your house and everything that affects a lot of what happens that's interesting that you say I've heard from a lot of other photographers will suggest going to a starbucks but I think your recommendation is much better because a decent or nice hotels restaurant is going to have a very different ambiance than starbucks I don't know why would you would ever go to a starbucks there's nothing wrong with star books but you're trying to get him to focus on you and concentrate now listen to seventeen, seventeen hundred conversations on glasses clinging and all these different stuff you're totally killing your ability to get him to focus it's on you again that part of the brain that makes decisions it's also looking out for your safety and your survival one of the things that that part of the brain does not like it sounds that are not familiar with that part of your brain clinging and all these different sounds everything that creates a contrast it's going to be a red flag for the part of your brain so let's say you're listening to people's conversations or whatever it is somebody like planes there glass that little thing is gonna be like what was that that is not a normal conversation that was going on I hear a little contrasting sound I'm freaking out is the dangerous no it's not okay you can concentrate again okay? I know you hear a jackhammer like kind of happened out of nowhere somebody slams the bathroom door these are contrasting sounds on the brain reacts to them like actually did right so no, we're not gonna take him to a star box. It doesn't even make any sense. You khun ground coffee at a quieter place when they can focus on you. The other one is the I only thought about is one that clients doing doing high emotional consumption, they resist high, they resist close and techniques. This is a dangerous game. People play. Look, photographers come with come in all kinds of flavors, and they all talk about different sales techniques, and they're all good if they work for them. Okay, this is a different side of the story. Close and techniques are perceived a straps traps eilert put red flags. Let me ask you something if you go to a best buy or you go toe your consumer electronics store and you're looking at a tv and you're like a tv it's a high emotion it's high consumption, how emotional consumption because you're going to be seeing that thing forever at tv and you as a photographer are practically the same thing. Okay, because it's a high price value you go and you see a tv on in, the salesman comes over and the salesman's like, oh, these are the features on uh, a and by the way, the features talking about the features off a tv talking about the features of you is useless by every means off every meaning of that word. You cannot go to a client's and talk about the attributes you need to talk about the results and talk about what they're going to get when someone buys a hammer. They're looking at the hammer on the features of the hammer what they really want with a hammer, build something, they want to hit something and they want to hit hit straight. When people buy a screwdriver, they don't care about features of the screwdriver, what they're really needing it's a way to turn a screw when somebody buys a drill, they're not buying the drill for the drill for the drill to drill. Sorry there. Find the drill because they need a hole, right? You need a whole so your brain says I need a hole. Let me go to the store. What kind of hole can I make with this one? Now you're talking to the right side of your brain. So the correct part of the brain I need a whole tell me about what kind of hole I can make with this. Then you can talk about it, but people talk about the drill like this one has nine point eight bowls and this and that you have to change your warning. You could make a much better hole with this drill because israel has enough power to drill through the wood seamlessly quickly you no longer have to worry about little residue of wood on the whole because it will just go so powerfully now this drill this hole you can make on this drill is great because this one has a stabilizer on it so that the home will be perfectly straight if you ever go to the laughter you owe you here to the right here you go to the right you accidentally go to the right this drill will tell you when you constrain your whole okay? This is the right way to talk to people is that photographer is talking to the reclines and saying these are my photos look how awesome I am look at his beautiful picture there's not that that's a waste of time the brain is shut off completely it's like next keep talking cause I'm not listening see what I mean? Uh when you say something like and I'll talk about this more later were consistently like this is, um one of the best moments after winning because my client's wedding because the grandma whatever and she was you know you had a really great moment and that moment was the last forever and even though she's not and all these different stuff now you're like oh memories I need memories rember when this person was laughing and that this moment was happening and I took this I capture this moment for you memories people want that you know, so you have to talk about it in terms of what benefit they're going to receive instead of what attributes your protests okay, so on the last one is when clients come up to you they're much more skeptical they come to you with a defensive barrier about my best by thing you go to pass by, the salesman comes over talks to you about the attributes when people come to me and he tried to sell me on something sometime I studied this in college and I read or like a hundred books on this topic and everything not a hundred like, um I go to them that was a slight exaggeration I go to them and I say, uh uh, okay, if I look interested, but then I kind of saw walking away from it and they start trying to close a deal like they're like, oh, if