Peter: I’m back with another amazing member of the Next Level photography training program, Hannah Reynolds of The Picture of Love. Tell us a little about yourself.

Hannah: I’ve been a photographer for almost four years. I officially started my business at the end of 2017. The first few years were all word of mouth, friends and family telling their friends and family, and that eventually ran out. I needed something more solid that would consistently generate income. I was living in Florida, and for years my fiancé and I wanted to move to the mountains in North Carolina, where we’re getting married. It always felt like a far-off dream, because all my referrals were in Florida, and I thought I could never start from scratch out of state. But five months into Next Level, here I am, living in North Carolina.

Peter: You signed up on February 1st, 2021. Where were you in January?

Hannah: Very depressed about my business. Photography has been my dream since I was a little kid. I used to serve tables, and when I had knee surgery, my boss took me off the schedule and filled my position. So photography was all I had, unless I wanted another serving job. But it wasn’t working financially. I didn’t know how to market. I was always just floating by. I was happy to float by because I loved photography, but I’m getting married, I wanted to move, have kids, and save money. When I talked to you about Next Level, I had $90 left in my bank account. I was missing car payments and using every COVID deferment I could. I thought, “If I don’t make a sale this weekend, I’ll have to quit photography and go back to serving tables.”

Hannah: In my first month in Next Level, I made $20,000. Sarah asked me if I had time to devote to it right now, and I said, “No, I don’t, but I’m going to make the time, because I need to.” I stayed up all night for about two weeks watching weeks one and two, implementing as I went. I told my fiancé he wouldn’t hear much from me. Within two weeks, I made my first sale, and over the next two weeks I made about $20,000.

Peter: And about 95% of your clients pay in full up front, so that was $20K in cash collected, not future bookings.

Hannah: When you said in the training, “Pause the video and do this now,” I paused the video and did it. I didn’t procrastinate at all. At first I worried, “Am I doing this right?” Then I thought, “Screw it. I have $90. Just do it.”

Peter: People who get big results don’t overthink. Go hard for 30 days with blinders on, and when you look up, your reality can be totally different.

Hannah: About six months before Next Level, I signed up for an SEO class, and I cried so much watching it. I didn’t understand any of it, I couldn’t implement it, and I gave up. One of my first questions about Next Level was, “Please tell me this is a ‘follow my instructions and you’ll make money’ class,” because so many classes I’d taken just said, “Go do this,” without saying how. Next Level tells you exactly what to do, how to do it, and what not to do. It’s easy, and it’s actually fun.

I’m also getting the best clients, because I get to pick them. One couple bought me something off my wedding registry. We’d just done their engagement photos and had a great time. I want to do this until I retire, so I want clients who respect and value me.

Peter: At this level, going to $100K or $200K a year, it should be very tactical. You don’t need 10 different lead sources. You need one, and then you hammer it. I don’t think any wedding photographer trying to make $100K should be focused on SEO.

Hannah: Sarah added me on Facebook, and one of her posts said she’d made some absurd amount in a short time and paid for her wedding in cash. I was so freaked out about how I’d pay for my wedding that it triggered something. She offered a free call, no strings attached, and I figured, “I’ve got time and no money.” When she told me the price, I shut down. I’d taken a thousand classes and none had worked. But she answered my questions and even talked to my parents, who helped me pay for it. It came down to taking a leap of faith to save my business or quitting to serve tables. I was already in debt, so what’s another few thousand dollars? Now I’m paying off all my debt.

I definitely thought it was a scam. It sounded too good to be true. Maybe they made $50,000 in two months and then nothing ever again, or maybe that $100K was future bookings, not cash. But Sarah had been in a situation very similar to mine, trying to pay for her wedding and broke the year before. Talking to her helped more than talking to you would have. Watching other people’s testimonials helped too.

Peter: What made the difference for you, compared to all the other courses?

