Most photographers that start a business are great at photography.

But they still struggle to get clients.

These are the 7 mistakes I see over and over:

1/ Scattered portfolio

A new client doesn't want to see every photo you've taken.

They only care about the photos relevant to their project.

Whether it's products, portraits, or real estate, only post the relevant photos on your website.

2/ No clear niche

Your portfolio should revolve around your niche.

When you niche down, you portray yourself as the expert in one specific category.

As the expert, you can charge a lot more than a generalist.

3/ No clear service

You need to clearly state what you offer.

"We increase sales with product photography"

"We get you more dates with our headshots"

The less guesswork prospects have to do, the better.

4/ Waiting around for clients

Chances are clients don't know about you.

This is very bad if you want to work with clients.

The solution is cold outreach.

It's your responsibility to make yourself known to prospects that are a good fit.

5/ Bad cold email

You sent 100 cold emails with no response?

Great work, now let's tweak the emails.

Use a hook.

How did you find them? How can you make this first sentence personable?

The cold email should focus on how you can help THEM, not how great you are.

There needs to be a clear credibility statement ("I've worked with 5 brands just like yours")

There needs to be a clear ask. ("Do you have 10 mins free next week for a discovery call")

Include these 4 things in your next cold emails.

6/ No follow up

Most of my client deals came from persistent follow up.

No response to my first cold email? Follow up 2 more times.

Stopped responding after I sent the proposal? Follow up until they say no.

People will thank you for being so persistent.

7/ Not open to negotiation

Some freelancers are set in their rates and won't budge at all. Be open to negotiate.

Don't lower price at first. Throw in extra assets for the same price.

Take away assets from the package if they want to lower the price.

Know when to walk away.