430: Iain Sim – Why Zoom sales sessions are the new gold standard for photography IPS

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

Iain Sim of Hugster Family Photography is a returning guest I always look forward to featuring on the podcast!

The biggest reason is he straddles two worlds… one where he and his wife Jo are in the trenches, running a real photography business to pay the bills and support a lifestyle. The other, a world where he's on the cutting edge of outsourcing, utilising VA's, Chatbots, helping other photographers succeed. Most importantly, he's putting everything into action and testing them in his own photography business. 

When approaching Iain for this interview, I asked what was happening and if there was anything new he could share with you to help you in your business. 

I wasn't surprised when I received a list of things included below:

– Portrait process.

During last year's lockdowns, I mapped our portrait process from start to finish, created questionnaires at each step and streamlined it all. It's massively reduced our back-and-forth emails and admin and made all of our interactions with clients smoother and more manageable.

– Planning appointments.

We've implemented this step for portrait clients over the last two years, and our sales average is around 40% up (hard to say if this is the exact reason because we've also made other changes)

– Zoom sales meetings.

I haven't had a single in-person IPS meeting since March last year, and our sales aren't impacted at all.

– Facebook Ads and Chatbots

The other thing happening here is that Nice Chat Let's Book has been relaunched as “Simplify Your Studio by Iain and Jo“, and we're offering

1. Help with landing pages, chatbots and marketing automation, and
2. Extremely customised editing for photographers with specific needs.

NOTE: There is a $150 credit (essentially an hour of automation or five hours of editing) to the first five listeners who book a zoom call with me via the site. All they need to do is mention PhotobizX.

One thing is for sure… Zoom sales sessions look like the new gold standard for photographers who typically practice IPS and want to maximise their sales, increase customer satisfaction and save a ton of time for everyone involved!

We cover all of the above and more, but before we get into the details, I received the following message from Iain not long after recording our interview:

So … a few hours after our chat, lockdown #6 kicks in!

It highlighted two things I wish I'd said in the interview, so I would appreciate it if you could say them on my behalf in your wrap-up or post this in the group when the episode goes up.

#1) In Melbourne, we've been under strict lockdowns for around six months in total since the start of the pandemic, but as much as that sucks, I realise it's a small hardship compared to others elsewhere who've lost people close to them. I'd happily stay home for much longer than this to protect our community, and most of our clients here would too.

#2) For any listeners who've been struggling with their mental health during extended lockdowns, I know it doesn't always help to hear people's one-sided accounts of how well they're handling it. 

So, to be clear, like all normal people in this situation, I've absolutely had my struggles too. 

I'm really pleased with some of the improvements we've made in our systems and processes during lockdowns, BUT that progress has been achieved in small bursts, interspersed with longer periods of home-schooling, too much drinking, and doom-scrolling on social media like everybody else. 

Although our averages are up, revenue is still way down because we've been closed so much, so it's not all rosy here. The best advice I can give anybody is to try and spot those little productive windows and make good use of them, but if all you achieve during lockdown is to keep yourself and your family safe and sane, that's ok too.

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

• How lockdowns impact photography businesses
• Things to do to stay productive when in lockdowns
• A snapshot of Iain's photography business today
• Iain's portrait process and how he's utilising questionnaires
• Dealing with clients who only want digital files
• Call scripts Iain uses when making phone inquiries
• Why family photography can be better than wedding photography
• Playing games with client's kids during zoom calls
• Ideal locations for family portrait sessions
• What happens during a planning appointment
• Are Zoom calls helpful in closing sales
• Why Iain prefers doing IPS online
• Payment process during Zoom calls
• What to do when clients need to think over during the reveal process
• Using Messenger marketing to generate leads
• How Iain qualify leads

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.

Plus special member-only interviews.

Ultimately, the aim of all of this is to have a higher sale and that stronger connection helps the sale so, better to do that in person. – Iain Sim

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.

Seriously, 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.

What is your big takeaway?

Following this interview, I’d love to know if you're taking anything away from what Iain 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.

This is what I really love about doing family portraits. It's a quick process. There's a quick turnaround. – Iain Sim

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

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.

Live Recording – come and join us!

Learn why clients aren't booking you and what you're missing in regards to making it easy for a potential client to find, book and spend with you on their portrait photography.

Later this week, I'll be joining Kate Higgins from A Little Life and Kim Hamblin of Kim Marie Photography Business Coaching in a live webinar to discuss the results of a recent survey of over 600 portrait photography clients.

From what I've seen, there are a ton of interesting questions and surprising answers about how clients find their photographers, what they want and expect to see on their websites, things that immediately turn them off or away, and so much more.

You can register to join us and add your thoughts here: https://photobizx.com/survey

LinkedIn Training for Photographers – it's not too late to join!

LinkedIn is the most underused social platform by photographers but is a goldmine if you know what you're doing, and you have a fully optimised profile while posting the right type of content.

If you've no idea where to start or have been floundering on the platform, I have you covered!

Well… not me personally, but Jeff Brown, the LinkedIn expert and photography business coach.
Jeff is presenting a 4 part in-depth Live Training Event for you – starting this week.

At $97, this is, I believe, set to be the best value training offered via PhotoBizX.

You can see more details and reserve your spot here: https://photobizx.com/linkedin​

This will be business changing training and can transform your business if you put into practice what Jeff teaches you.

​The price will be going up to $197 after the event.​

The live sessions will be recorded. You'll have access to them to rewatch if you need to.

You don't have to attend the live sessions to get the most from this training.

And YES, there is a money-back guarantee on this training, like anything from me. If you don't get what you hoped from the training, let me know, and I'll happily refund you.

​Reserve your spot and don't miss this training: https://photobizx.com/linkedin​

Hope to see you later this week

Wow, just sent out some connection messages this afternoon. Within 10 minutes, one got back to me and said they need a photographer to shoot their 20 member board of directors headshots and group photo in a few weeks. They accepted my quote and we are sending over the invoice and contract. All this transpired in about 1 hour of time. Goooo LinkedIn!!!! — Salt Lake City Area Headshot and Branding Photographer Monica Holt Burby

NOTE: I've literally just opened my account on LinkedIn right before the training started. I had no idea where to start or what to do — to generate leads or attract clients.
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This is all you need to get started, a LinkedIn account.

Jeff has assured me that I'll be 100% set to have LinkedIn working like a lead generation machine following this training.
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I'll be going through this with you and implementing/learning as we go.
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Get registered, come and join me and over 30 other PBX listeners, it's no risk: https://photobizx.com/linkedin​