Hey guys, we have been super busy behind the scenes over here this season, getting a lot of new little bonus type things ready for you. And one of them that I haven't done a lot of talking about, but that I am very excited about is our brand new podcast dedicated entirely to the simple Sale system. I have for four years hosted an online masterclass where, you know, you enter your email address, and then you can
go watch this masterclass. And the masterclass is free, but it was an hour and 30 minutes long, and you kind of had to sit in front of your computer to listen to it. And you know, over time just sort of felt like maybe people want a different way to consume this information. And obviously, a lot of you listened
to me on the podcast. So I figured why not create a short mini series that walks you through all the six steps of the system that honestly kind of put me on the map as an educator, the simple sales system is my sort of hybridized version of all inclusive sales and in person sales, where you are able to earn in person sales type income, but with a process that is much more hands off and allows your clients to shop sort of in the privacy of their own home feeling very supported, but
not you know, requiring kind of the hard sales tactics that in person sales, often does require. So it has now been implemented by 1000s of photographers all over the world. People love it, they get amazing results from it. And it is truly something that if I am known for anything in this industry, I would like to be known as the person who developed and shared the system
with the world. So I'm really hoping that having it live out there in the form of a podcast that you don't have to enter your email address for you don't have to sit down in front of your computer and watch me talk for an hour and a half for you can just plug it into your ears, sort of you know, go about your day, walk your dog, you know, commute to work and learn about this system so that you can on your own time and in your own
space. Decide whether this is something that you are interested in learning more about. So what we have decided to do is instead of presenting a different, this can't be that hard episode. This week, I am sharing the first episode of the simple sales system series with you. If you are interested in tuning into the rest of the series after this, you can click the link in the show notes. Or you can just search whatever podcast platform that you like to use for the simple sales
system for photographers. That's the name of the podcast. It's 10 episodes long, and I hope you really love it. Welcome to this can't be that hard. My name is Annemie Tonken. And I help photographers run profitable, sustainable businesses that they love. Each week on the podcast, I cover simple, actionable strategies and systems that photographers at every level of experience can use to earn more money in a more sustainable way. Running a photography business doesn't
have to be that hard. You can do it. And I can show you how. Hey there, welcome to the simple sales system. This is a 10 part mini series where I will walk you through the system that has helped 1000s of photographers around the world make more money in a more sustainable way in all kinds of niches and at all kinds of price points. If we've not met, my name is Annemie Tonken. I'm a family photographer in North Carolina. I'm the host of the this can't be that hard
podcast. And I'm the person who developed the simple Sale system. And honestly, every time I say that sentence, it kind of blows my mind because when I launched my photography business back in 2010, I honestly had basically no idea what I was doing. It turns out that creating a successful career in photography is a tougher gig than most people give it credit for. I very distinctly remember thinking, I already have a camera, I already have a computer. So now it's basically
all profit, right? Thankfully, early on in my business, I got a piece of advice that I honestly think ended up being the difference between what could have been a short failed venture, and what has turned out to be a profitable, long lived and immensely satisfying career. That advice was if you want to be successful as a photographer, spend at least as much time learning how to run a good business as you spend on your art. Now, that advice was not always the easiest to follow.
And I have made plenty of mistakes in my business, especially in those early days. But eventually my determination to crack the code paid off. And that happened when I discovered the power of systems. systems are everywhere around us, you have a system for brushing your teeth, and tying your shoes and making your bed systems are just a series of steps that lead to a
predictable outcome. And if you've ever made coffee, and you're half asleep under caffeinated state, accidentally forgotten to, you know, grind the beans or add the water, then you know that the order of the steps that you are doing in some sort of system is often just as important as the steps themselves. But if you're anything like me, you don't naturally think about systems
explicitly, right? You may know how to tie your shoes, but you probably don't have a checklist that you keep by the door to walk you through each step of that system. Right? You just do it. And that's how I ran my business. For the first several years that I was a photographer, I had a pretty good idea of the things that I needed to do in order to get people to find me, then hire me, then making the photos for them editing the photos delivering the photos.
And when I was on my game, and I didn't have too much going on, and my kids weren't sick, and I was feeling organized and motivated and present. I was really great at that job. However, when I was distracted or having an off day, or it was the busy season, and I had a lot of clients that I was working with, my business was really affected. Oftentimes, it really suffered. I would forget to sign some thank you notes, I would
miss deadlines. And sometimes I would find myself in situations where some small miscommunication some email I forgot to send, got out of hand, and all of a sudden I was dealing with like a truly unhappy client. And when those things happened, I really suffered not only did I feel a lot of stress and guilt, and honestly shame when I wasn't, you know, running my business the way I wanted to. But I'm sure it cost me dozens of repeat clients and referrals over the years, which translates into
1000s and 1000s of dollars. So some clients got my A game, which made them happy and it made me happy. It made me feel like yes, this is why I love what I do. It's you know, it's such an amazing job. Then there were those other clients that got my see game. And for years, I really didn't know that there was even an alternative to that. I just figured it was kind of
the way that it worked. Now I know it doesn't have two simple sales is a complete, fully customizable start to finish system that gives your clients an amazing experience. It gives you a clear repeatable path that will help you grow and grow with your business. And best of all, it guarantees profit with each and every client. So in this limited series 10 Episode podcast, you will learn all about that system. You'll find out whether it's right for you.
And if it is right for you, you'll learn how you can start getting it set up. If you're a portrait photographer who's looking for a way to make more money stand out from the crowd. feel more in control of your schedule and your work life balance and build a list of clients who rave about your services and come back again and again. Then you are in the right place. Join me as we deep dive the modern streamlined way to run a profitable sustainable photography business that you
love. If you're ready to make your photography business more profitable, more efficient and more attractive to your ideal clients. You're ready for the simple sales system. Click the link in the show notes or visit this can't be that hard.com/simple sales to get started.