Shawn Lee is our go-to guy for advice on how to grow a thriving photography business. And he would know. 

He's turned "Rock That" into a science, blasting his business into orbit with his energy, style, and flair for teaching that draws photographers from around the world.

We wanted to get to the bottom of how Shawn finds success and what makes his sessions so insanely memorable for his clients – so we asked him! Take a listen below.

[transcript]

Hey! How’s everybody doing? This is Shawn Lee from Detroit, Michigan – Pro Photographer – And I’m getting ready to answer questions for PhotoBiz, alright?

The first question I was asked is:

“Shawn, what drives people to you?”

I can probably authentically say that it is my energy.

The fact that I care about their photos, their project, their session as much as I would if it were my own is, I think, very, very, very attractive to people. So that’s what gets me a lot of business here in Detroit, Michigan.

The other question was:

“Shawn what makes you different?”

Well, because I have so much energy, it translates into my session. So even the way I’m talking to you right now (you can kind of sense the energy coming from me) is the same way I do my sessions.

Before every single session, I have a consultation with my client – whether that’s in person or on the phone. And so I really get a sense of who they are and it really helps me to make everything custom to the individual.

So if you guys just kind of look and see...

This my work and this is the kind of stuff that I do. This is what makes me different, right? I am not afraid to think outside the box. Not afraid to try new things.

Is that cool? Rock that!

Listen, the next question that they asked me is:

“Shawn, what do clients get when they work with me?”

Well, what do you mean? Besides the energy? Besides the overload; sensory overload that they get with me?

What you really want to bring to the table (and what I really try to bring to the table) is a great sense of quality.

You bring professionalism to the table. Not only just energy, but you make sure you listen to your client. You make sure you know what will serve them well. Right?

For example, when they come into the studio, I always have snacks and drinks. And if there’s a favorite drink and a favorite snack, I make sure that I have that available.

There is a comfort level in the studio. We’ve got really comfortable chairs, couches, big screen televisions up in multiple places throughout the studio so that they can see themselves. There’s some things that I do on a personal level in a session that really makes them comfortable and makes the client comfortable.

So that’s what clients get when they work when me. There’s a great professionalism, a great energy, and a great uniqueness that I think we bring to the table, right?

So the next question is and I think this is fun:

“How do I make sales?”

Right, so how do I make sales to the mother and the grandmother? I think the best way to make sales to somebody who might be a little more conservative – especially with the energy that I bring and some of the cutting edge stuff that I do that is attractive to the actual say, high school senior...

What I bring to the mother and the grandmother is great value, right?

You have to bring great value. So what comes into play is being able to serve the individual client. So the things that are important to them where it concerns their baby, right? Or their son or daughter or their grandson or granddaughter, bringing those kind of attributes out that are custom to them, that they can remember their children by. They can remember their family by.

All of that stuff you want to make sure you bring out in a session and that makes it valuable to them. And that’s how we serve the individual client. As far as moms and grandmoms and people who are on budgets and all of that good stuff.

Here’s the last question and I think this is really, really cool:

“What can others do to make their work rock like mine?”

Well, I appreciate that. I appreciate that folks think that my work rocks. So I think the key way to do that – to make your work rock – is really pay attention to the client.

What I do in my sessions is that every single session is custom to the individual. I guarantee and I promise that no one person’s session will look like another person’s session.

And so when you actually take time to get to know your client, know who they are, know what makes them tick, and then make it a point of yours to capture that? Your work will rock. I guarantee it.

And not only will the work rock, you’ll be able to sell a lot of it to a client because they will value it, they will appreciate it. Alright? ROCK THAT GUYS! Remember.

This is Shawn Lee out of Detroit and you can take business to the Next Level.

Rock that!