4 Things That Are Holding You Back From Booking More Photography Clients
The fear of failure holds a lot of photographers back.
We want to be fully booked and have clients lined up to be photographed by us, but all too often we fear putting ourselves out there to actually grow the thing we want.
The majority of the time, we are the only ones holding ourselves back from success.
Not the saturation in our towns.
Not the lack of time.
Not even the lack of funds or knowledge.
There's always a way for those who are courageous enough to push past fear and go after it.
So how do you overcome the fear of failure (or any fear for that matter) to grow your photography business?
The first step is recognizing fear for what it is. It's not always so obvious which is why I'm going to share 4 ways that fear may be showing up in your business:
1. You worry about what others think of you.
This is completely natural to some extent. We all want to be liked. It's a human desire to want to be loved and accepted. But it becomes a problem when we care so much about what others think of us, or our reels, our posts, our websites, our photography, our editing, our pricing, or anything else that we allow their opinions to prevent us from putting ourselves out there. Overcoming fear will require that you place a higher importance around YOUR opinion, not others.
2. You set low expectations.
I can't even tell you how many photographers I speak to who are afraid to call themselves a "professional." They (maybe even you) feel like you are not very good at something so the fear of failure keeps you at hobby status when you really want to grow. By setting low expectations of yourself, you're protecting yourself from being disappointed or dealing with other people's criticism (yours included). But in the long run, is it really worth it?
3. You procrastinate.
If you never really get around to doing the thing you need to do, you'll never fail, right? Wrong! If you find yourself making excuses as to why you can't raise your prices, switch to IPS, go live, do your first reel, etc, you'll never actually grow. You may say that you don't have the time, energy or money to accomplish your goals, but in actuality, it's really a defense mechanism to keep your from failing.
4. You can't move on from past failures.
You're going to fail. I fail. It's a part of life. It's part of learning. All too often, we do not give ourselves enough grace. It's normal to be bummed and disappointed if you feel like you failed. Maybe had your camera on the wrong settings at your last session and the photos are not what you hoped for. Maybe there was some miscommunication with a client. Maybe you made an investment in a course program or coach and didn't do anything with it (or were burned by it). All that has been true for me at one point or another. When we do not forgive ourselves from past mistakes, we become stuck. And if you're like past me, maybe you wallow in the disappointment and prolong your distress. The only way to overcome is to find the lesson and move on.
Success requires failure. But failure isn't bad when you get back up, learn and continue to do the work.
Action is the real key in pushing past the fear of failure and experiencing success.
So take a moment and ask yourself "what do I need to act on today? What do I need to act on this week to create your successful photography business?"
Then comment below to let me know. I'm really curious. Added bonus: by simply telling someone else what you are committed to acting on will increase your chances of actually doing the work. #accountability
Cheering you on!
Heather
P.S. Would even more tips and marketing strategies to become fully booked and create a wildly successful photography business?
Yes? Then Join us on the next 3 Secrets to a Fully Booked & Wildly Successful Photography Business and learn the booked photography method!