IPS photography | How to Get Started
IPS photography is currently growing in popularity as photographers seek to better serve their clients. Today we are sharing a recent interview with Alicia Crossley . In person sales (IPS) has gained a huge resurgence in the photography community and it does not appear to be slowing down any time soon. In todays post we will dive into the basics of how to start with IPS, how to select products, and how to overcome common client objections. The goal is that by the end of this post you will have a great start in to how to do in person sales photography.
Client Based Marketing
Early in the interview with Alicia we asked how she got involved in IPS and she really dove into an incomplete experience. Early on she felt that her business was very good in giving a great client experience up and through the wedding. After the wedding, though, she felt like she was giving a lack luster experience by just giving her clients a USB of digital images. She noticed her clients had questions or were unsure how to order images.
With this in mind, she embraced client based marketing. For those who are not quite familiar with this term, in a nut shell, it is a marketing technique that focuses on serving the client (you can read more about this topic at demo duck). Alicia really embraced her clients pain points and realized that her service was incomplete. With that in mind, she figured out that IPS Photography would be a great way to serve her clients and address their concerns. Alicia came up with a new IPS session name to highlight their celebration theme and called it “Preview and Prosecco”.
The key point is how Alicia started her IPS journey with her clients in mind. The minute your client is not at the center of what you are doing, your business will fail. So, when starting your IPS journey, it is imperative you do it from a mindset of service and not to make more money. Increasing your profit will be a byproduct of good service, the result will be happier clients and more referrals.
Getting over the “salesy” feeling
We use the term “salesy” to mean that uncomfortable feeling when you are doing an IPS session. That feeling usually comes up when you are trying to sell things your client does not want or you have no interest in what your client wants. Alicia really talks about diving into what your clients want by asking them and getting really curious. When you have done this properly, you are just introducing products your clients have requested. This takes away that “icky” feeling. This brings us to the next point in starting IPS which is ensuring you have processes and other things in place to make sure you are asking your clients questions and really getting to know them.
Selecting your IPS Photography Products
Selecting your products is something that is very personal to each photography business. The important point about selecting products is to ensure you pick things you enjoy along with your clients. Listen to your clients and take your time when doing this. One of the best tips Alicia and I give are to utilize trade shows. These trade shows (like Imaging) allow you to touch, feel, and ask questions to each vendor about their products. This really helps you to identify which products are right for you without spending a lot of money doing it. Personally, we try to attend at least one trade show a year to keep up with the latest products. One fo the best resources that breaks down the process for how we select our products can be found in our previous blog.
Overcoming Client Objections
Another important part to the IPS process is knowing how to respond to objections with your clients. Alicia went over her most common objection which was why they need to have an IPS session. The important thing is that Alicia doesn’t to push her IPS session but offer it as more of an experience. If the client still chooses to not participate, she still treats them well and respects their decision. The important things is that when you are starting your IPS journey you have to rehearse common client objections. Are most popular one we face is price. Once we explain to them why are prices are more expensive, 99% of our clients understand. We offer an elevated, fine art , experience. If our clients want Wal-Mart Prints they can go to Wal mart by all means. But if they want prints that will last forever and be able to be handed down as legacy items, then you order from us.
Lastly, Alicia gave her top tips for conducting an IPS session which you can find by watching our latest youtube video. Make sure you subscribe and watch till the end of the video:
IPS can feel like such a daunting task especially when you are just starting. You can spend years trying to figure it out and lose a lot of money or you can call us and we can help get your IPS sessions off the ground and serving your clients even better. Click on the pic below and schedule a free discovery call with us.
IPS can be a great way to serve your clients. In this post we wanted to start with the basics of how to start your IPS journey. We want to thank Alicia Crossley for participating in our Facebook live and if you would like to be a part of our discussion email us at info@meredithryncarz.com. Make sure you schedule your free discovery call at the link above and start your IPS journey. Till next time.
Have you started your IPS journey?
