How My 'Bad Clients' Grew My Photography Business | 88

Let's kick off this week with a controversial statement, but one we need to hear:
What if our so-called "bad clients" are right? What if their criticism holds valid points?

Before you close this email, let me unpack this a bit further.

It's easy to dismiss negative feedback from clients, but what if we paused, reflected, and sifted through it to find the nuggets of truth?

If we apply this valuable feedback to our business, it could help us grow as creatives and entrepreneurs. Let's leave our egos at the door and see how we can increase our revenue by listening to our "bad clients"

Now, think about this: have you ever received criticism after delivering your final work?

How did you react? Did you get defensive, or did you view it as an opportunity to discover your blind spots and improve?

Have you ever proactively asked a client for their feedback?

I'm writing this newsletter to give you a perspective shift.

Instead of dismissing feedback and getting defensive, we should evaluate it for what it truly is. A learning opportunity and a potential stepping stone for growing our businesses. We need to embrace a mindset of continuous improvement. Let's remain open to recognizing our blind spots. By doing this, our businesses will grow, and our lives will become more fulfilling.

The first few years of my product photography career were a rollercoaster. Going from street photography -> product photography wasn't easy. I was learning with each project. Both in terms of photography and business.

Most of my learning came from trial and error. I embraced criticism, which helped me to shortcut some of the process.

The key to dealing with feedback is to evaluate its validity.

Is it truly constructive and beneficial to my business, or was it just a client's personal preference?

Spotting patterns in feedback was critical. If I was unsure whether the client or I was right, I looked for second opinions. I wanted to know if the feedback was an actual problem that I needed to fix.

Adopting a radically open mindset towards criticism required a huge shift for me. It wasn't easy.

I realized the criticism was rarely about me personally. They were about my work and my business. Something I had to think of separate from myself.

This understanding allowed me to fine-tune my offers, improve my sales pitch, and ultimately close more deals. Adopting a mindset of continuous improvement, coupled with the right tools, online courses, and business strategies, allowed me to better align my services with my clients' actual needs.

But how do we truly know what clients need? The answer is simple - actively listen to them. This client-centric approach can help us tailor our services to their needs. This doesn't end when the project is completed. Keep checking in with your clients, ask for testimonials, reviews, and case studies. I have a dedicated module full of lessons teaching how to engage with clients post-project in Creative Biz Launch. Join the waitlist to learn how to land those high-paying retainers

Let's take a look at Amazon’s approach. We've all gotten those "feedback surveys" after talking with customer support. Why don't we, as creatives, adopt a similar approach? It doesn't have to be an official survey. It could be a few standard questions sent via email. Log these responses, and if you see a pattern, you have a potential area for improvement.

Adopting a client-centric approach and accepting all feedback is challenging. It requires us to set aside our egos and respond to criticism professionally, focusing on finding a solution rather than dwelling on the problem.

By embracing criticism and focusing on continuous improvement, we can build businesses that grow and thrive. This client-centric approach could be the key to unlocking greater success and profitability.

I appreciate you being part of this newsletter community. Keep moving forward in your creative biz 💪.