What ever you want to sell, you must show. It really is close to being that simple. When it comes to our Holiday Cards, we really have to show a sample (that they can touch and feel) in order to help them realize just how awesome our offering is. The heavy card-stock, the linen textured paper, the special die-cut… Feeling them will help you reach the sale much faster and better then trying to give them away fro nothing.

Here’s the reality, new photographers have a bad habit of getting super excited about cards, they buy up a ton of templates and then they don’t end up selling any cards, probably not even enough to compensate for all of the templates they bought with high hopes and giddy ‘add to cart’ excitement! So ultimately it was a deflated bust.

Instead only purchase a few templates a year and allow yourself to build on your collection year after year but without completely overwhelming clients with way to many choices. We are not trying to be Hallmark,  we are boutique business owners. Boutiques have fewer options but what they do show is only the best.

In order to encourage our clients to send Christmas Cards, it’s really important to send your own! Especially for those who are newer in your photography career. My very first year I only sold 2 clients Christmas Cards. (And guess what I didn’t even make up all that money I’d spent in templates) I kept one card from each client for samples for the following year and I sent everyone and their dog a family Christmas card from us. The following year it became so much easier to sell cards! This was because first; our card was awesome! Bawhaha. I don’t mean because of us, I mean because next to all of the other cheaply produced Costco style printing sat our heavy weight cardstock, textured paper, super cute design with great photography image. Ok, let’s just put it out there that I am totally bragging but I hope you know how I mean it!! What I mean is that I’m awesome. J/K.

So what type of card do you send to clients? You want to send the best, have all the bells and whistles so that your clients will see how awesome what you offer is. After that you can decide if you want to send a Family Card or a Card that showcases all of that years clients… Here are some samples to stir up your own creativity….

My Family Christmas Card from 2010 (Leah Remillet Photography)

Christmas Card from Kelli France & Fam (Of Chic Critique Forum)

Client Holiday Card from Amy Pinney Photography

From Andrea Blair (OF Paper Horse Photography)

From Angela Cosgrove

Client Christmas Card from the Park’s (Of NAPCP)