you buy this now, I will get you a free blue ray player you're like, oh cool what's that that's why you're so desperate it is to be so great it will sell itself why do I need to? Why don't you know I feel like I'm being pressured like something's not being told to me that I need to know you know or they say to you if you buy it today have you signed my photography services today we can give you an additional ten percent off on we can throw in the blurry player on three blue ray movies red flags go all out like now you're like feeling pressure you're closing yourself your brain's feeling danger this is not working you walk away from it okay? You're thinking part of your brain says who saved money rational, rational thinking does not play a role in selling high emotional products remember that rational thinking does not play a role it's always revival things it's only contrast ing things ok, so more skeptical they come to you and they're very skeptical you triclosan techniques on them and they're going to feel very skeptical about you they're going to feel like you're not telling them something that they need to know eso any questions on that you guys is that kind of interesting could you go through britain? Maybe some examples of those with regard to wedding photography in portrait photography that he sells tactics that don't work telefax is that don't work like sayer say sarah is your your bride sarah hi she's my bride or my plant or my wife your client client okay, I think it's incredibly fascinating roberta this thing so interested it's interesting I you'll be surprised how much this will help you close and actually have a higher yield off bookings on successful bookings for that matter where the expectations were met you know an example for just think about the drill or the hammer or the are the screwdriver example when you're talking about your photos uh yeah, you know what can I say? I'm gonna answer that question on my next light. Okay, yeah, I don't want to jump into it but I will answer that question. Okay guys, take a look at the slaver quick on dh and this work herself from the inside out. Most of us think of the brain as to later dr, you have the left, the left and the right the left another brain is what tactical scientific, mathematical right? The right side of the brain is all those photographers is the artistic that stuff they're rolls with the punches when you do escape, you have to make it off anything creative, anything you have to come up with yourself, okay? The left and the right work together when you play music this is all wonderful stuff. This has nothing to do with selling or trying to get people to buy your product when you're trying to make decisions like this another three layers come to play the inner layer or that the smoke the more primitive part of the off your head is called the inner brain on that's the part of the brain that makes decisions okay the middle part of the off the head is the part that is the part that's the emotional part of the brain the parlor when you see the bomb in the street and you feel you feel terrible empathy towards them and you feel like you want to give them money that's the middle brick brain coming into play anything when you feel something the middle brain is coming to play the outside or the part that's actually closest to your cranium closest to the skull is the other brain and that's the part that thinks things quickly you know supportive things these two guys these two guys are under own little they do their own thing and they played together this guy that inner one honey bedroom honey badger all the way through that one doesn't change someone can change the way you feel about something someone's can change the way you think about something but no one in the world will be able to change the way the inner part of the brain will decide about something remember that very carefully you can change the way people think you can change the way people feel but there's no way you'll ever effect unless you talk to that part of the brain properly how the person other brain the sights okay what was that the guy like uh when I say okay I want to say like the guy in south park okay okay if you want to talk to the new brain the part that thinks you can talk about math and formulas and you can talk about how this makes sense wonderful if you want to talk about if you want to talk to the middle part of the brain you can talk about something that's really touching touch feely I'm sorry said that ron if you want to talk to the to the decision maker part of the brain you have to look at this these things here okay? The first one is that part of the brain is self centered if it doesn't it doesn't care about anything else other than itself. Okay that's it so all these factors could be going around and that part of the ranger says I just I have worries I don't know if these warriors are being met if you don't talk to me about how you're going to meet how you're going to face these worries off mine I'm not even gonna listen to you you could be making all the sense in the world and if you're not talking to meet how do I can alleviate my issues my concerns I'm not even gonna listen to you I am shutting myself down okay? The second one is that part of the brain light contrasts in other words, loud noises in a quiet room when you're in a movie theater and so what? He opens the door or something somebody is walking down and they're circling on their soda and it's a quiet part of the movie what happens, don't you? Everybody gonna looks right it's an interruption it's a moment is that sound that doesn't belong in that environment on your brain when you look to it is trying to decide if it posts on eminent danger to you, and if it doesn't you can you, you altar and you're like, oh, just a guy with popcorn and then you're like came back to the way and then something other something else happens on then jack noises like, what