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Lesson Info

Pricing and Products

You need to have your price list here, obviously because you don't want any surprises like we just said a minute ago, if you are having issues with pricing, you need to go get that taking care of because it could very well be a stumbling block. Two people book you could do all this stuff that I want to talk about, which is fantastic, but if your price is not set up accordingly, you're any fish because you're losing money and you may not be doing it to work with clients. Psychology I have linked a free pricing e book from joy evert on the law time dot com for slash creative life that you guys could check out free to download good, good, good overview of how to present pricing and figure it out because it is a true must. I don't recommend putting a full price list on web site boom barrier they didn't have an opportunity to feel the guide and feel all the value around it. They just see pricing eso you don't want to put it all out there, at least want them to be able to contact you could p...

ut out some context of collections started sections such to kind of be like this whole filter for those that are coming to you, but you don't want put the whole entire pricing guy was in the focus is all on pricing and not on what else they're receiving. And at this point, if you've seen on the guy and everything they've already had to go through the about me and what you expect, they're more in a comfort. So when it comes to pricing is just an element it's not the key cornerstone of what they're going to decide to book you on, which is really super important. This is where you can showcase products that are specific to your business. I could labs offer brazilian things I could offer key chains. Fanny packs whatever I wanted offer, but is that really the message on trying to portray by having the guy and I can show them the products by physical representation? It was just texting a website or texan in pdf I'm not able to physically show them. I can show them images of what that album is going to look like and more often than not because it's I mean it's everywhere, product placement apple doesn't talk about their products without an image of the product, right? Everyone does that starbucks is the same. They always show something on. But there's a reason for that is product placement. You see it everywhere. So why are you guys not utilizing that? And it also reduces questions later on. Do you offer albums? Well, then I have to go dig up an album picture or have to go order a sample albums. I don't have one already take a picture and then send it to them. And these are the, you know, that's. Any fishing cause that's in, like, another hour, hour and a half out of my time that I spent to answer questions, and they may not even buy that album. Where's, the piper fried all in the first place have laid the foundation that they can ask for it. I show them what it is and then they can move for. And I just use album because I like and you could insert any product. But you guys are interested in there and actually one of the statistics that it pulled out for you guys. According to world pay, fifty six percent of people abandoned their shopping because there's hidden costs that are involved. So you want to put everything out there if there's going an extra cost. This is where the contract comes in. The play, especially how this for my seniors, if you do not book me far enough in advance ticket graduation announcements or an image, john and all of a sudden it needs to be expedited because the yearbook says they need it tomorrow it's in my contract that you're going to have to pay that expedited fi because then I can just refer contract same thing with the guide though if I show everything up front they sells texas not include and shipping is not included if you ship instead of deliver it's all laid out there and that's kind of you have it in the contracts who asked about the policies earlier and then you could also put it on the policies pages well that these costs not emphasize them but they're going to be in there so that they are at least been aware and since you asked the questions they had seen the guide because they had to open the guide so there's no reason they should have seen it where is if you just blindly sent them something they still booked and annoyed if they looked at it they can legitimately say I didn't read it and what do you do at that point you didn't put their feet to the fire to do it to look at it okay and then how to book on to tell me exactly what is required and what is the next step once that checklist is complete then it's booked I've tried to give them time even though it's in one location on that one link on a hidden page on my block this isn't public, by the way, I don't know if I made that clear from the beginning this is a hidden pages on the site it can be password protected or not, but it's not you don't might be mine fly by enquiries aren't seeing this is the only people that come into my inbox that have been asked for pricing or how to book or well mall about that's when I when I send them all of this on and I give them some time to complete the checklist a because sending another email is taken more of my time and be maybe they're busy and they didn't get through the complete checklist. Now, if it's been a week and you haven't heard from them, you do a simple fall up re link this say, hey check list is not complete you're not yet book boom because the checklist is all written out for