Professional Photographer - USA (2019-12)

32 PPMAG.COM

IN PERSON, ONLINE

EILEEN AND PHILLIP BLUME BRING IPS TO THE INTERNET

by Jeff Kent

BRIDGING THE GAPSUCCESS

Phillip and Eileen BlumePhillip and Eileen BlumePhillip and Eileen Blume

Eileen and Phillip Blume had run their pho-

tography studio outside of Atlanta for several

years when they realized their sales model

wasn’t working. Like many photographers,

the Blumes were intimidated by the idea of

selling directly to clients, so after each wed-

ding or portrait session, they’d put up an on-

line gallery, invite clients to log on, and then

hope for the best.

The images were good. The photography

experience was good. The sales were terrible.

The Blumes knew they needed to make a

change, and fast. They restructured over-

night, introducing in-person sales and a more

guided sales model. They couldn’t afford to

invest in a fancy display, so they used a lap-

top to host clients for sales sessions to re-

view choices and offer image selection help.

You’ve read this story before, so what hap-

pens next shouldn’t be a surprise. Sales in-

creased dramatically, then Phillip and Eileen

IMAGES ©THE BLUMES