Sam Jacobson | Avoid Getting Ghosted by Clients (The Psychology of Selling) | FloInsider Ep #22

Welcome to the 22nd episode of FloInsider – a podcast for photographers and creative business owners who seek inspiration and a fresh perspective on how to run their business, navigate this weird time that we all live in, and find meaning and happiness in their daily routines. 

Today’s episode is a very practical one. We’re talking to Sam Jacobson – the mastermind behind Ideaction Consulting, the guru of sales, pricing, and copywriting for wedding pros. 

Sam talks about a fear that many wedding photographers share – ghosting. He explains why prospects ghost you even when they sound excited on the phone or during a meeting. He also shares practical tips and easy changes you can implement on your website and in your communication, to make it ghosting-proof. 

You may remember Sam from a previous interview we did with him, on pricing, sales, and ways to help your photography business during Covid-19. He’s one of those people whom you can listen to for hours. With 15 years of experience in the event industry, and countless mentoring and consulting sessions with photographers and creative business owners, everything that Sam has to say is priceless information.

You’ll definitely want to take notes while listening to this episode, so make sure to grab a pen and prepare to never be ghosted again!

A few cliff notes from our chat with Sam Jacobson:

• The people who are typically getting ghosted are the people who share too much information too early. Here’s why: imagine if you went on a first date with someone, and this person started talking about their political and religious preferences, past relationships, and future plans. You’d freak out and probably not go on a second date with them. The same thing happens when you share too much information with your prospects at an early stage when they aren’t ready for that information yet. 

• Creating tailored packages for your clients instead of just offering a certain number of “off the rack” ones will make your clients feel like you are genuinely interested in helping them. This will encourage them to buy from you. 

• You need to make sure that your clients are feeling heard, understood, and accepted for their needs, hopes, and fears. This will make them feel important and they will want to hire YOU and spend money with YOU because YOU are the one who makes them feel that way. 

• If you don’t want to be ghosted after having the first call with prospects, ensure that you have another opportunity to talk to them, right after you send them the proposal. Schedule a second phone call right away – this makes your prospects feel more committed and less likely to ghost you after reviewing the proposal.

• The Contact page on your website is the page where you are most likely to get ghosted. 60-80% of people who access your Contact page and start filling out your contact form will never actually submit it! 

• To avoid getting ghosted on your Contact page, do these: add a short yet exciting text above your contact form that tells people what they’ll get after filling out this form. Make sure that the form is short and contains easy to answer questions (such as name, date of the event, venue, email, phone number, etc.). Don’t talk about money on your contact page. Showcase some type of social proof under your contact form, be it testimonials, reviews, or Published Ins. Add a portrait of yourself to add a face to the brand and create a little bit more trust. 

Want to learn more from Sam? Check out his resources and services on ideactionconsulting.com. Make sure to follow him via Instagram: instagram.com/ideactionconsulting and his Facebook Group called Sell Weddings Like a Pro.

The host for this podcast episode was Nadia Meli. Follow her via instagram.com/nadiameli or via her website: nadiameli.com

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Tune in, take notes, and let us know your own thoughts on this topic! FloInsider is available via all popular streaming platforms, from Apple and Google Podcasts, to Spotify, Anchor FM, etc. Subscribe and never miss an interview worth learning from!