you, you don't have to reiterate to them everything and the rule of thumb of what is the next step is really good for every step of the way that you do always tell him ok, now we just had this session next it'll be, I'll deliver the gallery proofs or well said, I'll contact you when it's ready and be the product ordering session always tell them what the next step is or else you just leave the session and they're going well, what now they don't do this every day we do this every day so we need to be able to inform them, reduces the buried a book and eliminates the need for questions, policies and promotions on this is I'm not a big fan of put now hey discount I discount stuff but I do offer military and public service discounts so on the policies and promotions page I make sure to include that on that as well I don't advertise but it's there and because it is there a point it because it is there everyone the same ample opportunity to see it and ask for it. I reserve the right as a choice to offer if I find out their military but if my policies that they have to request it and it was in here, then they have to request it I give it anyway so I mean just but and also like one of my policies is if you want, if you allow any substitution and collections this is where you need to put it and that will eliminate any questions because a lot of people may go can I substitute if you put no substitution is boom right there there's an email eliminated and keeps you from having to play bad guy and say no because even though it's a business policy that you have a right to have by having to directly say it just has a little bit more negative impact than if it's already written in a pre written policy book. This is definitely where I put, like non refundable retainers or a nonrefundable fee were non refundable deposit and the next logical question people always have should use retainer, fear, deposit the key I was that you calling non refundable it's the fact that it's that identify are nonrefundable s so they know that they're not getting it back because deposits, in theory, when I put a deposit on my skis when I go skiing, which I haven't done in years, but I get it back because I returned the skis, right and that's, how that kind of works its way skates and that type of stuff, I'm able to get it back. And so I want to make sure that I eliminate any fusion to know that if they do cancel, they're not going to get that back. I have reserved my time. I spent the time to talk to you and put you on my schedule, maybe secure a baby sitter and that's all taking care of my times, at least compensated by having the non refundable. Okay, yes, great couple questions. Yeah, let's go for a great um, so a question from abby, just pros and cons of posting prices online well, I mean, I guess the whole goal is that we're one to really let them see what we're about and not just what we caught, what we cost on dh, so I don't I don't like putting the full price list because I can't show the value, and I can't explain my collections of how they work and if they're foreign, like a lot of clients don't understand what print credit is, and if I don't have the opportunity to tell you when it's not something familiar and they don't get it, that is another barrier to them, booking me that I didn't get to eliminate because it was put on the website, whereas if they're in my phone, either in my room, I found is there on the phone with me there in my inbox and able to explain you could to spend on whatever you want I can spend and around at that point, but I couldn't do that necessarily without having a bunch of text on the website, so I'm really a big fan of either like putting your minimum out there, if that's what you do and I really strongly recommend that pricing e book that free one on the resource list if you guys check it out, put the full pricing, although that's what they're focused on. And I prefer like minimums or the average client's spends x because then it kind of puts that in their mind you know it's what every well to spending on to keep up with the joneses I want to spend when everyone else is spending mentally that's psychological thing um and the fact that if I want to change it at will then all these enquiries that have seen it I didn't get an opportunity to identify who they were that may have seen it I don't get the opportunity to follow up with these people I'm actually really glad you asked this I had a client a couple of years ago who would inquire it and normally I would write her off because she said you're too expensive for me and I would just put it to the wayside I never follow up with her again I'm gonna use this example in client management but because I had the guide the way that I did on bit wasn't publicly out there she came back to me a year after saving and even though an increase prices it wasn't a big deal because she didn't remember what the initial price really was I reserve that right and choice to change my stuff up in the structure and what I was offering and there was no issue and she became a big referral source after that because I frontloaded information and I was able to keep control over that pricing and then sort of a follow up because people were just a little bit unclear about what you particularly do and you're on your website you give him a little taste of price but not the whole price I do with that. My collection started a certain amount my pricing structure personally is I don't have a separate session fee, which is a whole another in class. I don't have a separate