Still working on getting albums approved six, nine, twelve months down the line? This will be eating into your time and your profit. Here are some simple ways to get albums approved quickly, while adding value for your client and offering them a great experience.

1. Get in quick!

There's before the shoot and there's after the shoot. Before, they're looking at your products (yeah, nice!) and photos of … other people. Afterwards they have your photos of them to fall in love with — and they will. But get in quick! — before the emotion of the day and the impact of the photos are overwhelmed by the day-to-day realities of work and bill-paying.

2. Explain the process clearly

This might seem obvious, but your clients probably never bought an album before. Tell them in advance what's going to happen, so there are no surprises:

You'll upload a gallery of images… You'll design them an album from those images … There'll be the big reveal, online or in person… You'll make any changes they want, swap any photos… They'll approve the final design… They'll pay for upgrades and extras… You'll place their order…

Be sure to tell them how long they have to request changes and approve the design.

All this should be in your written contract, and talked through verbally as well, so they can factor the album viewing, the proofing process and payment into their busy schedules and cashflow! You don’t want your client to say “I wish I’d known!”

3. Cull the images

Maybe you shot a couple of thousand images, but do them a favour and cut back to a few hundred in their image gallery. Do they really need to see the duplicates, the blinks, the out-of-focus or just plain unflattering shots? Setting expectations about the number of images you'll deliver is something else to explain up front.

4. Pre-design the album

There are two reasons to pre-design. First, you know what you're doing. Even after you cut back to 5-600 images it'll be a real challenge drilling down to 60-100 for the album. Do them a favour — choose for them! They can request changes later. Same with page design, whether you do it yourself or we do it for you. We're the professionals. Don't leave it to them.

Just as important, pre-design allows you to up-sell. Design their ideal album, not the bare minimum they committed to upfront. Back then they were thinking with their pocketbooks, now they're buying with their hearts. Do they love the 100 photos and 18 pages you've designed for them … or do they want to cut back to the 60 images and 12 pages they booked for? Allow them to cut back and make changes, of course. This is something else to explain very carefully as part of the process, using language you're personally comfortable with.

5. Set up incentives

Here are a few ways you could reward clients for approving their album promptly…

Additional products: How about a frame, canvas or Q Book — free or discounted — especially if they upgrade? Or for something more affordable, but still high-quality, maybe a loose matted print which they can frame themselves if they wish? See our print and wall art page for inspiration. And remember, they might want to upgrade these add-ons too!

By the way, let them know the dollar value of what you're giving them. It'll be worth more in the eyes of your clients than what it cost you (and we'll come to the party with discounts). 

Additional layouts: I already mentioned how extra pages mean extra profit, but you can also use them to make the sale. "Confirm the order by such-and-such a date and I'll throw in so many more pages and photos." Free or at a sweet rate.

Cover upgrades: Personal embossing and/or upgrading from Buckram to Leather aren't free, but both add more value for the customer than they cost you. Choose an option that suits.

Fees: After so many positive incentives, this might seem harsh — but how about an extra charge if people don't confirm and pay by a certain date? Actually, better to frame this as a discount. Everybody's familiar with the idea of prompt payment discounts, and they give you a reason to remind people: you're doing them a favour! You don't want to charge them the extra after all, you want to secure the order.

6. Know your numbers

Price your albums generously enough that you can afford to help people commit by "giving back" in the ways we've been suggesting. What counts isn't the theoretical markup someone says you need to achieve, but how much time and effort goes into album design and sales, and how much money remains in your back pocket after you're done! 

Speaking of which, don't spend too long on post-production! You know we offer free album design and free colour correction, right? Or, if you prefer to "do it yourself", try the Workspace online album designer, which will enable you to design a 20-page album in 30 minutes or less. What a time saver! See how to use the designer here and simplify your album workflow here.

These are just some of the many creative ideas you can use to get beautiful albums to your clients painlessly, while improving their experience and getting more cash in the bank. Maybe you disagree with us, or have ideas of your own to share. Do let us know — we're here to listen!

Victoria