By BRENDAN HUFFORD, PhotoMBA
I remember once seeing a tweet from one of my favorite authors, Austin Kleon, where he said something to the effect of:
We’re all struggling. Our Instagrams are lies.
I’ve taught more than 800 photographers about how to improve their business. Every time I get to sit down and talk to one of them face-to-face (or Skype-to-Skype, if that counts), I’m able to pull out what they’re really struggling with.
This might be because I have a background as an educator, or that I was a business coach for a short period. But I think it’s because I’m so committed to helping photographers find out what’s really holding them back.
More often than not, it’s not what we think.
Some of these are humorous, others terrifying. Either way, this article will equip you with tactics to deal with these hurdles, whether you’re dealing with them now or down the road.
Let’s get started.
Confession #1: You Have Less Freedom, Not More
You’re shoo’ing your kids away so you can edit more photos.
You’re not truly present with your husband or wife because you need to check emails on your phone.
You’re slowly discovering that building a successful photography business means you’ll have less freedom, not more.
And that’s killing your motivation.
But here’s the thing: everything has its season.
Commit yourself to hustling for a specific season and plan a time to back off.
Nobody (NOBODY) is successful over the long run if they burn out their relationships and run themselves into the ground.
By learning more about building your photography portfolio, using your website as a marketing tool, and getting clients on autopilot from things like SEO, you’ll have more time to spend with your loved ones (and more time for yourself!).
Confession #2: You’re Not Confident in Your Standards
You try to be firm with your clients, but they’re so demanding!
They demand lower prices. They demand raw files. They demand so much!
But, Brendan, if I’m confident in my standards won’t I lose clients? I can’t afford to get less clients this year than last year!
I totally hear you. The thing is, you have three steps to solve this confidence issue:
- Consider what you’re losing by NOT solving this problem – This was hard for me early on, too. It’s one of those confessions that I was afraid to admit even to myself because I had adopted a “scarcity mindset.” I couldn’t fathom that one less bad client now could mean I’d have the headspace and time to pursue my ideal clients. Saying no to bad clients almost always means being able to say yes when the right opportunity presents itself.
- Get better at messaging the value that you are providing – Let clients know that you’re not only providing value in the consultation / planning stages and on the day of the shoot, but the biggest value you provide is in the editing and everything that happens between you taking the photos and delivering them to your client. They’re paying for your expertise that turns 2,000 dimly lit photos into 150 images that they’ll treasure forever.
- Focus on attracting and working with better clients – Recently, I spoke with Michael Will and we talked about using popups to get more leads on his website. He mentioned that using a popup for a free quote would make a site visitor being thinking only about money and price while they visited the site. His insight was genius. Everything in your marketing should focus on the value you provide (expertise) versus areas you don’t want to compete (quantity of photos, price, etc.)
Confession #3: You Don’t Have the Skills
I remember that, when I started my first business, I was afraid to call it a business until it was profitable. And then (as you’d guess) even after it was profitable, I still didn’t like to call it a business because I was still doing it on the side.
My fear held me back in a lot of ways, but the biggest was that I stopped developing my skills. I became afraid to invest in myself because I still thought of it as a hobby.
The moment that I started investing in myself like a pro, charging for (and protecting) my time like a pro, and talking about myself to others as a professional, things started to go to a new level.
This is more a problem that beginning photographers struggle with, but I know veteran photographers who still doubt their work. Wherever you’re at in your business (and it IS a business!), this is something you probably need to confess.
Confession #4: You Hide Behind Your Gear
“The best camera is the one you have.”
These are words to live by, and yet so many photographers struggle with this.
Photographers feel like they don’t have the business they want or the clients they want because their gear isn’t good enough.
“I can’t photo [subject] until I have a [camera model].”
Let me tell you a secret: As time goes on, there will forever be a next-level camera to buy. No matter what camera you have, there is always a better one out there.
If you think your gear is holding you back, it is and it always will.
Most photographers started learning to take photos because they couldn’t not take them. Their first camera, or first few cameras, were probably terrible. But it didn’t matter!
Some of my favorite photos I’ve ever taken were on my Nikon D40 (maybe a D4000?) that my wife and I got at Sam’s Club and my nifty 50 that I got from a friend.
Invest in your skills as a photographer, learn from those around you, and get the most out of your gear before upgrading.
Confession #5: You Hate Some of Your Clients (And It’s Your Fault)
I saved this for last because it’s a bit too raw for most photographers to admit to themselves.
No, I don’t mean they have trouble admitting that they hate their clients. Go into any photo business group on Facebook and you’ll see photographers complaining about bad clients.
For me, it was hardest to admit that bad clients were entirely my fault.
My fault for attracting them the wrong way (here’s a better way).
My fault for letting them hire me.
My fault for letting them push me around.
The way I fixed that (which a thought exercise that I want you to steal!) is to start thinking of myself as a brand, not a service provider.
Chase Jarvis, one of my favorite photographers, had a great exchange on Snapchat where he simply asked me, “Do you want to be a discount brand, or a premium brand?”
When I heard something similar from my friend Vincent, a super successful photographer in Mexico, that was all I needed to hear.
I became clear on my messaging (for example: no discounts, ever).
I built out a process to determine what I call “red flag” clients and have no problem telling them I don’t think we’re a fit and recommending somebody else for them to work with.
I held firm to my contracts and set payment terms that let me do my best work (more money up front).
Yes, I lost clients over it. I probably lost over $20,000 in that first year. I know that there were people who wanted to hire me and didn’t because I held firm to my vision for my work and my brand.
I just had to get great results for the right clients and be patient.
Want to see a great personal brand on a business website? Look at Chicago interior designer Candy Scott of Mood Design + Build. Everything on the website screams “premium” and I’d love to see more businesses emulate what they do.
Tell Me What You Think!
In the comments below, let me know which one of these stands out to you and which has been the hardest lesson to learn so far in your career.
+++ For more on Brendan’s work check out his website PhotoMBA or follow him on Instagram and Twitter.