was that? Okay, nothing can you go back to the movie so a likes contrasts how this applies to photographers is very, very simple. Is that all showing for albums randomly? That doesn't show contrasts at all instead of showing photos of your a portrait photographer that doesn't show contrasts at all is but why don't you show show on ugly book? I mean, sure, them a really awesome book and you're trying to sell the good book, right? You're trying to sell the nice book so instead of just fine, nice books by some ugly ones to show them the ugly ones I didn't show them the really nice ones and on that part of the brain is like who contrast? I can understand that I like it you're talking to me you know I don't want that crappy off everyone I went this one but if you start with a nice one then people are like there's no, no point of comparison, okay? People like that that part of the brain likes it clear this is black, this is white, this is small this is big clear not with complicated words like this apple will give you an integrated, sophisticated solution and you're just like what have you just lost me? I integrated, you know, instead of trying to actually when you're teaching classes like when I'm teaching right now, I actually have to remember that I have to use worse the people can easily relate and understand not know no point in me standing here I'm trying to be smart, that doesn't impress anybody and that's never might desire when we talk about flashes today I'm going to talk about him in a way that people are going to understand I'm going to just simplify the heck out of it because that's a contrast were going to show the good you know why so many people like when I showed a bad photo and then I start building it from scratch to the good photo it's because it's a contrast you see um like soup rice actually when she shows the before and after photos that's talking toa toa just talking to that decision maker part of the brain that's why you do that you show the only photo and your arms her down on during the worst post possible, right? I didn't the next booth brain it's like contrast assam survival I love it. Okay, so that's why you do that? Which I will talk about this incline meetings uh you definitely want to show show some work and then show them show some crappy room and then show how you transformed it into something totally incredible and then people are like you did this from this that is talking the right language, okay, instead of doing what most people do which they to show they're awesome for a I mean, people are like, wow that's nice but there's no point of reference there's no anchor there's no contrast ing point there when I'm shooting weddings I always take a picture of the room and then I do my magic and do my thing. I think when I show klein my my uh financial clients, my work I show them what I'm capable of because how many of you and how many of you on you are tired off clients coming up too insane have you shot on my venue before? No o because I feel like you really need to have shot of my benny for me to hire you and I'm like god why the sun is still the saanich your venue like doesn't change all right your venue is going to get hit by the song the same way as very obi and then you see so why do I care? But we can talk about we can not talk to them like that so there's a way that's that's the thinking part of the rain you see that and also that all bring thinking if you have not shit on my venue that's a worry and if you don't alleviate it, I'm not going to hire you because I don't know what you're going to be able to come up with in that venue I won't talk about that when we do the client meeting walking thing ok is just helping you guys a lot yes it's really interesting stuff uh it gives you a whole new angle of looking a sales you know that you've never seen before where you have seen it but it's just let me keep going repaired. I just want to read out a comment from the internet for a merry invader who says this info is excellent once you get to the level they want in terms of your skill and you realize your services don't get sold by themselves this is where this kind of info comes in handy as photographers we don't have a lot of knowledge about business and even further perhaps psychology so this is perfect mary invader from switzerland oh yeah yes she's actually from venezuela but she moved to switzerland uh she's actually also just another lawyer that we came out the type of her so she's supercool lover to pieces actually and yes being a great photographer it's only part of the equation knowing the art of selling it to them is the other part of the equation on doing in basic ways here's my work here my prices look at my smile look a cute I am it's not going to cut it for you I really worry about people when they come up to me and say I have I cannot pay my rent or my mortgage or whatever and I'm starting to lose I'm gonna have to kill you photography can provide you with plenty of money plenty because you're providing memories and people were in to pay for that you're providing moments that can be frozen and people pay for for freezing moments I mean how much people pay for plastic surgery so they can freeze a moment in their life they're willing to pay I mean I live in beverly hills let me tell you it's it's a it's a monster industry you know those guys have a monster job right there I was having lunch with my wife at some restaurant and off all the conversations where, oh, my god, like I really need to get, like, a c plus because the sea was not good for me, and then I had to get my chain and I have to inject my little battle in my eyes, and I got, like, the double injection, which was like, I don't feel like eating anymore, you know? I don't know how when you take a bite, all of that both dogs isn't just squirt out of their bodies, and then when they smile, you can't even see their face changing just so weird, it's like, I'm