session fee it applies to collection s o I do collection started x, but then I have that policy that you in order to book, you have to give a certain amount. That is the question, yeah, and do you define collections on your website? What, like what a collection is? Most people really understand the whole package collection concept in a sense, and if they're really want a custom, create something when they're in your inbox and talking you if they have a specific vision for something that's, when you have the opportunity to do so, you don't have it if you put everything out there and your collections are so strict ten eight by ten's a five by seven, whatever it is, they're going to go. This isn't the photographer for me, they're not, you know, this is only what they offer where's, that they come to me and say, and I get them in the in box and they say, well, I'm really looking to do a wall gallery that's only when I'm focused on I reserve the right to change it my pricing custom make something that I can't have an opportunity if I don't get them in to me yeah cool thank you good any questions, guys? Yeah ah lot of clients that I feel try to negotiate and I feel part of that is probably just my lack of educating them ahead of time I don't send a specific price she but rather tell them general prices and what most clients send and part of the reason I feel like maybe I should get another sells person is because I'm just tired of people trying to get me down and giving me their sob stories and you feel that having something like the client guide we're just having all the price is outfront we'll just completely eliminate that or do you have any other tips for completely eliminate that if you're going to get people that are bargain hunters, they're bargain hunters and they're gonna wanna nickel and dime you anyways, but by having the guide and everything hidden but in my possession I'm able to talk to them and explain things I'm able to adjust things as I see fit, I think there may be other issues going on to if they're trying to really nickel and dime and maybe the market that you're tryingto cater to is the wrong one for you. Maybe they are completely confused on pricing. I mean, we have to be more than happy after we get off here. You know, we go home, we can talk about this and send me exactly what you send them to evaluate that's a good thing to dio. Look, if you look at it as though you're a client and does it explain everything I need to know to constantly make a decision because I'm not confident, but it's still book you? I'm probably going to lean more towards the haggling later on and try the nickel and dining or if I'm confident front, I'm good with just writing a check explain that. Answer your question and I don't know, I don't think that answer your question, I don't think it's going to eliminate it. I think there's a lot of factors into play, but it's definitely a part of it that really will help because full, full disclosure think of it this way when you go to buy a car and they've got the msrp price and you have the salesman walks out and talks to you and shuffle steamed shuffles to another office, and by the end you'll even have an idea of like what the pricing is because it's all over the place. Then you kind of are like then you start only venice is a big purchased I really want to make this investment decidio because I'm so like, well it's not in one place to me until it's time to sign and then it's like oh, you know then it's like the sticker shock or is if I had it up front and I had a general idea I could be focused more on making sure had the features I wanted to make sure it was an actual good decision for me to trade in my car and get that one those types of things that help you know okay, we'll talk about it and then when we think it's a good having evaluation and you could have friends we're a stranger I gotta know I hate to recommend friends being wants to give you objective eyes but you can also listen to what they say if you're getting the same questions or if they're trying to all trying to haggle on the exact same thing maybe there is something with lack of communication or maybe it is a pressing issue so okay all right are we good online? All right, so and then all the policies any promotion to offer this would be the standing promotions like I cook always have the military discount always had the public servant discount and all my policies page a require proof of that on that they have to show me that their teacher and anti or military and so that kind of house that works if I want to do a one time promotion like during my christmas card season we're only take families and say I wanted to exclusive collection for that I'm not going to rip my client guide apart I'm goingto have a something separate just maybe a one page thing for them or just a flyer on the site or a blogger host about it so you don't have to rip it apart every single time and include everything is you start overloading information and then your inefficient having and completely re created this is I adjust mind as I'm listening to the questions I'm receiving a cz well as if I have any pricing changes or structure changes that needs to be changed immediately um ok so the about me what to expect pricing products had a book policies and promotions in any extras the's extras can be like styling of a session I actually forget how much I absolutely hateley hate styling until I have to go to our family portrait again and that's another thing even though it's not your job is the photographer to