Why are some photographers more successful than others? In part it's their level of confidence. Or anxiety. Picture the anxious photographer preparing for a pre-wedding consult. Setting out coffee and cakes in the studio. Grateful someone got past the email stage. Anxious to finalise the booking … And not wanting to push their luck! They know the bride's looking for a cheap photographer and a cheap album … or a good photographer and a DVD! The most important thing to her is her BUDGET. The confident photographer starts by assuming the most important thing to the bride is her WEDDING. She sets out beautiful display albums with the coffee and cupcakes. She covers her walls with photographic art. Silent salesmen for what she expects them to buy. When she arrives, the bride already feels she knows the photographer. Her friend has got married, she's seen the album, she knows who made it, and probably even how much it cost. Even if she doesn't know the photographer, she feels like she does, because she's met her online. The photographer's website is a virtual studio, with beautiful albums on display, wall art, her smiling face, client galleries. She's listened in on the chatting with earlier clients and their friends and families. The confident photographer doesn't wait until that first meet-up to build relationships and expectations. The sale is half-made by then. The back story, the referrals, the beautiful studio, the website, the Facebook page, the blog - all lead into that first meeting and determine its outcome. To the anxious go the leftovers. Cheers, Ian Thanks for painting the picture, Katrina