smiling, like you're living in this big right now, because you have all these boat docks, injections or fat injections in your lips is disgusting. Tell us what you really think, roberto. Disgusting. Okay, that number three one is tangible. Um, everything you talk about, a top of everything you talk about something my friend leon have a tangible product that they can touch and feel and smell. So when you tell when you show people your wedding, all those haven't touched a wedding album, how feel the wedding album and if you really went toe, have them smell the leather of the wedding album because these are all things that that part of the brain lost to see it wants to get familiar with something on when you can touch it and where they can feel it on dh there's like a tangible something, they can feel it. It's something tangible, it's a good thing, tangible doesn't doesn't only talk about physical products and also talks about how you speak to them. Tangible language, it's a very different thing. Tangible languages, language. They can easily understand something the condition to grasp onto. You know, this is ah, memory of this. And if you can relate with a memory that's a tangible memory that's something tangible that they can grab onto. Okay, look at my incredible fort on how amazing I am. It's not a tangible photo is not a tangible topic. I'm sorry. So, um, I wish you guys could see a client meeting when I'm talking to clients. It's really interesting because there's a lot of psychology in the background. Yeah, down to the helicopter, by the way, the helicopters are just props, right? They're props. Sarah, you're funny. The fourth one. The fourth thing to think about is what is the first thing you talkto in your meeting? What is the last thing you talkto the brain, that part of the brain is busy with your survival so it only remembers the first in the last he doesn't care about the made up because if we're getting so much information that part of the brain has limited capability to remember something so where do you think is the best time to talk about your prices sandwich the heck out of there right now or when people asked me to uh when people ask me to judge their photos on their heart and soul are like in their sleeves and they're like wearing it and the slick it's really thick because they're wearing their heart in it and I'm like first you start with something good, then you talk about what could have been improved then you enter with something positive again with wedding clients or portrait clients you start out with something whatever I'm getting to know we'll talk about it, then you get into the prices and you two get into all the stuff that they're going to reject them and then you get to the third part it can kind of start forgetting the prices on me when they drive home they're talking about what happened last and probably what happened first and the prices are still there but it's less it's more of a minimal thing okay the next one is visual and then I put a plus sign visual combined with emotion let me repeat that visual combined with emotion not just visual on emotion separately, the visual you have to have an emotional impact to it okay, so let me give an example when you watch a movie let's say you watch a sad movie that something bad happens in the notebook made everybody die my sister's keeper I've never seen that nobody somebody die yes yes and if they place happy music and all that okay but it's beautiful love story on their raining and it's like the way training yes on the adult that because rain brings melancholy into your heart all that stuff so they're injecting you with all these different things right when when you have a visual on in the music comes in the music hits you emotionally like a ton of bricks but when you're connecting the visual with the music all of a sudden is like water works on the theatre right? You're whiter working everybody just you start to feel that you get choked up you get the throw the harshest o and he says if you had they turned the volume off and they're still showing the super powerful images your brain we're just gonna be like that's half the equation buddy give me more give me more what can you do on the same play music at your client meetings? What I am saying is your voice should be the music to your client meetings so when you have a photo don't show it and talk about how awesome you are because photo attributes and your skill plays no role talk about the story behind the photo on choose for us that have emotional impact right? Choose photos have emotional impact that's how you do it when you show a wedding on them don't let them just flipped through the photos you're killing it you're killing yourself you you control and you show the photo on you put the photo on your tv or whatever so you could make it big so they're not just looking at a small piece of it, okay? And you tell him oh my gosh let me tell you what happened here, let me tell you why this picture was so meaningful to the bride. Let me tell you why this photo was so meaningful to the father of the bride uh, I think I'm gonna cities before uh my dad died right before my wedding was supposed to happen and he died of pancreatic cancer on dh he told me he was going to try to survive until my wedding so he could come to it, but he didn't make it. He had a few weeks prior to the wedding on there's no way I say that is because now when I go to weddings, I'm I'm big on trying to get the father of the bride and the father of the groom very well um recorded very well my heart from what happened to me does not let me go to a wedding I'm not really concentrate on the father of the bride and the father of the groom and so forth you know, andi I spent a lot of time paying attention to what's minimal meaningful to me this is a very meaningful thing to me. The first time the father dances with his daughter is on also moment for me if I can get through it. All