Selling out your mini sessions is key to making them an effective of your photography business. It's also great marketing because it shows people you are in high demand.

The first step in selling out your mini sessions is to get the word out to your audience. Often, this means posting advertisements online and sending a flyer via email to past clients. In both cases, this first impression of your mini sessions will make or break them. 

In this article, we'll cover practical tips for making your mini session flyers more effective so you can book more clients.

Promote The Location

Your mini sessions should be convenient for both you and your clients. By advertising the photoshoot location, you'll help people know how far of a drive it will be for them. 

Share The Date(s)

Along with the location, people will need to know which date you plan on hosting your mini session. If you have multiple dates for the same theme, make it clear there are options.

There is no need to get bogged down and list specific time slots. Leaving a reason for people to learn more is a great way to gauge interest.

Make The Purpose Clear

The best mini sessions have a purpose or theme. Let people know why they need to stop what they are doing and book a slot by today. For example, is this an excellent opportunity to get pictures for Christmas cards? 

Suggested article: Ideas For Mini Sessions

Provide A Sample

One of the most effective ways to convey the value of a mini session is to provide a sample photo of what one should expect from participating. While many mini session templates online have slots for multiple images, we recommend leading with one great photo. It will help your flyer feel less cluttered, be more prominent and give you room to focus on other important details listed in this article.

Include Deliverables And Price

Provide a brief description of what is included with the mini session, along with the associated cost. Common deliverables are the number of finished images, usage rights, and turnaround time. While it's wise to offer optional upsells as add-ons, you should avoid cluttering up your flyer with too much info and show more options later in the sales process.

Include A Call-to-action

Now that you've given people enough information to let them know if it's a good fit, it's time to let them know how to proceed. Don't be coy or shy here; include short instructions covering how one can book. Call-to-action examples include:

"Text to book | 555-909-2360"

"Call For Avalalbity | 555-415-1212"

"Book Online Now | https://rainier.checkcherry.com/mini_sessions"

"View Available Slots | https://rainier.checkcherry.com/mini_sessions"

Offer Online Scheduling

Let people know that securing a spot is hassle-free by using a quality mini session scheduler like Check Cherry. By showing the real-time availability of time slots, you'll save clients the frustration of going back and forth to secure a spot. You'll also be able to display optional add-ons during the booking process, which leads to more money in your pocket.

Sending online proposals can be an attractive way to present your services. Done well, they make it easy for someone to finalize a purchase by signing your contract and paying an initial deposit/fees. With the tips in this article, you'll be able to level up your proposals, so they become a highly effective part of your sales process.

👉 Some people refer to proposals as quotes. For the most part, people use these terms interchangeably. 

1. Understand your prospect's needs.

The first step in presenting a highly effective proposal is understanding the needs and desires of those looking to hire your company. After all, the goal is to provide an offer they are likely to appreciate.

Before crafting a proposal, start with a friendly conversation to learn more about your prospect's wants and values. Be genuine and establish yourself as a guide by asking questions to identify whether or not it's a good fit. These conversations are your opportunity to demonstrate the caliber and quality of your company.

👉 Remember, not everyone is going to be a fit. It's ok to turn down an opportunity and focus efforts on those more likely to book by not sending a proposal.

2. Leverage multiple communication channels.

It's good to nudge a prospect to your preferred communication method, but let them know you are open to other ways of communication. Avoid forcing a client to communicate over one specific medium (phone, text, email, etc.) because it's how you want to sell.  

👉 You can increase the chances of people responding, feeling comfortable, and trusting you by using their preferred method of communication. 

3. Make your proposals easy to understand.

A shorter and more straightforward proposal will perform better than a proposal with unnecessary content and fluff. Unless you respond to a lengthy Request for Proposals (RFP), it's best to skip the clutter. For example, there is no need to sell your company at this stage. Your marketing collateral/website and sales communication leading up to the proposal are the places to make that happen.

4. Make the look great on phones.

Whether you email or text your proposal, the chances are good it will be seen first on a phone. Avoid sending pdf files and word documents because they just won't look good on phone.

4. Add imagery.

Including pictures of your packages and add-ons will go a long way in helping people understand what you are offering and make them feel more comfortable. Include photos of your packages, add-ons, and any other relevant information.

6. Offer a complete breakdown of costs.

Be sure all costs, including tax and travel fees, are disclosed upfront on the proposal before the client accepts the offer. You risk losing trust and annoying a customer if you add more fees/tax after presenting your offer. 

👉 Word of mouth is a great way to grow your business. When people have negative experiences with your company, they are much less likely to refer you, and many will never tell you about it.