help style them it's all the part of sam transaction so they're already feeling I'm sure about how they feel about their double chin or they're muffin top or whatever it is and they don't know what to where? And you're not offering any guidance even though that's not really your forte could offer a little bit of guidance you're getting is still a little bit more confidence in then handing over that money. I just so you could throw in a few tips on that, their stuff available out there that you could have someone create or put right in there for you doesn't even have to be crazy. You notice have images of past clients, they hear some examples, and especially if you're trying to steer towards a certain type of client or certain types of sessions include those don't include ones that you don't want include, then people are gonna start modeling after that. When a client, when a photographer coaches me and provides me a pin board and or this I kind of put offered to stay within this and then go individualize. But when they offered me this, it gives me a springboard in order to be able to start it on my own so that when I do go to my photographer, your client comes to you on styling, you want to start a square one you teresa, I bet all that information and put it into the guide for them to kind of get a foundation before you even start talking. About the styling because my precession consultation includes way we need to know where we're shooting in the locations and if there's any fees and fines are fines, fees and permits but then also I can kind of get an idea for what they're gonna wear, which will also present how am I going to shoot the session if mom is gone whole obama white pants and probably not going to go to a place that's a lot of grass because we're going to sitting down, I need to make sure bring a blanket and those types of things or what they're going to be wearing something grandma's wedding dress I'm not taking them to walk over rocks those types of things to find out, and this opens the door for questions, which is good questions or good, you gain more information to individualize the session, okay? Oh, and another thing too, is we know how certain prints look through the camera clients and no idea, and you can also guide them to this way based on body type. I am one of those individuals, I have no idea how to dress my body type at all. I always rely on my friends and I think half the time they're like, you're great because they don't want tell you the truth, where is of a photographer? You can help guide them take away that friend well, you look great and kind of stays your body type this way and this is especially important for women's and senior photography because if you're able to work with them for the body shape that they have and they pick the right clothes, they're feeling more confident than you don't have to get his creative in the shooting. I mean, who created? You don't have to try tio reduce certain aspects so it makes them happier. Okay, so the do's and don'ts of the client guide do make sure you use it every single client what's the point having and if you're not going to utilize it this is what I talked about the very, very beginning this morning. That is a standard across the board we want have one standard thing that we just dubai had that every client receives so we can focus on the one on one so I can focus on later remembering to follow up with sally hey, how's timmy soccer camp going I can remember that instead of saying oh, did I tell them about how to book tonight? Oh, did I send them the styling stuff? It was all done for me. I don't have done that in one fell swoop I can then focus on you know those little funny e mails of trying to convert my client to my friend at that point and I will see you book me I will convert you do update it regularly if you're receiving lots of questions because people are confused in theory you need to make sure that they are reading it by asking them questions but if they are asking questions repeatedly maybe you're not portraying it the right way maybe it's just doesn't come across very because again we do this all the time they don't and that's mostly when it comes like the non refundable retainer part a lot of people don't understand that and those and things like that don't use it as a crutch do not blindly just send this off and it's so easy being transparent with y'all it is so easy to fall into this trap of oh I have it all created I'll send it off and let them book me based on that maybe maybe if you have photographers the clients you know get probably little easier you could do it that way but when you have you need to pair this with one on one this is a great way to reach out and touch your client but you still need a pair it with a one on one discussions whether it's email phone or skype in order to be able to drive to convert the client from inquiry into an actual client and don't jam packed everything into it all your policies and your contract don't need to be all the policies in here they need to be department ones that get them to book on since they were all on one page together they still could take a gander at the contract but it needs to be like the really important on refundable stuff or proof for discount and those types of things that this part of the relationship they need to be informed very maybe completion schedules and fees if they need expedited stuff but that's not so apartment that needs to be in the session guide question about yes the guy how perfect is that? I that I planned it that