right, I'm watching this father, daughter, father, daughter that's or when the father walks his walks his daughter than the ill it's awesome for me, you know? So for example, kim's dad wes uh had two heart attacks in the same day on one of them. One of the heart of this was in the hospital. So he's arrived in his perfectly fine, so when he was able to walk him down the aisle, I was thinking about that at least she has her father with her, you know, that's awesome. You know, so this are moments that you never, ever want to. These are like the sort of story, so this is what happened uh when you have a child or something and you have a cool story behind it, it has a much more powerful meaning to it, okay, so I have a question on that, roberto, what do you think is more powerful when you're going through that album with the client? Is you storytelling for them? Or you ask asking questions to them to make them remember that moment kind of on their own or can a beautiful question now? He's uh if you inject rhetorical questions to your planes, you're basically probing them for the answer that you want so you can you can tell the story that you have or you can ask him, what if love love la let him fill in the blanks, which sorry restart rhetorical question, right? If you're gonna ask rhetorical questions, which you should you should have on pretty you should have unplanned out because it triggers a memory because it's on them now they're making that they're making the answer for your rhetorical question. One rhetorical question is that's just go back to simple stuff what happens if your reign said your wedding? What happens if it's storming like hurricane katrina at your wedding that is talking to their part of your brain? That makes a decision that's talking to that parlous like having pain thinking that's a worry I have what happens if it is and if you don't alleviate alleviate that I'm not going to hire you it that old brain that part of the brain is honey, but it doesn't care he doesn't care about how good or how much you have heard of that photographer you know it just wants to know if you're gonna alleviate that pain or not. So any question that guys can you given another example ah a rhetorical question or like while you're while you're looking through the album would you say something? Do you remember when or how did you feel when you, uh, that's the thing we actually try to photograph the father walking down with his daughter than the aisle in a way that has the most emotional impact on dh? If I can later on I will show you a slight showoff off what that looks like uh whether my second shooter is taking those photos or not or if I'm doing it, I make sure that whoever second shooting for me is very in tune with the father walking down the month the father walking down his daughter than the ill or or I'm doing it one of us has to be doing it because when like ken assess where when you're looking at the book and you have the photos that are in the book in the big screen so you can actually talk about them if you say something like here's, the back of the fathers had walk in the back of them off the daughter because you're you're in the back that's not going to give you anything but imagine if you say something like can you imagine what that bright felt or can you imagine what that must feel like after so much anticipation for that? Because let's be honest, I'm not trying to be sad people issues be honest, I don't care how many weddings have done when the bryce it's walking down the aisle on the music stars and everyone's watching her it's going to be an emotional moment is not to be sappy is just the way this don't captures from new york and she's like all strong and stuff you know they're going to be like it's going to hit to them so when you ask something like that, maybe you want to make it that's happy maybe you can see something more interesting, but your probing a question about the feelings that are happening while you're walking the father when you're walking the daughter down the aisle. Okay, okay uh one thing I want to say this to a quick bullet points and I put them on their own slide because I wanted people to really remember these when clients come out to you and they're tryingto they're sitting in your studio, they're not concerned about what about what you know they're not they don't care about anything other than what you can do for them to alleviate their fears okay that's all they care about what can you do for them not how good you are know what a great artist you are? Do you think if I go to a plant and I say, hey, did you know I'm the author of a top selling photography books just like they could care less? They only care about what you can do for them on the second we think you have to remember is the second bullet as much as you are great crystal, let me tell you something you don't matter, you don't matter at all the only thing that I am talking to you for because you were the photographer and under clients it's, how are you goingto alleviate my paints? How are you going to alleviate my concerns? I don't care who you are I don't care about your reputation, I don't care about anything I don't care about your gucci shoes are in the wedding. I just care about whether you are going to be able to come through where there it rains. Where there its nose where there is dark, whether it's bright are you going to have to come through? Are you predictable? You do you bring pradhan, you being a product that I can expect? And if your product is your album start, this winning is amazing this one looks for the crappy this one if it's not consistent in the level of the work you're going toe you can lived out in the second bullet on the decision maker part of your brain will reject you okay it will just reject you you're not the one so uh when we talk about contrasts this is what I was telling you about right now create contrasts for example show before