Everything I learned about In Person Sales, I learned from my four year old.
It might seem silly, but have you ever watched a kid while they're playing with another kid? There are a lot of politics that go down in those childhood exchanges; kids these days can wheel and deal like no other generation- well, except for Tom Sawyer maybe.

I was watching my oldest, Mia, play with her two year old sister Quinn, and I started noticing some things. She got whatever she wanted. She convinced her sister (and her dad, who is also bamboozled by her) to get her whatever she wanted, whenever she wanted. I started paying closer attention, and realized that my kid is the BOMB at in person sales.

Here are four tips to help you rock your next in person sales session, from my four year old.



1. Be excited about the features of your product:
If Mia wants Quinn to play with something, she makes it sound AWESOME. This item is the BEST- it has the most things, the best other things, and is the FUNNEST TOY EVER! She totally convinces Quinn that she wants THAT TOY. 

If you've got a particularly favourite sales item, whether it be a series of canvases for the wall, or a particularly stellar item, showcase all of its features. Tell your client WHY it's the best, and why they want it.

2. Use your enthusiastic voice:
Mia is a total boss when it comes to this. It's never, “Here Quinn, have this one.” It's “QUINNNNNNNNY!!!! LOOK! LOOK AT THIS AMAZING BARBIE!!!” She is genuinely excited (or pretends to be) about exactly what she wants her sister to have. 

If you really want a client to buy a Little Black Book, or a Luxury Album, be excited about it. Whenever I sell a Little Black Book, it's because it's the thing that I love- the item that I would pick if I were the client and doing a shoot for my man. 95% of my clients will pick that item, because they can sense that I'm excited about it. The more pumped you are about an item, the more excited they get about it.

3. Have a game plan:

I watch Mia before she takes on a particularly daunting “sales session.” She sits there, watches her sister or her dad, and she calculates her moves. If she wants to steer Quinn away from the My Little Ponies towards the Playmobile, she sets it up. She will go over, lovingly touch the Playmobile toys, arrange them just so, and make a fuss over them. She lays them out in a way that looks fun to play with, then she makes her move. “Quinn, did you see these? Would you like to play with them?”

Start selling from the VERY BEGINNING- as soon as you meet your client for a consultation, talk about your products. Plan out your end game. Make your client aware that it's not JUST about the shooting, but there will be something to come out of their session that will be wonderful. Through the shoot, chat about how good this shot will look as a canvas, or on an album page. 

After the shoot, plan out how your sales session is going to go- and make it pretty. Make your products look special- have your studio samples arranged in a way that makes your client “WANT” to play with them. Sweeten the deal- maybe you're going to have wine & appies with a wedding album sales session, or you're going to do chocolate covered strawberries & champagne with a boudoir sales session. Regardless, make it an experience for your client.

4. Don't take no for an answer:
Mia is TENACIOUS. There are times when Quinn is totally disinterested in what Mia is trying to “sell her.” Mia knows it's only a matter of time before Quinn will give in and play right into the palm of her hand if she's patient.

Just because your client doesn't seem interested in your products doesn't mean they don't want them- they just don't know they want them yet. Spend some time educating your clients patiently. Maybe they didn't realize the value of a printed album in a heirloom box. Maybe they didn't realize that their wedding album was the only thing their grandchildren would get to look at when they heard the story about how grandma and grandpa loved each other so much. If your client says no, ask “why not?” Deal with their objections one at a time until all they can say is YES PLEASE!

So there you have it! The next time you're getting ready for an in person sales session, think like a four year old- you'll have your clients wrapped around your little finger in no time!

What are your best tips for In Person Sales? Hit us up in the comments! We'd love to hear from you!

Stephanie Moore

Stephanie grew up with no power, running water, or indoor plumbing- for real. She is a boudoir photographer in beautiful Cranbrook, BC, the mother of two little girls, and wife of an amazing man. She is passionate about helping other photographers achieve their dreams, writing, music, and Photoshop.