Project your photos into a framed empty canvas like this one and stop selling photography online - it's killing your sales.

If you stop selling your portrait photography using online galleries and start presenting your photos in person your sales will triple. That’s what happened to me.

So many photographers just post all the photos on an online gallery and leave the client to make a decision. Not only is this killing your sales, it’s also poor customer service because you’re leaving the client to figure everything out for themselves. You’re the professional so you should be helping them decide on the right products, frames, sizes, colours and finishes to suit their tastes, décor and budget.

You sell what you show

If your client’s first impression of their family portraits is to see them all jumbled together on an online gallery then you’re depriving them of the wow factor. Photos don’t look anywhere near as impressive on a small computer screen as they do if you present them properly.

The best way of presenting your photos is to use a projector. It shows your photos at a decent size and makes your art look far more spectacular and valuable than they do on an online photo gallery.

Selling wall portraits is where the money and value is

Your photography will never look more impressive than when it’s printed at 40×30 inches and beautifully framed. It’s just stunning. Most clients would never consider anything above 18×12 unless you ‘educate’ them on the value of the more impressive sizes. Projecting your photos into a frame with white canvas stretched across it is one of the techniques that helps your client appreciate how much better portraits are at a decent size. They can see the detail, the expressions and the texture of the photo much more clearly.

People buy what they feel they’re expected to buy

If you are showing your clients your photography at decent sizes all the way through, from your first pre-booking chat right through to the projection session then they feel they’re almost expected to invest in those sizes. Your client will find it hard to see all these gorgeous wall portraits and then say “nah, I’ll just stick with a few 7x5’s and an 8×10 please.”

It would be a bit like sitting down for a meal at The Dorchester and saying you just want a salad and some tap water – you’d feel a bit awkward because you know that isn’t what’s ‘expected’.

Please don’t think of this as manipulation though, we’re just educating the client in the value of wall portraits. I truly believe in wall portraits because they become family heirlooms, unlike the small sizes. I often say to my clients that I’d prefer they invested less money and bought one decent wall portrait rather than spending more and getting lots of smaller ones. They will treasure that wall portrait far more, plus their friends and relatives will see it proudly displayed in their home and ask who created it! Everyone wins.

Wall portraits are no more work

The great thing about getting a wall portrait sale is that it’s actually easier to place an order for one or two wall portraits than it is for lots of little prints, yet you still make more money. Wall portraits really are the best way of making the most profit hour within the photography industry. But remember, you’ll never sell a wall portrait unless you present your client’s photos in person.

Excitement fades

When your clients see their photos for the first time they are extremely excited and emotional. If the photos are placed on an online gallery then your clients will have lots of time to lose their enthusiasm for the photos. The first time they look they’ll enjoy them, but since they have all the time in the world to place their order they will keep coming back to the photos. Sometimes clients will have actually had their ‘fix’ once they’ve seen the photos for the first time and will decide not to place an order at all. This never happens when you are presenting the photos in person because the order is placed while the excitement and emotion is still strong. Again, this isn’t about trying to trick or deceive your clients. You and I both know that they will never own anything as special and meaningful as a stunning family portrait. They just need to be coaxed along gently into making the decision.

Still not convinced?

Want to know more?

Check out this video I’ve created on this very subject.

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