and after show the room and then show what you did in the room that a contrast okay to a client I want to see how creative you are see if you can actually do something with their own room second nous with or without that a contrast they can hold on so this is what happens with this is what happens without ok if you say this is what happens if you if the bride and the groom see each other before the wedding this is what I was when the bride and groom see each other after the wedding that's with us without that's a clear concept it's tangible you can understand that sun rain you have a sunny album you have a rainy album daughter contrast the brain can hold onto okay on also time and no time when a client comes to me I say here's an album where I had fifteen minutes to do the bride and groom portrait and here's an album where I had an hour to the bride and groom portrait's time no time it's a contrast the brain not life and understands oh my gosh the first bullet here it's the one that drives me nuts um avoid being cool your client meetings impressing people with your technical knowledge is boring and nobody cares nobody cares okay avoid technical language are you a good photographer and crystal oh and gene look at the second bullet confident and the response is I think so that more more concerns to the brain what I mean on if you're going to say you are good on dh this is why you better prove it prove it but I forgot it do not say I think I guess I don't know mamie depends on the day all right the next one is do not leave room for misinterpretation okay so be clear this is what you're going to get if you follow the timeline that I'm giving you this is what you're going to get if you don't brain likes that clear black or white black or white okay not well if you follow seventy five point eight percent of what I'm telling you you're goingto get about twenty six point two percent off this type of photos it's confusing it's like ok what the heck just happened it's likes it like this you give me thirty minutes is what you're gonna get your give me forty five minutes is what you're gonna get okay here's an hour here's fifteen minutes here's you following my suggestions with over the timeline here is what happens when you don't, which is totally okay. Just make sure you know, this is what happens when you do. This is what happens if you don't clear toby specific, strong and and strong star on throughout your presentation have anchor points the people couldn't remember you buy and you better have those anchor points from the very beginning. One of my anchor points is my helicopters it's also it's also a problem but an anchor point, isn't it that the brain can remember about you? Actually, would you remember you if I asked you? Are you going to remember that the smack I did in front of your ear for a while? Ten years somebody says what did report due on the third day to you at the beginning. The more in the morning. Yeah, okay, but what they do at twelve. Fifty yesterday? Oh, exactly. You don't. Your brain forgot about it's in the middle sunday to your, like, gone to what I'm saying, which is why you have to get a course. Yeah, just teo. All right. The next one is, uh, keep demonic conversations in the middle so that money conversation will be easily forgotten later, okay, a lot of times when we do, we sure work, we show we talked to our clients. Some people say that they speak toe for their clients for three hours about all kinds of stuff before the meeting on they said that they sold the clients even before they even started talking about photography yeah right they saw the clients because of other things they provided not because the first conversation on the money part should be done not at the end but in the middle you don't talk about your apples and your stuff and your portrait and repack it and then you're like let me talk about the packages now now that I catch you because that's gonna feel like a trap that's gonna feel like now that I got you like a sucker now let me tell you what you're going to pay for it you don't do that you instead change it up when you go here's what here's what I can do let me get to know you here's the story these are some of the colleges that I have and then you continue with something positive so you end on a positive note yes so with that if the client just wants to know the prices like right away what are some things that you do to help buffer that timeframe of like the presentation it doesn't matter whether they want to get to know you run away you can still see you could still sandwich that the prices you can just make the time shorter like is that I'm making the first part fifty percent and then the price is ten percent and the other forty percent you can make the first part ten percent or fifteen or twenty percent then the process coming excellent like so you can make a short talk with the press and talk about that which actually you make a great banker still because I always ask people how much you know do you have that? Can we talk or do we have to go at a certain time if you have to go at eight o'clock and you come a seven fifteen it gives me a map of what I have to do if you say if you come a six pm and they say I have to go at eight pm it gives you a map of what you want to do okay, so actually thanks for asking that because that actually brought up a good point you probably want to know when your planes have to go so you can, uh strategize that's that you're on time on your own schedule when comparing something when comparing something people usually naturally think of something as worse than been better. So remember that when you're meeting with clients you know if they're comparing they're usually gonna compare something saying this is this one was worse than the other one so you can change that if you're like the last person they mean toe whatever you can change that but you have to be more savvy than war photographers