The fourth quarter is right around the corner, and the photographers who finish the year strong are already thinking about it.
Not because they work harder in November, but because they’ve already laid the groundwork. They’ve thought through the client experience, decided which products they want to sell, and made it easy for clients to book, order, and buy before the holiday rush begins.
We pulled tips from some of our favorite conversations to help you head into Q4 with a plan, from creating memorable holiday sessions to showcasing products and simplifying the way clients shop.
Watch the full videos for more.
Feature 1: Let Your Displays Help Make the Sale
Cassandra Verhage, C.Verhage.Photo
Cassandra Verhage runs a portrait studio in Waupun, WI, where the space itself is part of the client experience. After a full studio makeover, she created displays that help clients see what’s possible with their own photos. She brings that same intentional approach to creating a memorable Santa experience during the holidays.
Here are a few ideas to take into your own Q4:
- Show what you want to sell. When clients walk in and see Wall Art, Albums, and Framed Prints on display, they can start imagining their own images in those formats. Before the busy season begins, take a look around your studio or meeting space and make sure the products you want to sell are the ones clients are seeing.
- Show clients how products can live in their homes. A finished wall display can do more than showcase individual products. It can give clients ideas for sizes, groupings, and combinations they may not have considered on their own. Instead of asking them to picture the possibilities, give them something they can see and experience in person.
- Make the experience part of what they take home. Cassandra approaches her Santa sessions with the goal of creating a memorable experience for families. The photos, wall art, and prints that come afterward give clients a way to hold onto it. Think about how the experience you create during a holiday session can carry through to the products you offer afterward.
Feature 2: Build a Holiday Experience Clients Come Back For
Olivia Reed, Olivia Reed Photography
Olivia Reed has built her Santa sessions around more than getting the shot. From the way families book to what happens once they meet Santa, each part of the experience is planned with both her clients and her workflow in mind.
Her philosophy is simple: “Underpromise. Overdeliver. They’re all in for the experience.”
- Build your schedule around the client experience. Instead of scheduling every family for an exact appointment, Olivia uses windows of time for her come-and-go Santa Experience. It helps keep lines shorter while giving her room to pace families throughout the day. Think about where a little flexibility in your own schedule could make a busy day run more smoothly.
- Give clients options. Olivia offers both a dedicated Santa Mini and a come-and-go Santa Experience, giving families different ways to take part. Consider whether your holiday offering could have more than one entry point, from a full session to a shorter experience with products or images available afterward.
- Create moments worth photographing. Olivia builds activities into her Santa Minis, giving kids time to warm up to Santa, read together, share milk and cookies, and read their letters. Rather than relying on one perfectly posed holiday photo, plan a few simple interactions that can lead to genuine expressions and a fuller gallery.
Feature 3: Make It Easier for Clients to Buy
Kristi Abbott, Collage Artist
Kristi Abbott wanted to make reproductions of her original collage work more accessible without keeping an inventory of prints on hand. She built a curated collection of products and sizes, then used Payment Links to turn that collection into an easy way for customers to shop online.
Photographers can take a similar approach heading into the holidays:
- Curate before you start selling. Kristi carefully selected the sizes and styles she wanted to offer instead of putting every possible option in front of customers. Do the same with your Q4 offerings. Choose a focused group of products that work well for gifting, displaying, or sharing so clients have an easier place to start.
- Create the product before you promote it. With Payment Links, you can create a finished product, set your retail price, and generate a link clients can use to purchase it. That means you can have your holiday offerings ready to share before clients start asking what they can order.
- Put the buying opportunity where clients will see it. Payment Links can be shared through email, social media, your website, or directly with individual clients. Think about where your clients already hear from you and make it easy for them to go from seeing a product to purchasing it.
Holiday Cards can be a natural addition to fall and holiday portrait sessions, but you don’t need one specific sales process to offer them. WHCC has three workflows you can use depending on how you already work with your clients.
- Design and order for your clients. Use WHCC’s Card Editor to choose a design, add your client’s photos, customize it, and place the order yourself. With hundreds of drag-and-drop designs available, you can create personalized Cards without starting each design from scratch.
- Sell directly with Payment Links. Create your client’s Card, set your price, and send them a direct link to purchase. WHCC handles the order fulfillment, giving clients a simple way to buy without requiring you to build an e-commerce store.
- Sell through your gallery provider. If clients already order through an online gallery, keep the experience there. WHCC integrates with Pixieset, CloudSpot, SmugMug, and ShootProof, giving you another way to incorporate Cards into an existing sales workflow.
The important part is deciding how you’ll sell before Q4 gets busy. Pick the workflow that fits your business, get it set up, and start talking about Cards while clients still have plenty of time to order.
Looking for more education and inspiration?