Intro by Skip Cohen

It's incredible what you can find when you go wandering through the archives of a blog like Marathon's. Loaded with one great post after another, I found this one by Sarah Petty going back to 2013, and it couldn't be more valid to the challenges many of you face today.

What good is working to create the best images of your life if you're afraid of talking to the customer directly and closing the sale? Relax, you're not alone. Role playing through the sales process is often one of the most popular activities in workshops about selling.

Sarah has some great suggestions in this short post, and if you'd like to read more from Sarah, here's the link to her "Joy of Marketing" site. Plus, don't forget to bookmark Marathon's blog - it's loaded with great content, all designed to help you build a stronger business and even spark a little creativity in your images here and there!
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by Sarah Petty
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As a photography business owner, if you dread selling to your clients because you know that there are going to be objections, you’re not alone. I hear from photographers all the time that they would rather not have the sales presentation at all than to be put in the uncomfortable situation of facing objections.

But objections don’t have to be those inevitable, dreaded parts of the sales presentation. Instead, think of them as opportunities to get to the root of why your client REALLY isn’t buying, so that you can overcome those feelings and close the sale with a thrilled client.

There are several times when you can overcome objections, but I prefer to handle them BEFORE the sales appointment, so that the experience is more comfortable for both the client and myself. Then, when it comes time for selling, I’ve already overcome my client’s concerns, and the ordering is easy and low-pressure.

Here’s an example of an objection I come across in my photography business when I explain that we focus on creating large wall art for my clients’ homes: “I don’t want a shrine to my kids.” You can handle this objection a few different ways and here’s one I use in my photography business.

Ask a question. Redirect the conversation to open their mind to another way of looking at photography. When the client says they don’t want a shrine, respond by asking, “What do you hang in your home?”

Typically when I ask this question, it will uncover that people don’t give a lot of thought to their home décor. So when you ask them, you are encouraging them to pause and think about photography as home décor and not just an image or two for dad’s desk and the grandparents.

Not to mention, they may start to question the last time they decorated their home and justify to themselves increasing their budget for photography, as it becomes décor for their home and not just small images of their family.
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By overcoming objections such as this one prior to meeting for the ordering appointment, I take the pressure off the selling situation. I’m free to focus my attention on helping my clients pick out the images I know work best for them, ensuring they leave thrilled, and ultimately resulting in a fantastic sale.

by Skip Cohen

Yes, it's a spin-off of the Staples commercial, but so appropriate when you look at the diversity of Marathon's product line. Family Marketing is a perfect example.

Most of you involved in family portraiture are typically one person businesses. You're working hard to capture and create beautiful portraits, but you're spread too thin to get everything done. You're doing as much as you can find the time for, but getting the word out to your target audience isn't always strong enough. Well, Marathon has the answer for you - their Family Marketing program.

They give you three mailings to your target audience with an optional fourth. They'll help you design an effective marketing piece ranging from accordion style to gift cards to postcards. They'll work with you to set the dates for each mailing. They'll even help you fine-tune the mailing list and mail each series of marketing pieces for you.