Hannah: Two things. First, the twice-weekly live calls, where you can ask your own questions and get one-on-one help. Second, how specific it was. Every other class I’d taken, including mentoring from other photographers, felt good, but I’d leave thinking, “Wait, what do I actually do?” Once, I hopped on a live call right before a sales call, and you told me, “Stop talking. Tell them your price and go quiet.” I used to word-vomit and offer to go cheaper. That advice has kept so much money on the table, and I don’t think I’d have made that sale otherwise.

Peter: I come from digital marketing, where if we didn’t get clients results, we didn’t get paid. That’s very different from someone who made some money with photography and now teaches it in a vague way. It’s black and white: lead generation, booking calls, doing calls, making sales.

Hannah: Since February 1st, I’ve collected $70,700 and booked another $6,000, so almost $77,000 in revenue. That averages about $14,000 a month. Before, I averaged about $4,000 a month. Some months were $1,000 or $2,000, and a $6,000 month felt fantastic. Now, if I had a $6,000 month, I’d wonder what I was doing wrong.

Peter: A couple of months ago, you shared in the group that you were in a slump, and then you came back and hit $15K in about a week. How did you do that?

Hannah: I’d been crazy busy and wasn’t advertising or talking to people. It wasn’t that I was doing the work and not getting sales. I wasn’t doing the work. So I spent a whole weekend crushing it and made about $15,000 in a week and a half.

What helps is having a detailed script and daily process. In the past, when I hit a slump, I didn’t know what to do, so I couldn’t get out of it. I’d work on my Instagram, my website, SEO I didn’t understand, becoming a preferred vendor, and updating business cards and flyers, so many pointless things. I worked my butt off for nothing, and that pushed me further into the slump. It wasn’t that I lacked drive. I lacked the process. Now I take out my piece of paper, start checking things off, and I know it’ll work.

Peter: Business can feel random, but if you book consultations, a certain percentage will book. So you need consultations, there are actions that generate them, and if you take those actions, you’ll make money.

Hannah: Exactly. I know that if I need $10,000 a month to pay my bills and be comfortable, I need to talk to a certain number of people. It takes the guesswork out.

Peter: You’re closing about 50% of the couples you talk to. How did that happen?

Hannah: I brought my consultation script to your live calls four or five times, and I think I’m on my fifth version. It’s a list of points to cover, not word-for-word lines. Before a call, I look at where the wedding is, my costs, and what kind of package I can build. My biggest priority is making sure my client is really thrilled with what I’m giving them. I’m at about 48% to 50% right now. Before Next Level, my close rate was maybe 5%. I’d talk to 20, 30, or 40 people before one would even get on the phone. I had a list of over 300 people who’d ghosted me. I haven’t been ghosted since starting Next Level.

Hannah: As soon as I joined Next Level, I deleted my pricing guide from Dubsado, which was scary, because it took a long time to build. I’ve never sent one since. On the quick call, I say, “I don’t have set packages. I customize quotes for every couple based on your needs and budget, so I need to ask you some questions.” They love that.

On the consult, about nine out of 10 grooms haven’t seen my portfolio, and he’s a decision-maker. So I share my screen, show my Instagram and a full gallery or two, ideally from their venue. Then I ask about their priorities and budget range. On video, I can see their reactions, so if a price doesn’t work, I say, “Okay, what if we did a little less time? Would that be more comfortable?” Sometimes they say, “We don’t even want the reception covered.” I’ve written down what I need to make for each piece and what my costs are, so I can build packages that work for both of us. I haven’t given two couples the same price since starting Next Level.

Peter: Most people start with a pricing guide based on what they think the market wants, or what a competitor does. You’re letting the market tell you what it wants and tailoring your offer to it. It’s much easier to sell people what they want.

Hannah: Before, I’d email a paragraph about myself with a pricing guide attached, and I thought I was the smartest photographer in the world. Some couples booked small packages online without ever talking to me, and then at the wedding it wasn’t enough time. Now, if what someone wants isn’t feasible with me, I tell them and help them find a referral. One couple was under my budget for a full-day package and loved my style, and they still went with someone else, because we never actually talked.