way. Some folks were asking if you're willing to share your vendor of who prince your this is done. This one was done through miller's lab. This was, uh oh three or four years ago. Guide um really doesn't change much. I change out images to keep it fresh. This is a soft cover book it on ly prints up to a certain number of images mean of pages so like this is what one of my pages looks like uh but is if you have to pat it I just put more portfolio images in there as well, because then it's also great for having at um expose and fairs and networking events and reaching out to vendors they get all overview great can you talk a little bit about how the design came about and the creation of this mostly was I was spending the same all the time saying exact same stuff and then forgetting things andi I wanted it to be were creatives I wanted it to be more of a creative way to deliver information I didn't want it to be such a business a business transaction void of creativity and emotion on so I think this is a fun way to deliver clients absolutely eat it up they love it cool on what was a software that used for the no but for the online was it flip there's slip snack flips nine then e c I as this you dot com that's too I'm sure there's other ones out there but those are the ones that I've utilized in they're linked as well um okay questions with me in studio audience because when you pass this around so they could get her yeah okay, well you're passing that how many e mails do you think that you have? And in your pre communication with your clients between sending the guide and calling and e mails all of all of that pre work it kind of depends on what your inquiry methodism we're going get into that, but if do I have a question or on the website or do I have just a simple contact for if it's a simple contact for him, I'm going to do a regular email of questions first, so I compare that their individual information with the guide if had just blindly send it to a simple contact with no information there, just go look at price. I'm not gonna be able to again kind of rapid in some or individualization if my inquiry form is a questionnaire, I can then rapid in up in their individual information and send it, but I always tried to follow it up with an empire, a phone call more often than all all email back say, hey, can we have a chance to chit chat? And then once they say yes, I'll say, hey, have this on hand so that you can look at it while we talk and most those meetings you choose, like after that followed me in your first meeting with clients, is it done at their homes have done in your studio? How do you like to approach that? Um, pre ideas my clients options? I live in a really big metropolitan area where twenty miles takes an hour and a half s o I give my clients the option I really I try to stay out of the malinche is at least phone or skype for face time if you could do in such in person that's great, but a lot of times you don't have that extra hour to me. What's the thirty minutes to get there and the thirty minutes to come home I mean that's two hours and they haven't even I mean the only booked a lot of that you could do by phone I see been that to the benefit of the client at that point I super no, you're busy here here's the guide we're going to talk about how to get you style put the kids to bed tell me the good time get a glass of wine, I'll get a glass of wine and we'll chitchat and I've never had anyone go all it's an awful idea I mean, any time that I could make it easier on them and quite frankly it's easier on me then especially with my husband was deployed a lot when I started doing all this I didn't have a center and all the time I need to reserve that for shooting time when I absolutely had to be there without the kids and so this way I could do it after they went to bed so they're not screaming I'm not having to hide in a closet in order to talk to them, all right? So all right, so any last questions on the client that is going to cross over a little bit but this really super important how and how you should masses in the beginning how many have some kind of informational guy that you provide oh good okay so half in the yard and good to see with half of them do half of them are going to go home and get one created right away right I mean just us even in them pdf studio yeah pds but I mean I just and I'm going to use that example again here with contracts is that it's another barrier in today's age there's no reason we shouldn't digit ties and I saying that right digitize okay making words it if I digitize what I can digitize an autumn e that doesn't require an emotional connection I should do it there's no reason that we were like basically caveman and doing everything the whole hard way a big example of this is like when we get into the contracts if you send me a contract with pdf and I have to print it off I go to print I have no weak what do I have to do at that point I have to load it for kids I have to go battle target find the right inc if I even know what to get purchase it come home find the time to print off sign it scan it, steve the scandal work and then email it back whereas if it's all digital so the kind of same thing with the client god I just wanted to reduce it and it also keeps them from wanting to print it as well. If it's digital like this, because I was having clients that were printing my guide before on a pdf, I'm like that's really weird. I don't know it just for me, with at least they can take notes on, and they didn't need to do any printing.