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You can divide the people who contact you into two groups, those who know how much you charge and those who don’t. Those who know are the perfect prospects.

Don’t assume

Back in the ’90s Heather and I backpacked around Vietnam. It was a rewarding and emotional experience from end to end, but one of the highlights, after weeks sweating our way around the country, was heading to the Metropole Hotel in Hanoi for a high end lunch.

The wait staff weren’t particularly keen to see us, dusty and unkempt with our packs, but they seated us courteously and offered us fragrant, much appreciated hand towels.

And we settled in to enjoy our lunch under the curious gaze of the Metropole’s sophisticated, besuited and be-dressed, clientele. And I mean we really enjoyed it.

When we shouldered our packs and left, the smiling wait staff, our friends now, lined up with new respect to see us off and wish us well. We’d eaten everything. We’d drunk the wine. We’d blown the budget. We were happy and so were they.

Meanwhile the besuited regulars had come for the lunchtime special.

Don’t assume that your unlikely prospect has no money and doesn’t want to spend it.

Ironic

It would be ironic if people with money to spend didn’t consider you because you’re too cheap. It happens.

Window of opportunity

You can divide the people who contact you into two groups, those who know how much you charge and those who don’t.

Those who know may have talked about you with a friend, and probably seen an album or portrait. They’re the perfect prospects. They’ve seen what you do, have a good idea what you charge — and they’ve still shown up to talk to you.

Those who don’t know how much you charge probably stumbled across you on Google or Facebook. They show up on your doorstep or website and all you have to show them is photographs … of someone else.

They’re likely to feel completely different when they see their own pictures, but you need to make the sale now.

What does that mean?

They’re likely to feel much more relaxed later, when they’ve got to know you, and have their own photos to enjoy, so don’t terrify them at this stage with prices that may stop them even engaging with you.

And don’t try and finalise the sale now. Show people a range of prices and products so they can see what they could buy if they really loved their photographs. Which they will when they see them.

This is a classic window of opportunity.

Before the event — other people’s photos — we’ll be sensible, won’t we?

After the event — our own photos — we love them, we want them!

As time passes, and real life kicks back in, they’re back to being sensible. So don’t delay.

Package deal or a la carte?

Should you price your coverage and “products” separately (“a la carte”) or together, as a “package deal”?

Wedding photographers talk about this a lot, especially with respect to albums, but it’s something to think about for all social photographers.

Done right, package deals do three things: show your clients what you want them to buy (otherwise how would they know), offer them a good deal, and lock in a minimum commitment if they take you up on it.

But as well as your package prices, your price list needs to show what’s behind them:

— What you charge for covering the event (your fee for showing up).

— What you charge for the products you offer.

— What you charge for upgrades.

— What you charge for the files.

– What you charge for artwork, album design etc.

– And so on.

Why?

Because giving them this information proves your packages are a good deal. And because if you need to negotiate — eg “What if I just want the files?” ;-) — you have a basis to claw back some of the profit you’d be giving away.

Also, because once they see the photographs many people will be ready to spend more — more prints, more pages, more frames etc. You’re showing them an upgrade path, and giving yourself more ways to be generous after the event.

Viewed this way, your packages are your combo deal, or fixed price menu. But your clients are always welcome to order a la carte. Just don’t lead with à la carte.

To use a different metaphor, your packages are like it used to be buying albums on iTunes, before we all went with subscriptions. The prices were better than buying single tracks, and some tracks might be “album only” – not available to buy as singles.

(Yes, at Queensberry we hate how the likes of Apple and Adobe have purloined the word “album”.)

100k in 100 days

I’ve already written about Craig, the wedding photographer whose goal was to clear “100k in 100 Days”, or put differently, 100k from 30 weddings, at three days per wedding.

Craig allowed for one day per wedding “post-shoot”.

The post-shoot “day” was spent preparing the files, meeting the clients (twice), choosing the images and designing the album.

Here’s how the client interaction went.

His clients were busy professionals who valued their time, and most of them were word-of-mouth referrals from previous customers.

As soon as possible after the wedding he’d bring the couple back, generally after they finished work, to view the images. Always a happy occasion.

From their first interaction there was never any doubt that Craig expected to deliver the work in an album (he flashed them at every opportunity) and he’d use this viewing to bring out his range once again - Good Better Best - so they could choose one.

I once complained that the Good album wasn’t a Queensberry. “Don’t fret,” he said. “People don’t like it. I never sell it. That’s the point.

“Look at them!” he said. “Which would you choose?”

Before the couple left he’d book a follow-up appointment to finalise the album design, and he’d stress that they needed to come prepared.

In other words they needed to show up ready to tell him which were their favourite images, and how they wanted their album.

Did they prepare? Very rarely, or very little. So they’d be grateful that in fact he’d gone ahead and chosen the images himself, and done an album design for them to look at. Which with a bit of tweaking, a few image swaps, and occasional cut-backs, they’d buy.

In doing so he reinforced his trustworthiness and professionalism, and generally enhanced the sale as well.

Craig was shooting about thirty weddings, spending three days on each of them and clearing an average of over 3000 per shoot. In other words, making budget. He was one of the city’s most sought-after wedding photographers and working part time.

I know all this because I called to ask why he was buying less albums. “Simple,” he said. “I’m doing so well I don’t need to shoot as many weddings.”

Craig is a very approachable guy. Direct, personable, confident in what he does.

“Sorry,” he said, “I like fishing.”

By the way, I said not to take anything from Craig’s numbers. I haven’t said where or when this was.

The cheap seats

When I flew to Sydney on Air New Zealand a few weeks ago I had to choose between the following ticket options -  Seat, Seat + Bag, The Works and Works DeLuxe.

“Seat” gave me just that — no checked luggage and no refreshments except water, tea and coffee.

“Seat  + Bag” allowed me one piece of checked luggage.

“The Works” added meals, drinks and entertainment.

“Works De Luxe” added lounge access and better seating.

It was a short haul flight (three hours) and I was flying back the same day, so I just paid for the seat, and ate in a comfortable airport cafe before the flight.

Heather calls it “nickel and dime-ing” and hates it, but I quite like this kind of pricing because it’s so easy to understand, and quite reasonable.

$25 to fly my bag to Aussie? Seems OK. $30 more for a meal and wine? OK. $160 for all that, plus more comfort and the use of the lounge? Better than the alternatives.

But the airline doesn’t have to provide me with services I’m not prepared to pay for.

What are you offering people in the cheap seats? Things that cost you time and money, but they’re not willing to pay for?

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