in me before you you have to be more savvy, you know? So all right, the last thing I want to talk about if we go on break or should we go there we need to go on break before you go on break I want to talk about the visual and emotional stimuli uh take a look at these photos for a second doesn't that just right? You feel like you're writing your heart out you know when you when you're talking to clients and you're not talking with cheesy vocabulary toe just can you just just be honest about what you're saying I mean this honestly affected me carefully I mean, I actually post this because I actually had the bribe hold the mother's hands knowing that the emotions were going to be so strong that's when as you touched you're your mother's hands you're going to start crying it was going to trigger a massive emotional explosion in your in your in your body or right leon you're looking at me funny we're good yep you're just paying attention or what? Yeah take a look at that they could look at the daughter on this photograph you can all relate to a feeling that powerful where you are trying to contain yourself from crying but you can't write but this is a big day for you on dh in that big day, emotions happen. Emotions are all around you and it is my job on my true desire to photograph them. How did that sound to you right now? Thank you. Can't you enjoy that? Did you enjoy that that's? How? I would talk to a plant. You know, this is happening all around. It is my job. Like I will do this for you and it's. Also my desire. I want to connect with you emotionally. Not only would I do that, not only will I do the job, but I want to get into the jobs. I want to do the job. I want to give this to you. Remember, clients only care about what you can do for them. What I just said right now is a client meeting gold, gold. Okay, take a look at this next photograph. Oh, it's over. Oh, it's. All right, it all take a look at this one. Now tell me what you feel. You know what happens when you get to this one, right? Be careful when you when you talk, remember, your voice is the emotional it's like the music of a movie. But be careful, don't go around coming up with predetermined cheesy lines that you used on everybody when you're talking about this particular moment you know, you have to make sure that you were talking about that moment in particular. So what did you say when you were talking about this moment? Oh, I said it already because I know that's what it that's what I said I said, you know where there's so much emotion in the wedding is it is my true it is my job and my desire to photographs and give this to you so you can have these moments forever this is an important time of your life I wantto photograph is for you because this is why I'm a wedding photographer if I wasn't in torturing tune with moments like this then I'm in the wrong profession and people are like, I need that photographer I was just like something you say as you're showing some photos like this now if you were to be asking questions to ask questions during this time like what kind of questions would you ask if I don't necessarily need to ask questions that you know, I'm actually describing how how, why this moment touched me as a human being not as a guy trying to get your money I'm actually talking about this moment because this one with this moment is special to me in the true sense of the word because of losing my dad before my wedding this is I lost one of my parents right before my wedding so when you have this mother, which is the parent and she seemed joined the wedding with her daughter, yes, it's going to affect me personally so I do talk about this moments because I do personally and honestly treasure these moments in my opinion, I like this pictures more than I like all my pictures of my brides and grooms people don't even know about this and I'm saying in on creative life like how in tune I am with the emotional for the journalistic moment of a wedding that's why people look at my portfolio there's a lot of emotion in the in the in the expression in their faces I feel like a wedding is very emotional and I want to show that other photographers feel a wedding it's a it's a great opportunity to shoot like a fashion photographer and do very fashion photos and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that that's a style thing on my wedding I was torn apart because of what happened on I was trying to have the most pick most happiest day of my life on dh I feel like when your friends and family come together to celebrate you in a decision that you made to start a new family that that screams moments and emotions to me that screams what a grave responsibility I have to be able to document its forever for them so I don't need thing it's not my style to make everybody into a fashion shoot but there's nothing wrong with that is just my personal taste um I don't believe a wedding should be treated like a game I don't think a wedding is a game I don't think a wedding is something you play around with or you experiment with I think a wedding something you respect you know I went in that you you train yourself as a visual artist toby quick which kills me when I teach workshops and people don't even know there's no knowledge of how to use basics of their flash or something like this it's like this is part of your equipment you should visit the second nation to yourself you can do your job okay, look at this photograph here look she's feeling on where is her hand ride in her heart like it's funny how we just do that right? Like way automatically go there so that's interesting to me I'm gonna finish this in the next segment I'm going to start with this in the next act makes we need to go. Um in case we have questions from canon susan but, um I hope this really helps you this first little segment helped you out a lot of help to you guys are online watching about maybe changing the way you go about