Believe it or not, you can control how many competitors you have!
Yes, really!
I kind of chuckle when photographers tell me they have so much competition because I put out so much free content teaching photographers to make money.
So, I’m actually TEACHING my competitors…
But I don’t even use the word “competitor”.
If I can make a successful business, why does it matter if I have one or 10 million competitors?
I learned early on that our businesses succeed or fail based on what we do, not on what others do.
In our space, you can make the competition irrelevant.
When I was working at an advertising agency, our job was to help our clients differentiate themselves in the market by really finding their special sauce and then doubling down on that in their marketing.
Once we figured out what made them different, we would create commercials and promotional pieces to promote their business.
If you’ve been around this podcast for a while, you know my story.
I had newborn twins and I left the advertising agency.
I thought I could make money as a photographer AND be a stay-at-home momma!
After all, I had been marketing for all these other businesses, so I knew how to do it.
I know what works and what doesn’t work, and yet I STILL thought I needed to see what all the competitors were doing!
I thought I needed to find out all their prices and be just under what they’re pricing.
But I quickly realized that there is no winning the price race to the bottom.
I priced myself below the market and was giving away all the things that some of the successful photographers in my community were doing.
I thought that there must be a better way…
If you are building your business on high-res digital files, then you are a drive-through restaurant.
I’m not insulting anyone’s quality.
But that’s a completely different model than what we teach here.
If you’re not holding your client’s hands during the ordering appointment, you’re a drive-through restaurant.
If you’re doing online galleries and letting your people order on their own, then you’re not serving them.
I wanted to be more like that restaurant with a table with a view.
Where the waiter tells you the chef’s recommendations, what’s new on the menu, and what’s popular.
It’s such a treat for the customer to experience someone who is educated and friendly.
The same thing is true when you’re trying to get rid of the competition in your photography business…
You can start by just spending more time with your clients!
If you build a business that takes amazing care of your clients and serves them at the highest level, then you’re a table with a view.
That is how you eliminate the competition.
When you decide to stop being a drive-through and you make all of the changes you need to make to offer a table with a view, you have eliminated your competition.
You didn’t have to do anything to their business… you changed YOUR business.
So up your game, because the competition is too scared to come with you!
The biggest challenge you’re going to face is not that all the competitors are going to follow you… it’s the voice in your head.
That voice in your head telling you you don’t deserve success.
You’re listening to everyone with their resistance and their negative thoughts because you likely don’t have a mentor who knows what you’re facing.
The good news is, we know what works.
We have the strategies and tactics you need to overcome that head trash.
I want you to think about what winning looks like…
Imagine being able to take off and go have lunch at your kiddo’s school without guilt.
Imagine having a little stash of money to pay for the extra things like a date night or going out with friends or renting a boat for a day in the summer to hang with extended family.
Imagine having an income that you rely on by just doing a few things each day.
Once you make the decision to go all in, my team and I have all of the systems you need to see success.
We have a community, so you’re never alone again.
Remember, you’re the one who decides which type of customer you want to serve.
Who do you think has better customers?
McDonald’s or the steakhouse that’s bringing in people who are so happy to be there?
I can tell you it’s a high-end steakhouse all day long.
So this is in your court.
All you have to do is make the decision to change the game and eliminate your competition.
We can do this together.
