Podcast Summary: This Can't Be That Hard Episode 286: 5 Reasons to Run a Holiday Sale This Year Release Date: October 15, 2024
Host: Annemie Tonken
Title: This Can't Be That Hard
Description: Annemie Tonken empowers photographers to transform their passion into profitable, sustainable businesses. Each episode delivers actionable strategies covering everything from pricing and marketing to customer service, helping photographers of all experience levels thrive.
Introduction
In Episode 286 of "This Can't Be That Hard," host Annemie Tonken delves into the compelling reasons photographers should consider running a holiday sale. Drawing from her personal experience and extensive coaching background, Annemie outlines five key motivations that not only boost revenue but also enhance client relationships and brand trust.
Reason 1: Add Revenue to Your Business
Annemie opens the discussion by emphasizing the primary advantage of running a holiday sale—increasing business revenue. She candidly states,
"The first reason that you should run a holiday sale is to add revenue to your business. Full stop. I'm not going to apologize or pretend like money is not the number one reason because it is."
[03:34]
Reflecting on her own journey, Annemie shares how her first holiday sale resulted in over $12,000 in product sales and secured future bookings:
"I made over $12,000 in product sales and booked future work. 12,000 freaking dollars, y'all. I blew my own mind open."
[00:00]
She further explains that with a well-executed sale, photographers can potentially earn 5 to 15% of their total annual revenue, translating to significant financial gains depending on their business size.
Reason 2: Enhance Marketing Conversations
Beyond direct sales, a holiday sale serves as a valuable marketing tool. Annemie highlights how it provides photographers with substantive content to engage both existing and potential clients:
"A holiday sale is a great way to show up authentically in someone's inbox or in their social media feed and remind people about your business."
[09:00]
She points out that during the holiday season, clients are already in the mindset of purchasing gifts, making it an opportune time to present offers that align with their immediate needs.
Reason 3: Gather Valuable Client Insights
Running a holiday sale offers an opportunity to collect feedback and understand client preferences. Annemie discusses how this can inform future business decisions:
"The conversation that you launch with your clients, when you're talking about a sale, gives you the opportunity to gather really good intel on what is currently exciting or enticing for your clients."
[11:15]
By testing different offers, such as mini-sessions or gift certificates, photographers can gauge interest and refine their services to better meet client desires.
Reason 4: Build Trust and Establish Expertise
Annemie addresses a common misconception that sales might devalue a brand. Instead, she argues that thoughtful holiday sales can strengthen brand credibility and showcase expertise:
"Running a holiday sale actually helps you build trust and expertise with your audience... it's about creating thoughtful, interesting, enticing offers that are appealing."
[14:30]
She emphasizes the importance of maintaining brand integrity by avoiding "spammy" discounts and instead focusing on offers that provide genuine value and resonate with the audience.
Reason 5: Create Memorable Client Experiences
Photography is inherently tied to creating lasting memories. Annemie connects this to the holiday sale by illustrating how photo-based gifts can be more meaningful and enduring than traditional presents:
"We are in the business of doing that thinking, right? We are constantly looking at photo products, but we're also thinking about different kinds of sessions that we can host and experiences that we can create for people."
[16:20]
By offering special holiday packages, photographers enable clients to give unique, heartfelt gifts, thereby enhancing the overall customer experience and fostering deeper client relationships.
Conclusion and Call to Action
Annemie wraps up the episode by encouraging photographers to embrace the holiday sale opportunity:
"Do it to genuinely serve your clients. Do it to build trust. Do it to learn more about what your ideal clients want and need from you. Do it for something to talk with and engage with your audience about. And you know, don't apologize. Do it for the money."
[17:10]
She also invites listeners to take a personalized quiz to estimate their potential holiday sale revenue:
"If you're listening to this episode around the time that it drops in, you know, October, early November of 2022 and you are interested in a more personalized estimate of what you might make if you were to run a sale this year, I want you to go to thiscan'tbethard.comholiday and take the quiz that I made for you."
[10:40]
Annemie concludes by reaffirming the value of holiday sales as a strategic move to elevate business performance and client satisfaction.
Key Takeaways
- Revenue Boost: Holiday sales can significantly increase annual income, contributing 5-15% of total revenue.
- Marketing Engagement: Provides meaningful content for engaging with clients during the holiday season.
- Client Insights: Offers a platform to gather feedback and understand client preferences for future offerings.
- Brand Trust: Enhances credibility and positions photographers as trusted experts through thoughtful offers.
- Memorable Gifts: Enables clients to give lasting, meaningful gifts, elevating the overall customer experience.
For more insights and strategies, visit thiscan'tbethard.com/holiday and take the personalized quiz to discover your holiday sale potential. Embrace the holiday season as an opportunity to grow your photography business with Annemie Tonken's proven methods.