7. Add your brand to each proposal.

Add your company's logo to each proposal. You can even take it a step further by incorporating your company's color scheme. It will go a long way toward making your company look professional, trustworthy, and ready to do business. 

👉 People will judge the quality of the services you will provide based on how your sales process goes. If they get the sense, you are not professional and organized; you'll lose sales. When you look like a pro, you'll be able to charge more.

8. Make the acceptance process easy.

With few exceptions, the days of printing, signing, and faxing documents are gone. Digital signatures are the standard. Be sure to provide a call-to-action and easy workflow for securing your services. Often that means signing a contract, paying a deposit.

9. Offer multiple payment options.

If a deposit/fee is required for securing your services, make it easy for people to pay. The payment step is when most sales are lost. By making it easy, you'll increase the chances of closing the sale.

👉 Use a quality online booking website like Check Cherry, which supports Apple Pay & Google Pay to make the process of collecting a deposit quick and easy.

10. Give time-sensitive discounts.

Expiring discounts are a tried and true way to motivate your prospect to make a decision and commit. If you offer a discount, be sure to put a short time limit for accepting the offer. A few days is a great place to start, and you can adjust based on your observations.

👉 Keep in mind, you can honor the expired offer if they are willing to commit shortly after the initial expiration. Favors are a great way to establish goodwill with clients.

11. Follow up.

If a proposal is not accepted or declined, it's a good idea to reach out and check-in. Another benefit of offering a time-sensitive discount is it will give you a sensible reason to follow up in a day or two, and it sets expectations on when someone will make a decision. 

Avoid over automating your follow-up and sales process. Anything over a couple of touches is probably a wasted effort which is more likely to make your company seem impersonal and out of touch. Try crafting personal messages to increase the chances of people responding. 

👉 A a quality online proposal system like Check Cherry will show you if someone has viewed your proposal. 

Bonus Tip

12. Compliment proposals with online booking.

Avoid sending proposals to every lead without a conversation. It's a sure-fire way to decrease their effectiveness and will dilute your follow-up efforts. Instead, use a quality online booking website like Check Cherry to accommodate a lower-touch, self-service sales process. You can even direct people who want to see your pricing guide and collect leads for those who start but do not finish the booking process.

When a sales and marketing pro with 25 years of experience decided to start a photo booth business, she knew the buying process needed to be smooth if her newfound company were to flourish.

"I first started looking for solutions because I wanted an easy way for my clients to sign contracts and pay.", said Angela Flores of Desert Memories Photo Booths. After using more traditional solutions, she found something that worked well. "Check Cherry does such a great job at making my sales process efficient. I've doubled my business each year (less covid's 2020), and I truly believe Check Cherry played a role in my ability to do so."

Angela started Desert Memories Photo Booths in 2017 to service the Tucson and Phoenix photo booth rental markets. Shortly after, Angela began to use Check Cherry to run her business. The benefits of using Check Cherry also include collaborating with clients leading up to their event. "I love how much time Check Cherry saves me. Everything I need for a booking is in Check Cherry. It helps me look like a pro." Using Check Cherry, Angela can offer her customers an easy-to-use and intuitive customer portal where clients can choose backdrops, photo booth templates, and fill out questionnaires.

"Check Cherry is one of the two best values for my photo booth business." Her other top value is Darkroom Booth, a popular photo booth program for operating DSLR photo booths. 

Angela started her business with one photo booth and can now accommodate nine bookings on any given night. "My bookings went through the roof when Check Cherry rolled out proposals because customers had all the information they needed, and with just a click of a button, they can accept and become clients." Check Cherry also offers an option to provide clients a genuine end-to-end online booking for photo booth rentals. "I love getting an email that a client booked without me talking to them."

Check Cherry co-founder Judd Lillestrand said: "Angelas knows how to make her clients happy and close sales. I'm not surprised by her growth. She's been a great customer, provides actionable feedback, and is very likable."

With more photo booths on the way, Desert Memories Photo Booths is still growing. In fact, with the time Angela saves running her business on Check Cherry, she's got the energy to start on a new venture. 

The new company will provide services for Pinterest-worthy slumber parties. "We'll provide Teepees, garlands, pillows, lights, and other cute stuff to make for a memorable slumber party." She also plans to run that business with the same Check Cherry account with a different brand.

Angela is an empty nester and staying busy. With her background in sales and marketing, a Check Cherry account, and a positive entrepreneurial spirit, she's making the most of the newest chapter in her life. "One of the things I appreciate about Check Cherry is they focus on delivering value to businesses like mine. They have the best customer service and manage everything from leads, proposals, billing, taxes, contracts, & event choices like backdrops and template designs."

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