Pricing

Tas67

I'm sure this has already been covered but my question is this.....how do you handle conversations with clients when they state that another photographer can photograph their wedding for $250?

I always do my best to stay positive but these kinds of scenarios kind of bum me out

Suggestions?

JMichaelK

Stay Positive
I always try to stay positive and not judge the other photographer. I do talk about how much experience that I bring to each wedding. I talk about how a photographer should always have two professional cameras and liability insurance. If I stress those things that create a sense of security for the bride and her precious wedding photos, sometimes I can convince her that cheap is not usually good. Educating a customer has to be done with tact so as not to appear that you are talking down to them, but as a friend helping them make the best decision. It is easy to focus on photographers who undercut the rest of us, but it only makes me live in fear. The truth is, very few photographers stay in business for over a year. They soon realize that even though they charged a lot less than the rest of us, they are expected to do the same or better. I started out low in the beginning and have gradually increased my prices over the years as the quality of my work increased. Generally any bride who settles for a low budget photographer knows that are paying less than the norm. They are gambling with getting no photos or photos that are terrible. It's is like paying the lottery, very few win. My sister decided to go with a low budget photographer for her destination wedding and only has one photo from the photographer. I offered to waive my normal fees and shoot her wedding if she would pay my way to the destination. She decided she could save money by going with a $500 wedding photographer and she now has one $500 photo.

mercphoto

Wow, do 50 weddings a year at that price and we're talking $12,500 in revenue, before expenses. That's poverty level folks.

I also happen to be really big into high end audio. You can go to Best Buy or Wal Mart and get a full home theatre setup (receiver and speakers) for $500. Or you can go to a high end store and spend more than that just on a pair of speaker cables (don't ask why I know that...). The difference is quality in the sound you get from the equipment you get there, in the expertise of the sales people, and in the installation and service after the sale. And for some people that is worth the (sometimes considerable) increase in cost, but for some Best Buy is good enough.

The same will happen with wedding photography. Do some simple math with the customer and now start showing what you bring to the table that cannot be done with a $250 photographer. Backup equipment. Assistants or second shooters. Years of experience in dealing with the never-goes-as-planned world of weddings. Explain all the work that goes into the photos after the shoot and why that post-processing is important.

But don't let them bum you out. Some people simply cannot afford Arcam preamps, B&K amplifiers and Nordost cables and for them Panasonic is good enough and all they can afford.

Shulvy

I've found that there is no winning over those types of people. They after one thing and one thing only, a low price. There is a difference between value shoppers and budget shoppers, the value shoppers will spend $$ if they see that they are getting a great product in return. The budget shoppers don't care so much what they are getting in return as long as it crosses a very low bar, they are only concerned with bottom line price. I don't know what you charge but a potential client bringing up a $250 number is only concerned with one thing and that is not beautiful photography.

Qarik

if someone approached me like that..I would politely brush them off. make choice in your reaction and don't let it bum you out.

tenoverthenose

Obviously selling wedding photography for $250 is not a sustainable business practice. I'm not sure I'd waste my time convincing anyone not to do that. As soon as you enter into the discussion of why your services are more valuable than someone charging $250, you've lost your uniqueness and become a commodity. If someone is looking at your work and then looking at the work of someone that charges $250 and comparing both of them as a serious option, they probably are not the right client for you. Some people do not value art, other simply do not have the resources to afford what they would like.

Instead of trying to compare yourself to some charging $250. create as much separation as possible. I'd say you need to make sure that your work looks nothing like someone that might charge $250 for wedding photography. Heck, I think your work should look nothing anyone else's if possible. Your clients should be able to look at your work & service and know why you are charging more.

Art Scott

Here I will agree with both JMichaelK and MercPhoto........you really should try to educated them without making them feel talked down to ....but at the same do not get bummed if they just flat out say...we cannot afford you...at which point I always give them a coupon for session and a couple of business cards.......I have gotten referrals this way and the referred couple usually will tell me that the referring couple were disappointed in their photos....I never say I told them so....my normal remark is I wish I could have helped them.........now I do....if the wedding is far enuff off I try very hard to get them on a payment plan to have the wedding paid for 30-60 days before the wedding date and that has been a huge thing to bring around a lot of iffy clients......still I loose some cause their finances just will not allow them to pay anymore that $200-500.....I seem to always part on very friendly terms with them........

Tas67

Thank you for all of your responses.

It's kind of a difficult scenario because when someone wants to hire you but the cost is the deciding factor, I get the impression that they think I'm charging too much in general.

I know that isn't the case but it's not something I'm comfortable in explaining, I guess. I will have to work on that!

Art, I like your payment plan option too. I will give that some thought too.

Thanks!

Glort

I used to get this a fair bit when I advertised in the local paper and yellow pages. Even though I stated in my ad at the time ' Wedding coverages from $1500" i'd still get several calls a week asking what I could do for $500 or whatever.

To be honest, I don't even try to be nice to these people. I have in the past, gone out of my way to try and help them and it's come back to bit me on the backside.

Thease days I just have a bit of sport with them if I have the time.

If they lowball me, I ask if the most important thing is the album or price. Obviously since they are talking silly money, they always say price.
I then say, If I can do your wedding for $10, will you book me?
They will say what do I get for $10, I say don't worry about that, $10 yes or no? they will say well i want to know what I'm going to get and then I say well price isn't the most important thing to you then is it?