Peter: Buying decisions aren’t purely logical. It has to feel right, and the only way it feels right is by connecting with another human.

Hannah: A couple told me their budget was probably $2,000 at most, and at the end of the call, they paid me $4,300 in full. It’s all about value. Most couples have never gotten married before and don’t know what to look for in a photographer. So I explain what I’ll do for them: build a timeline, bustle the dress, even fix makeup. One bride told me her family is dramatic and her mom tries to take over family photos, and I told her how I handled exactly that two months ago. I tell them I bring four cameras, so they don’t have to worry if one breaks. Other photographers just email a pricing guide. When I’m showing them everything I’ll do, they say, “You’re a little outside my budget, but I’d rather go with you.”

Peter: Nobody knows what this costs until we educate them. People will pay any amount of money if they believe what they’re getting has enough value. That’s our role, and you can never do it with a pricing guide.

Hannah: I thought video calls would take so much time, but they save me time. We handle payment, the contract, and all their questions in one call. I’ve only done about 32 or 33 consults since starting video chats, and I make way more money. On the quick call, I let them do most of the talking, then take two minutes to tell them about me and that I customize quotes. While we’re still on the phone, I send them my scheduler and have them book a time when their fiancé can join.

Peter: You hold their hand the whole way and get every decision-maker on the call, so nobody can say, “I need to talk to my fiancé.” That’s how you get a 50% close rate.

Peter: What would you say to someone watching who wants to make $77K in five months but thinks it might be too good to be true?

Hannah: That’s exactly what I thought. It’s so worth it. You’ve watched this interview and probably others, so you have the info. At some point, you have to trust it. I’m a real person, and no one is paying me to say this. And you don’t have to work yourself into the ground. I only put in a little each day. I just moved out of state, which took about two weeks, and I barely did anything for my business. I’d pick up my phone for an hour, and it still brought in a lot. I never lacked drive. For three years I worked 60 to 80 hours a week on the wrong things. Now I work normal hours, sometimes even part-time, and I’m doing way better.

Peter: What’s your advice for people already in Next Level?

Hannah: Don’t get lazy. Do a little bit every day. My slump happened because I had a lot of mental load from my personal life and wasn’t doing the work. Even when you’re not in the right headspace, remind yourself that this isn’t hard work, you enjoy it, and it’s going to pay you

Peter: It’s momentum. The results you see this month come from the work you did last month.

Hannah: And to people who haven’t signed up: if you need to make that kind of money and something has to change, stop sitting there thinking about it and just do it. If I can do it, you can. I’m pretty introverted, but on a video call with pre-qualified couples and a script, I don’t have to word-vomit or get anxious. Some calls are 20 or 30 minutes and I get paid on the call. Some are two hours because I enjoy talking to the couple so much.

Also, there’s so much more in the program than closing sales, like scheduling yourself better and mindset. I almost skipped the mindset week because I thought I didn’t need it. I watched it anyway, and it changed my whole outlook, including how I approach talking to clients.

Peter: The people who think they don’t need to work on their mindset are often the ones who need it most. I can’t wait for your $200K interview.

Hannah: It’s not unattainable. I know exactly what to do to get there.

Peter: A lot of people listening think, “I don’t want to sell. People should just want to work with me because I make great art.”

Hannah: I said exactly that to Sarah. I didn’t want to be a salesman. The class showed me how to set it up so clients sell themselves on me. While I’m scrolling my Instagram on screen share, I ask, “What do you guys like about my style?” Then I go quiet. If the bride answers, I say, “I want to hear from both of you.” The groom might say, “I like that they don’t look uncomfortable.” So I explain, “Here’s how I get couples to look comfortable. I use fun prompts and tell jokes, and I don’t make you pose stiffly. In this photo, here’s exactly what I said to get them laughing.” By the time we get to price, they’re pretty much sold, and it’s just a matter of whether we can make the price work. If not, we try a different package.

Peter: Think of it as finding a fit. What do I need to add or take away? It’s hard for someone to say no when it’s exactly what they want, and they walk away with what they want. That’s what business really is.