a client meeting and we'll continue this so take it away cannon susan hey susan and I just sitting here going like mesmerise like this is it's sell fascinating and most people don't teach this and it's so important so important because what we're here to dio is make money but if we can do that in a genuine and authentic way um it's just that's what makes it really the money will come yeah the money will come so maybe we can take just a couple of questions before we go to break this what you're talking about through throughout this was about booking the client right? Was the pre sale and asking those rhetorical questions to get them tio to exactly hire you a question from rebecca from chicago how can the psychology of selling be used after the wedding when you were trying to make a post session sale for example album upgrade or enlargements it seems in those situations deals and buy it now and you get frank are more effective is that true beautiful question and that's actually in one of my slice is great but I'm just saying I know a little bit you know I'll go into a morning detail uh rumor that closing closing strategies are going to be rejected by that part of the brain right about the decision maker you know that emotions are going to be there but they're not there yet so you don't sell them on emotion that hasn't happened yet you wait till you shoot the wedding you take photos like what I just showed and then you can talk about having those photographs on the on the album and then which means they have to they take up space so that they have to get more out more layers but what you don't even tell people before you shoot the wedding is the possibility of how they can go about increasingly outsell how you can increase the amount of space but why you need more space if you say something like if you have if you want have five more layoffs this is the price that's total rejection is boring but if you say something like these photos would have been missing how we know how to space then that makes people feel like well, I need the space then like I need that space okay, so you have to say, you know, after the wedding you can talk about look, I have this photos I felt strong that they had to be in the book but he added it's eight more layoffs on you know, I feel like they should be in the book. I think it's part of the story do you want the layoffs when they say no? Then we have to take those pictures out just very sad and they're not going to do that just for you guys listening online my starting my starting price for my wedding photography is actually not expensive at all you can hire over sixty five hundred dollars and that's a complete like graphic studio album the whole thing by average wedding on, I tell you, is with all the honesty in the world it's over between fifteen and twenty thousand dollars on every wedding, not because some cool or for anything is because I worked so hard at a wedding to produce for us like what I just showed you that when there's thiss more you can't even enjoy them and if you don't believe me, why don't you go home and print an emotional picture this puny and show it to them to work in a reaction that your clients have? But when you have a photo that's, emotional and it's big, you're going to like, look at that you're gonna relate with that photo a lot more if you frame it and you matter it's like giving him or emphasis so yes off course you want to make it big in the album and yes, it will take up another layout and yes, you do have to acquire six or seven or eight or ten more layouts for youto accommodate this moments that are part of your story to how you say it instead five more last it's only another two thousand dollars totally cool I think should totally get them

Class Materials

bonus material with purchase

21 Point Posing Framework.pdf

Ratings and Reviews

Sean
 

Roberto is a great photographer and a great teacher. Roberto took me a little bit to get used to because rather than just memorizing, Roberto teachers you how to think like a great photographer. Roberto studies the best of the best photographers and painters and he incorporates it in his photography business and his teaching courses. Over and over, I have heard other top photographers referring to Roberto. Cudos to Roberto, for being the go to Pros,' Pro. Roberto is a great teacher and a great photographer that takes beautiful pictures with mastery of beautiful light, posing and composition.

Nadine
 

Roberto is a photography mastermind. I'm very grateful for his CL courses that are available. He shares so much during these courses, I cannot help but making many, many, many notes and I'm sure if I rewatch it, I'll still learn new stuff. This course is not only for the wedding photographer, but the information he shares is applicable for all kinds of photography. If you want to learn how to make use of the gifts of any location (while throwing some very helpful posing advice in the mix), this course is for you. I'd also highly recommend his course "Location, posing, execution", which I saw before buying this one. And besides his very inspiring teaching style, he's also very funny! This course is a joy to watch.

ogonzilla
 

Absolutely amazing. Roberto's background as a classroom teacher (and crazy OCD perfectionist) is a true gift to us, the students. He has analyzed, practiced, and tried/failed his techniques countless times and it shows in this course. I have become so much more aware of an environment's "gifts" after taking this course. I myself was a science teacher (and am also a goofball) so his style of teaching resonates with me. While some workshops are amazing at making us feel inspired and fantastic, these are short lived emotions. Roberto's preaching of get out there and practice is a no-brainer!! Best course to get me started on my wedding photography career! Thank you Roberto!

Student Work

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