One of the things I’m most passionate about when it comes to minis is…UP-SELLING! (Basically selling additional images on top of whatever images come with your session fee.) Learning how to up-sell your mini-sessions is a game-changer.

Now when I say up-selling, I’m not talking about In Person Sales (IPS). I don’t know about you, but I don’t have time for that! All of my up-selling is done online and automatically through my online gallery system (Shootproof). 

If you aren’t up-selling, you’re leaving money on the table!! People WANT to buy extra photos! I promise, if you give them the option to do so, many will take you up on it.

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There are a few keys that are super important to grasp when it comes to learning how to up-sell your mini-sessions galleries. Let’s get right to it!

1. Limit images included in the session fee

The way that you structure your minis is the MOST IMPORTANT part of up-selling with mini-sessions. (Read “What Is a Mini-Session? (and What ISN’T)” for more on this. If you include too many images in your session fee, people won’t feel the need to buy extras. 

I’ve found that the magic number is 5 images included. It’s just enough to justify the price of the session, but few enough that they’ll want to buy more. 

Think of your session as a cake. If you were to give 10 images included in the session fee, you’d be giving them a good sized slice of the cake. Most people are fine with just a slice and wouldn’t need more.

By giving only 5 images, you’re only giving them a bite of the cake. No one just eats a bite! Of course they’ll have to have more!

2. Deliver must-have images

When shooting, you want to make sure to capture shots that the family HAS to have. For example, by getting an individual shots of each of the kids, the parents can’t just buy one of those…they have to buy each of them! 

I always get photos of just mom and the kids and just dad and the kids. Of course they’ll have to get both. For more examples of capturing must-have shots, read “My Mini-Sessions Shooting Workflow.”

3. Allow them to select their 5 or purchase more

When I deliver my mini-sessions galleries, I always deliver about 20 images. I’ve found that my favorites aren’t always the client’s favorites. By delivering 20, it gives your clients the opportunity to choose their 5 that they paid for with their session, or fall in love with the full gallery and purchase more photos!

I use Shootproof to deliver my galleries. It’s one of those hidden gems that really doesn’t get enough credit! It lets me limit the number of downloads within the gallery, so I can make sure my clients only get 5 free. 

I put a huge watermark on all images in the gallery so they don’t screenshot and steal photos (Shootproof can do this automatically when you upload photos into the gallery), and I use the shopping cart feature for them to purchase additional images:

I give them the option to purchase individual digitals for $65, sets of 3 for $90 (discount can be set up to automatically add in checkout), or the full gallery for $200. This leads us to the next key…

4. Pricing additional images

PLEASE for the love of all things holy…DO NOT price your individual digitals at $5 each!! I’ve tried so many different pricing structures, and I’ve found that people don’t care how much additional photos cost. The ones who buy will buy them no matter what the cost is.

I asked a friend of mine how much she’d pay for a full gallery. Her answer was so awesome. She said, “Rebecca, it wouldn’t matter what it costs. If I had to sacrifice some things to make it happen financially, I’d do it in a heartbeat. I can’t see beautiful photos of my kids and walk away without them.”

I’m TELLING YOU! People WILL pay good money for extra photos. Give it a try! Structure your pricing like mine and see what happens. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the outcome!

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When you learn. how to up-sell your mini-sessions, it’s like a whole new world opens up! (Cue Aladin and Jasmine.)

More Resources:

• Free Mini-Sessions Class – Learn all about timing, pricing, and marketing your minis in this 1-hour class!
• FREEBIE: 12 Profitable Minis Theme Ideas
• Mini-Sessions Facebook Group

You may also like…

– “4 Reasons Why Your Mini-Sessions Aren’t Booking”

– “4 Steps to An Excellent Client Experience For Your Mini-Session”