Another type of client thinks they can be smart and you will want to win the business even if your loosing money on the deal. They will say " XXX gave us a quote for $lowball"
I say what for? they say This that and the other. I then say, " Is their work any good? " they will tell you its wonderful. I say so what are you ringing me for? If their work is good and they have offered you a deal like that grab it with both hands before they sober up and change their minds"

I'll then rub it in and say geez, if their work is good and they are that cheap, i think I'll just pay them to shoot my weddings" Usually then they will backpedal and tell you what they don't like about them or why they did ring you and I'll just say my price starts at XXX, Of course I'd love a Rolls Royce for the price of a Volkswagen Beetle but that aint going to happen and you have to pay more for quality no matter what you buy.

After that the next thing I usually say is " anyway, have a great day for your wedding and good luck with the photos. Bye."

I too think arts Idea with the payment plan is a good one but personally I wouldn't offer it to people ringing about $250 weddings.
frankly I think anyone that tries that on is not worth worrying about. Any bride that has even looked through half a wedding mag knows that you don't get decent wedding pics for that money and the fact they even raise that figure tell me they are going to be Overly high maintence clients that will never be satisfied no matter what you do for them.

It would be a great way to upsell legitimate and worthy clients into a higher package that they will really cherish but may not have the upfront $ for.

Of course maybe the worst thing about doing Lowball weddings it that people talk to friends and the next thing you know you have people coming at you from all directions whom have the ability to pay a fair price but now think they can get wedding pics for next to nothing.
NO thanks.

I learnt many years ago I don't have to work my butt off to earn nothing. I can do that perfectly well sitting on my fat backside in front of the TV in a comfy chair Drinking coffee and eating sandwiches.

angevin1

Tas67 wrote: »

Thank you for all of your responses.

It's kind of a difficult scenario because when someone wants to hire you but the cost is the deciding factor, I get the impression that they think I'm charging too much in general.

I know that isn't the case but it's not something I'm comfortable in explaining, I guess. I will have to work on that!

Art, I like your payment plan option too. I will give that some thought too.

Thanks!

When I was regularly dealing in Weddings. I asked if, then encouraged them to, make certain they go to the local Bridal Shows and Check out other photographers before deciding on me. Seemed to bring a sense of reality into being~

darklord

I just got started last year and this year will be my first full year as a wedding photogs. My price is $1K full day which is half of the average of what decent photogs charge in my town.

Out of the 60 inquires I replied to so far, only 1 bargained about price. The rest either signed me or simple disappeared after the initial inquires. Maybe it's just my rookie's luck but I hope not.

Shulvy

darklord wrote: »

I just got started last year and this year will be my first full year as a wedding photogs. My price is $1K full day which is half of the average of what decent photogs charge in my town.

Out of the 60 inquires I replied to so far, only 1 bargained about price. The rest either signed me or simple disappeared after the initial inquires. Maybe it's just my rookie's luck but I hope not.

It probably has to do with the fact that you are so cheap.

You figure, $1K, take away taxes (you are paying taxes, right?) You're left with roughly $700, then you add in 8 hours of shooting, and since you're quick 8 hours of post processing, if you're shooting 20 weddings this year you'll kick in $25 toward insurance (if fewer weddings this # will be higher), $10 to SmugMug, $20 toward advertising (if you are only doing a little), add in any other web costs, you'll need to be ready to invest in gear, getting it calibrated etc. So it looks like you'll be making about $13,000/year if you shoot 20 weddings and invest a BARE minimum back into the business.

studio1972

Shulvy wrote: »

It probably has to do with the fact that you are so cheap.

You figure, $1K, take away taxes (you are paying taxes, right?) You're left with roughly $700, then you add in 8 hours of shooting, and since you're quick 8 hours of post processing, if you're shooting 20 weddings this year you'll kick in $25 toward insurance (if fewer weddings this # will be higher), $10 to SmugMug, $20 toward advertising (if you are only doing a little), add in any other web costs, you'll need to be ready to invest in gear, getting it calibrated etc. So it looks like you'll be making about $13,000/year if you shoot 20 weddings and invest a BARE minimum back into the business.

Not sure about the US, but over here we pay tax on the profit, not the turnover. So you add up your bookings, take away costs, and deduct tax from the remainder to see what you have left over. It makes a big difference.

Shulvy

studio1972 wrote: »

Not sure about the US, but over here we pay tax on the profit, not the turnover. So you add up your bookings, take away costs, and deduct tax from the remainder to see what you have left over. It makes a big difference.

Yeah, but it makes a bigger $ difference on a larger amount It was just an illustration, but no matter which way you slice it shooting weddings for $1000 for full day coverage isn't leaving you with a whole lot of money unless one isn't paying taxes and isn't spending time in post-processing.

Oh, it also matters how the business is legally set up as to how the taxes come in to play.

studio1972

Shulvy wrote: »

Yeah, but it makes a bigger $ difference on a larger amount It was just an illustration, but no matter which way you slice it shooting weddings for $1000 for full day coverage isn't leaving you with a whole lot of money unless one isn't paying taxes and isn't spending time in post-processing.

No argument there. I made a loss in year one, broke even in year 2 and made a profit in year 3. It's amazing how high the costs actually are in running a business, and how long the hours are as well!

ARKreations

studio1972 wrote: »

No argument there. I made a loss in year one, broke even in year 2 and made a profit in year 3. It's amazing how high the costs actually are in running a business, and how long the hours are as well!

As the saying goes: "When you own your own business, you only have to work half the day - you just get to pick which 12 hours that will be..."