Saying “Yes and…”
When we get inquiries and questions, I feel like sometimes we photographers say “No” to things because we are afraid to ask people to pay for them. Or because we don’t know how much to charge.
This type of “No” is not coming from a service mindset or a business mindset, but an insecurity mindset. Can we take a step back and think about whether we really need to say “No” or if it’s an opportunity for a “yes and…”?
For example:
Can you photograph our family session on Thanksgiving while everyone is in town?"
Can you make me look skinnier?
Can you bring your camera to the birthday party?
Can the grandparents come to our session?
Sometimes it’s a hard “No” and that’s okay! But sometimes finding a way to say “Yes, and...” will serve your clients in new ways, put the ball in their court, and can really grow your business (and make you feel awesome too!)
Example responses of a “Yes and...” for the above:
Yes ((and)) my fee for a holiday session is $xxxxx. [If client doesn’t want to pay the holiday premium, they are the one saying No, not you]
Yes I will pose you in ways that will flatter your figure and make you look your best ((and)) if you do desire any special-request editing once you’ve had a look at your gallery, I would be happy to do that for you at $xxx/image. [you have given them confidence in your skills to post them, and relief that they at least have the option for further editing if desired. If you don’t do this type of editing, you can outsource it and still add value for your client and maintain creative control over your copyrighted images].
Yes I would absolutely love to capture the birthday party for you ((and)) my rate is $xxx/hour. [If client/friend doesn’t want to pay you, they are the one saying No, not you]
Yes, grandparents are always welcome at family sessions ((and)) can you tell me about your desires for capturing them with the kids so that I can provide you a custom quote for the additional people if needed? [Once you better understand their desires, you can either choose to add cost if needed, or choose not to raise the price at your discretion and be generous with your time and talent for a little extra work; avoiding “scope creep” and preventing you from feeling taken advantage of, and giving them the opportunity to get what they really want!]
Can you think of a time when you immediately said “No” to something but you wish you had offered a “Yes and…”?
Can you think of a time when you said “Yes” without the “and” and ended up feeling taken advantage of?
Can you think of a time when you said “No” and it was absolutely the right choice?
Being intentional about how we answer questions and inquiries is super important as luxury service providers that we are! I hope this was thought-provoking today!