In this episode of The Portrait System Podcast, host Nikki Closser speaks with boudoir photographer Cate Douglass of Jackson, Michigan, about how her Facebook Group cultivates her client base and her prepayment plans help them feel comfortable spending more with her.

Douglass worked in banking for most of the last decade before transitioning into portraiture during the pandemic. Like many photographers, she started shooting weddings and whatever else she could find before committing to her true passion of boudoir photography. Now, she shoots only women, generally ages 20 to 70, offering them a full-service experience with in-person wardrobe fittings and lots of personal attention. Her sessions begin with morning makeup before the photo session, and then after a lunch break, her clients come back to choose their images. But, before they come in for that day, they will already have chosen their product package and completed their full payment. Douglass takes her session fee upfront during the consultation, and a week later, in a follow-up phone call, her clients choose their collection and set up auto-payments on their payment plan.

Douglass has clients that come to her from her Facebook Group, from a billboard she has on the way to the local orchard, and also from Google. She says, “My average sale from my Facebook Group is $6,000. My average sale from my billboard is $3,500. So, I truly believe being personable and having clients in a group with past clients raving about their experience and showing their photos makes a huge difference.”

Douglass has very clear boundaries with her clients about payments and scheduling, and she says knowing the bill is already settled helps them feel at ease when they come in for their shoot. Additionally, it makes it easy for them to upgrade to a larger package or add on products when it will only cost them an additional few hundred dollars to do so. All this clear communication is working wonderfully for her business. She is only three years in but is booking a year out with ten clients a month.

You can learn more about Cate Douglass’ portrait sales approach using prepayment plans and and Facebook groups at Cate Autumn Studios.

The Portrait System Podcast helps portrait photographers navigate the world of photography, business, money, and much more. Hosted by Nikki Closser, the podcast is powered by The Portrait System, a comprehensive, online educational platform that teaches all aspects of running a successful portrait photography studio.