Most photographers just finished their busiest season—and they're about to make their biggest sales mistake of the year.
Three years ago, I almost didn't send an email that changed how I think about Q4.
It was early November. My season was wrapping up. I was exhausted and ready for a break. The last thing I wanted to do was cold outreach.
But something made me send one more email to a league I'd been chasing for years. Just a simple note: “How did this season go? Are you happy with your current setup?”
He responded within 30 minutes: “Honestly? No. We've had the same photographer for five years and parents are complaining about turnaround times. Been thinking about making a change. Can we talk?”
We met the following week. I sent a proposal. By mid-December, I had a signed contract for the next three seasons.
Here's the thing: If I'd waited until January like I wanted to, that opportunity would've been gone. He told me later that two other photographers reached out in late December and early January—but by then, he'd already committed to me.
That one November email—the one I almost didn't send—became a $40,000 relationship.
It taught me something crucial: Q4 isn't when prospects check out. It's when they're quietly making decisions about who they'll work with next year. The best time to contact them is right after they've had a bad season and open to change
Most photographers treat Q4 like downtime. But while you're coasting, your prospects are making decisions about who to hire for next season. Here are four REASONS why Q4 is actually your biggest competitive advantage of the year.
Reason #1: Pain Is Fresh, Change Is Now
Here's a question every volume photographer should be asking: When do you think dissatisfied prospects are most likely to make a change?
Right after they've had a bad season.
Picture day just wrapped for most leagues. Your leagues know exactly what went well and what went wrong. Parents are either raving or complaining. Yearbook coordinators are either relieved or scrambling to fix problems.
This is the moment when dissatisfaction is highest—and motivation to change is strongest.
Industry statistics tell us that at least one in seven schools change photography providers every year. That means for every seven leagues in your market, there's at least one that will hire a new photographer in the coming season.
But here's what most people miss: Those decisions don't happen randomly. They happen in a specific window. And that window is right now.
When you reach out in Q4, you're not interrupting. You're arriving at exactly the right moment. You're the solution to a problem they're actively trying to solve.
Compare that to reaching out in January. By then, they've either solved the problem themselves, committed to giving their current photographer “one more chance,” or already found a replacement. Hint: it was the photographer who called in Q4.
Timing isn't everything. But in sales, it's pretty close.
Reason #2: Your Competition Has Gone Dark
Let me ask you something: When do you think it's easier to get an leagues attention—January 15th or November 15th?
In January, every photographer in your market is flooding inboxes for Spring season. Prospects are drowning in cold emails and phone calls. Your message is competing with dozens of others, all saying roughly the same thing.
In Q4? Crickets.
Most photographers have checked out mentally. They're focused on Thanksgiving, Christmas shopping, year-end paperwork. The last thing on their mind is prospecting.
And that creates a massive opportunity for you.
When you reach out in Q4, you're not fighting for attention. You have it. Decision-makers actually have time to take your call, respond to your email, or schedule a meeting. There's no rush. No pressure. Just space for a real conversation.
By reaching out in Q4, you're giving prospects the gift of time. Time to get to know you. Time to review your work. Time to see you as a trusted partner rather than just another vendor chasing a contract.
That's not just good timing. That's strategic positioning.
Reason #3: Board Meetings and Planning Cycles Happen in Q4
Most leagues operate on a calendar year cycle. That means Q4 is when boards meet to review the current year and plan for the next.
Think about when these critical meetings happen:
- October: Post-fall sports reviews
- November: Board planning meetings before Thanksgiving
- December: Budget approvals and vendor decisions for next year
Miss these meetings, and you may have missed your window.
When you reach out in January, those board meetings are already done. Decisions may have already been made. Contracts are already signed. You're not just late—you're locked out until next year.
But when you position yourself in Q4, you can actually influence those board discussions. You can be the solution they're considering when they sit down to make vendor decisions.
The photographers who consistently win aren't necessarily the best shooters. They're the ones who understand organizational calendars and show up when decisions are being made—not after.
Reason #4: January May Be Too Late
Let's talk about what really happens when you wait until January to start prospecting.
You're not starting fresh. You're starting behind.
By the time January rolls around, your competition—the ones who didn't hit cruise control—have already been in conversations for weeks. They've already built rapport. They've already positioned themselves as the solution.
Research shows that 81% of B2B buyers have already chosen their preferred vendor before they even make first contact with sales.[^3] That means by the time you're reaching out in January, most of your prospects have already made up their minds.
You're not competing to be chosen. You're competing to replace someone who's already in pole position.
Starting in Q4 flips this dynamic completely. You become the photographer who's ahead of the curve. Professional. Prepared. While everyone else is waiting for “the right time,” you're already building the relationships that will close in January.
Would you rather be the photographer prospects are considering in October, or the one they're politely declining in January because they've already committed to someone else?
The Bottom Line
Most photographers treat Q4 like a finish line. The ones crushing it? They treat it like a starting line.
While everyone else winds down, they're building relationships with next season's clients. While competitors go dark, they're showing up consistently. While others wait for prospects to come to them, they're proactively reaching out.
The cost of waiting isn't a few lost opportunities. It's starting every year from behind.
Your Q4 Action Plan
This week, pick three leagues whose picture day just wrapped. Send them this exact email:
“Hi [Name], I know picture day just wrapped—how did everything go this year? I'm planning my spring schedule and wanted to check in.”
That's it. No pitch. No pressure. Just genuine curiosity about their experience.
The photographers who do this consistently are the ones prospects call when things go wrong. Be that photographer.
What would change in your business if you approached Q4 with the same urgency you bring to your busiest shooting season. Here to help you grow, one season at a time,
~ Mike Luter
PSU Education for Volume Photographers
P.S. Goal Setting Workshop: Watch for dates and registeration information in our upcoming newsletter.
