Why Your Samples Matter More Than You Think
with Abigail Lewis Photography
In person sales (IPS) isn’t just a buying process, it’s an experience. When done well, it’s one of the most powerful ways photographers can elevate their client journey, increase revenue and build long term relationships rooted in trust.
But there’s one element that makes all of this possible, samples.
Whether you’re a seasoned IPS photographer or just dipping your toes into product sales, your sample products aren’t simply “display pieces”. They’re your most influential sales tool and the bridge between what your clients think they want and what they fall in love with once they see it.
Why Samples Matter So Much in IPS
One of the biggest challenges photographers face is that clients often struggle to imagine what their images will look like in print. When you talk about wall art or albums theoretically, many clients can’t mentally picture scale, texture, colour or presence. Without something tangible to interact with, products remain ideas and ideas rarely carry the emotional weight needed to drive decisions.
When clients can touch an album and feel its weight, see the texture of the paper or view a frame at actual size on the studio wall, uncertainty disappears. Samples remove the guesswork. They build trust and help clients move from “I think I like this” to “I absolutely want this in my home”. This alone completely transforms the ease and success of the IPS appointment.
Samples are also a reflection of your professionalism. Displaying beautifully crafted products from a quality lab like Loxley Colour instantly communicates that you stand behind the standard of what you offer. When clients see the quality you choose to display, they understand the standard you expect for their own finished pieces.
Even from a storytelling perspective, samples make the IPS process more natural and more powerful. You can show how different frame styles complement particular tones or how varying sizes create different levels of impact. Instead of describing options, you can show them. Instead of asking clients to guess what will suit their space, you can guide them visually toward the right choices.
Starting Out Without a Full Set of Samples
Of course, many photographers worry about how to begin selling products without being able to invest in a full studio display immediately. We’ve been there ourselves. Samples are an investment but they are also one of the smartest investments you can make as you grow.
If you’re just starting your product sales journey, you absolutely do not need to purchase everything at once. A small, carefully curated selection of products is more than enough to begin building strong IPS foundations. Prioritise the products you most want to sell and gradually expand your display as your business grows.
During this early stage, digital mockups can be incredibly helpful. They give you a way to start selling confidently straight away, without waiting until you’ve built a complete sample collection. Mockups aren’t a replacement for samples, nothing replaces the emotional impact of a physical piece, but they do act as a powerful support tool. They help clients imagine their portraits in real spaces when physical samples alone can’t provide that context.
Even photographers with fully stocked studios use mockups regularly. Some clients need to see how a particular size or style will look on their own wall before making a final decision. Asking clients to send a quick photo of their room and dropping their chosen image into it can make the final choice feel easy, personal and exciting. It’s a small detail that shows care and attention and it often gives clients the clarity they need right at the end of the process.
Choosing and Using Your Samples Wisely
Your samples don’t need to be extensive, they need to be intentional. The most effective sample collections are built around the products you love and want to sell most. When you believe in what you display, clients pick up on that enthusiasm immediately.
Showcasing a range of sizes is especially important, because scale is one of the areas clients struggle with most. Most people underestimate how big a print needs to be to look appropriate in their homes, and physically seeing sizes side by side is often the moment they realise a larger piece is the right choice.
We introduce our clients to our products long before the IPS session begins. From their very first visit to the studio for their Pre Session Consultation, we guide them through our range so they can see, touch and understand the quality of what we offer before a single image has even been taken. They encounter the products again during their photography session and then once more at their IPS appointment, where everything finally comes together.
Walking clients through how different products complement their favourite images naturally builds clarity, confidence and excitement. And when we support this process with personalised mockups, clients are able to picture the artwork in the context of their own home, which often provides the final piece of reassurance they need before placing their order.
When clients are able to fully understand what they’re purchasing, when they’ve seen it, felt it and imagined it in their space, the sales process becomes natural, positive and effortless. It becomes a conversation, not a pitch.
Small Changes, Big Impact
You don’t have to overhaul your entire sales process overnight. In fact, it’s often the small, intentional changes, like introducing physical samples or refining how you guide clients through their options, that create the biggest impact on both confidence and conversion.
Samples play a powerful role in that journey. They help clients understand the value of printed artwork, connect emotionally with the possibilities and feel supported as they make decisions that will shape how their family’s memories are displayed for years to come. Whether you’re just beginning to build your IPS approach or looking to elevate an already established system, adding high quality, thoughtfully curated samples can transform the experience for both you and your clients.
And you don’t have to figure it out alone.
If you’d like support choosing the right products for your studio, Loxley Colour offers Discovery Calls to help you curate a sample collection that aligns with your brand, your workflow and the stories you want to help clients tell.
It’s a simple step that can set the foundation for a more confident, successful and fulfilling IPS process.