Premium Members, click here to access this interview in the premium area.

Carolyne Cowan of  www.carriesoutherton.co.uk is a dog photographer based in Scotland. She runs Scotland's ONLY dedicated Canine Photography Studio within SEVEN Acres of Studio Grounds incorporating a massive indoor studio and large showroom – all this is home of the CATCHATHON events. In this interview, she shares how to build a hugely successful dog photography business.

Her work has been been published worldwide in Brazil, The Netherlands, Finland, Austria, Germany, France, South Africa, Australia and more.

I was first made aware of Carolyne by Amy, a listener to the podcast who mentioned the Dog photography, “Catchathon events” – that are run every month. I went to do my usual research and have been totally impressed by everything I've seen.

  • Fantastic photography – studio and outdoor
  • A huge sales room where clients are surrounded by prints and products
  • An up to date and busy looking Facebook feed
  • A clear and detailed Q&A page I can see would excite clients and prepare them to purchase

From the outside looking in, this looked like a fantastic business run by someone who LOVES dogs!

If you're looking to build a more successful, profitable dog or pet photography business, you will LOVE everything Carolyne shares in this interview – from generating leads, converting her leads to bookings and exactly how she goes on to make incredible sales with a huge number of clients. She is a sales ninja!

Here’s some more of what we cover in the interview:

  • Why Carrie Southerton as a business name when your name is Carolyne?
  • How Carrie Southerton Photography started
  • A snapshot of the Carrie Southerton Photography business today
  • Number of shoots and what Carolyne includes in her shoots – studio and outdoor
  • Why Carolyne is not doing small shoots – each session is ALL DAY
  • How to pre-qualify clients before agreeing to photograph their dog
  • Price conditioning and the importance of talking to clients face to face
  • Establishing the needs of your client and selling photography through emotion
  • Always addressing the name of the dogs first and creating a connection
  • How to build a desire for products with your photography clients
  • Signals or signs that clients that are not interested in spending
  • Offers and discounts offered by Carolyne and why they work
  • Carolyne’s approach to rescheduling dog photography sessions
  • The importance of having all the decision makers in a sales session
  • Carolyne's step-by-step sales process
  • How and where Carolyne learnt her sales closing techniques
  • Why closing is indispensable for any photography business owner
  • Pricing for pet photographers
  • How Catchathon sessions work and why they are so successful and sell out
  • Getting better at what you do and not getting complacent with your art
  • Why Carolyne is NOT outsourcing her editing

Carolyne Cowan Photography Podcast

What’s on Offer for Premium Members

If you’re a premium member, you should have received an email with links to your version of this interview – the full length and more revealing version where you hear the absolute best tips and advice from every guest.

If you’re on the fence about becoming a premium member, join with the $1 trial today and get access to the FULL interviews each week, get access to an amazing back catalogue of interviews and ALL future interviews delivered automatically to your phone or tablet.

If you’re gonna hard sell, the trick is not to let the customer know that you are hard selling. – Carolyne Cowan

Plus special member-only interviews.

You'll also receive access to the members-only Secret Facebook Group where you can connect with other Premium Members and interview guests to help, support and motivate you to take ideas you hear in each episode and put them into action. There are also FB live video tutorials, role-play interviews and special live interviews happening in the group.

You will not find more friendly, more motivated, caring and sharing photographers online.

Joining a Mastermind Group (encouraged by Andrew) has been incredibly valuable and fun, I look forward to connecting with my group members every week. Jina Zheng, Premium Member and Melbourne Children photographer.

And that's not all… you get a set of steak knives… I'm kidding!

Seriously though, that's not all. In addition to everything above, you'll get access to and instructions on forming or joining a MasterMind Group with other premium members. These groups are super motivating, make you accountable and build friendships with other pro photographers with similar motives to you – to build a more successful photography business.

Carolyne Cowan Photography Podcast

What is your big takeaway?

Following this interview, I’d love to know if you're taking anything away from what Carolyne shared. Is there something you heard that excited or motivated you to the point where you thought, yeah, I'm going to do that! If so, let me know by leaving your thoughts in the comments below, let me know what your takeaways were, what you plan to implement in your business as a result of what you heard in today's episode.

I still have doubts about myself. I still look at my images and think they’re not good enough. Oh my god, why do people buy this and all this however, I keep going and I keep looking and I am gonna keep improving and get better and better. – Carolyne Cowan

If you have any questions that I missed, a specific question you’d like to ask Carolyne or if you just want to say thanks for coming on the show, feel free to add them in the comments area below.

Carolyne Cowan Photography Podcast

iTunes Reviews and Shout-outs

Each week I check for any new iTunes reviews and it's always a buzz to receive these… for a couple of reasons.

Firstly, it's confirmation that I'm on the right track with the interviews and that they really are helping you improve your photography business. That's awesome!

Secondly, iTunes is the biggest search engine when it comes to podcasts and it's your reviews and ratings that help other photographers find PhotoBizX. More listeners mean more interviews and ultimately a better show.

If you have left a review in the past, thank you!

If you haven't and you'd like to, head to https://photobizx.com/itunes and you can leave some honest feedback and a rating which will help both me and the show and I'll be sure to thank you on the show and add a link to your website or blog if you let me know the URL of your website and your name.

Alternatively, if you've left a review for PhotoBizX and are looking for more backlinks to help your SEO, leave a review for the new Photography Xperiment Podcast and email me your keywords or keyword phrase and where you'd like me to link to.

Another great way to get a backlink to your site is to send a video testimonial. It doesn't need to be fancy and your phone will be perfect. Click record and tell me how PhotoBizX has made a difference to you and your photography business.

Here is the latest review:

A must for photographers!!

In iTunes by Mornington Peninsula family photographer, Clodagh Jane from Australia on May 9, 2019

I have just started my photography business (Clodagh Jane Photography) and this podcast has helped me so much. It’s fantastic!

Andrew is great to listen to and the people he chooses to interview are inspiring.

Already I’ve learnt so much and it has had a huge impact on the structure of my marketing and the way I set up my business.

Thank you for such a wonderful podcast!

Carolyne Cowan Photography Podcast

Links to people, places and things mentioned in this episode:

Carrie Southerton Website

Carrie Southerton on Facebook

Carrie Southerton on YouTube

Catchathon 2 – Dogs catching treats and cheese on YouTube

Thank you!

Thanks again for listening and big thanks to Carolyne for sharing her thoughts on running a hugely successful dog photography business by generating a desire in her clients for her products, delivering an incredible day-long service and following up with a sales and approach to closing any listener can learn from.

One of the biggest tips, is to establish the needs of a client, establish what they want. – Carolyne Cowan

If you have any suggestions, comments or questions about this episode, please be sure to leave them below in the comment section of this post, and if you liked the episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the bottom of the post!

That’s it for me this week, hope everything is going well for you in life and business!

Thanks and speak soon
Andrew