🎧 The One with Sales That Don’t Feel Salesy, with Luci Dumas
Bonus | The One Behind the Lens
Hosted by Kate DeCoste
Guest: Luci DumasTotal
Length: ~60:00
🎙 Episode Summary
When you think of “sales,” do you picture pushy tactics, awkward conversations, and clients ghosting you afterward? My guest this week, Luci Dumas, is here to flip that script.
Luci has been a full-time photographer for over 40 years and now coaches creatives on building businesses that are profitable, sustainable, and deeply fulfilling. She’s also the host of The Profitable Photographer Podcast, with over 330 episodes under her belt.
In this conversation, Luci walks us through her in-person sales process—from slideshows to whiteboards to wall art—that helps photographers not only increase their income, but also deliver finished artwork that families will treasure for generations.
We also dig into the mindset roadblocks that hold photographers back, why networking and professional organizations like PPA matter, and how sales can shift from being scary to being a joyful service to your clients.
Whether you’re brand new to selling or ready to refine your client experience, this episode will leave you inspired and equipped with tools you can use right away.
📌 What You’ll Learn:
- How Luci transitioned from weddings to portraits and coaching over her 40-year career
Why in-person sales create happier clients and higher profits
Luci’s exact sales flow (slideshow → categories → wall art + albums)
The top business roadblocks photographers face and how to overcome them
Why networking, grit, and community are non-negotiables for sustainable success
How to reframe sales as service, not pressure
🕒 Timestamps
0:00 – Welcome back! Meet Luci Dumas—photographer, coach, and podcast host
2:00 – Luci’s start in the 1980s recession and finding her first niche
6:30 – From weddings to babies + families: navigating burnout and pivoting
10:00 – The origin of Luci’s in-person sales system14:00 – Why projecting images big changes the entire sales experience
18:00 – Using categories + whiteboards to simplify decision-making
22:00 – How wall portraits + albums deliver legacy and profit
27:00 – Sales myths that hold photographers back
32:00 – Common roadblocks: unclear vision, niche fears, and money mindset
38:00 – The role of relationships and networking in business growth
44:00 – The power of professional organizations like PPA48:00 – Grit, perseverance, and keeping your passion alive long-term
52:00 – Luci’s free resources + coaching offers for photographers
57:00 – Final thoughts: why sales should feel joyful
💾 Resources & Links
Luci’s Podcast:→ The Profitable Photographer
Free Client Attraction Guide: https://lucidumascoaching.com/freegift/ for an Ideal Client Attraction Guide
Create the Business of Your Dreams session with Luci: lucidumascoaching. com
Coaching Info:→ lucidumascoaching.com
💬 Follow Luci Online:
Instagram: @theprofitablephotographer_pod
YouTube: Profitable Photographer Podcast
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LuciDumasCoaching
🎁 Listener Perk:
Thanks to Taylor Aller, you can grab FREE access to the Make It Happen Planner + Private Podcast Series—your behind-the-scenes guide to reverse-engineering real goals and creating more momentum (with less chaos). Snag it here → https://tayloraller.myflodesk.com/freeplanner
✨ Quotes to Remember
“Sales isn’t about pressure—it’s about helping people bring art into their homes.” – Luci Dumas
“When you see a client’s reaction in real time, you learn what they value most.” – Luci Dumas
“Networking isn’t optional. People do business with people they know, like, and trust.” – Luci Dumas
Follow Kate + Check out Kate's Education &
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Cardiac Cowboys
The heart was always off-limits to surgeons. Cutting into it spelled instant death for the patient. That is, until a ragtag group of doctors scattered across the Midwest and Texas decided to throw out the rule book. Working in makeshift laboratories and home garages, using medical devices made from scavenged machine parts and beer tubes, these men and women invented the field of open heart surgery. Odds are, someone you know is alive because of them. So why has history left them behind? Presented by Chris Pine, CARDIAC COWBOYS tells the gripping true story behind the birth of heart surgery, and the young, Greatest Generation doctors who made it happen. For years, they competed and feuded, racing to be the first, the best, and the most prolific. Some appeared on the cover of Time Magazine, operated on kings and advised presidents. Others ended up disgraced, penniless, and convicted of felonies. Together, they ignited a revolution in medicine, and changed the world.
The Joe Rogan Experience
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.