507: Sarah Petty – Go boutique with your photography business or fail

PhotoBizX The Ultimate Wedding and Portrait Photography Business Podcast

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

Sarah Petty of www.sarahpetty.com and www.joyofmarketing.com says… I don't just teach the boutique business model; I use it daily in my photography business!

Before life as a photographer, Sarah was a marketing director at a regional ad agency and in marketing at Coca-Cola.

She opened her photography business two weeks before 9-11, as the economy fell apart, with three kids under three years old. She quickly discovered the new company was consuming her time and mental energy.

On the verge of burnout, unsure of how to make a real profit and give everything away, something had to change.

Once she married her skill for marketing with her eye for photography, everything changed.

Today, she has an incredible studio, authored a book, has a podcast, a profitable photography business and helps other photographers achieve their goals too.

And to top things off…. she's based in Central Illinois and says if I can be successful here, you can succeed wherever you are too!

In this interview, learn why you must become a boutique photography business or risk failing.

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

• Do you need a team when aiming for a 300k revenue
• Invest 10% in hiring employees
• Things to consider when finding a mentor for your business
• The difference between the cost of sales and the cost of goods
• Keeping the cost of sales under 16% to a maximum of under 25%
• How to compute the cost of sales
• Should you increase pricing first or get better at marketing
• What is it to become a boutique photographer
• How to survive as a business owner in today's market
• Why Sarah thinks it's harder to get clients if you stay somewhere in the middle range
• Sarah's inquiry and booking process
• How to create value
• The need to believe in your photography prices
• How to convince yourself of your worth as a photographer
• Is it possible to convert free session leads to boutique clients
• How to attract the best clients into your business
• Strategies to convert leads to become high-paying clients
• How to get 10-20 clients from a single lead
• How Joy of Marketing works
• Why it's important to get a mentor
• Why Sarah advises against putting prices on your website

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 a fantastic back catalogue of interviews, and ALL future interviews delivered automatically to your phone or tablet.

Plus, special member-only interviews.

It's important when you're taking business advice to take it from someone who knows how to make money. – Sarah Petty

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. The group also has FB live video tutorials, role-play, and special live interviews. You will not find more friendly, motivated, caring and sharing photographers online.

Seriously, that's not all.

In addition to everything above, you'll get access 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 Sarah 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, leave your thoughts in the comments below; let me know your takeaways and what you plan to implement in your business due to what you heard in today's episode.

Marketing's job is to generate leads. What we say to them is what books them. Don't be afraid to talk to them. – Sarah Petty

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

iTunes Reviews and Shout-outs

I check for any new iTunes or Google reviews each week, and it's always a buzz to receive these… for several reasons.

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

Secondly, iTunes and Google are the biggest search engine for podcasts, and your reviews and ratings 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 or https://photobizx.com/google, 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.

I've made every mistake. I've heard every question and I have this much conviction that all day long, it's worth what I charge. – Sarah Petty

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 impacted you and your photography business.​

Bonnie Sindelar from happily Ever Photo Interviewed Me

If you'd like to hear a little about me and my photography business ideas, check out my recent interview with Bonnie for her community at www.happilyeverphoto.com.

It's a short, fun 20-minute interview, and you can find interviews with other photographers too.

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

Sarah Petty Website

Joy of Marketing

Sarah Petty on Instagram

Joy of Marketing – For Photographers on Facebook

Join the 3 Day Slow Season Marketing Sprint and Book Your Next Client Faster

Thank you!

Thanks again for listening, and thanks to Sarah for sharing her thoughts, ideas and advice on building a successful boutique photography business and attracting your ideal clients who love you and what you do.

We have to find a problem that we can solve. We have to educate the person that has the problem that we have a solution that they didn't even know about. – Sarah Petty

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; I hope everything is going well for you in life and business!

Thanks, and speak soon
Andrew

The post 507: Sarah Petty – Go boutique with your photography business or fail appeared first on Photography Business Xposed - Photography Podcast - how to build and market your portrait and wedding photography business.