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The After Sale

Lesson 23 from: The Wedding Project

Doug Gordon

The After Sale

Lesson 23 from: The Wedding Project

Doug Gordon

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Lesson Info

23. The After Sale

Lesson Info

The After Sale

So let's talk about what it is we want to accomplish in this last segment here one of the biggest problems that we have this most photographers today don't realize how important it is to become a business they have no idea what it takes to function as a business they have no idea how to operate as a business and more importantly even become a business. So with that being said, you really have to look into protecting yourself it's a big business so making a really short one of the big things that I can tell you is that you need to look into becoming an actual, real legitimate business and what would that say? I'm looking at this point you're saying you should be incorporated, you should have liability insurance, you should be charging sales tax where africa bill you should call an account and it should be the first thing you do or state representative to make everything that you need the way it should be become a legitimate business because when you make a mistake, you gotta have the pr...

otection that you need. So where sales start from in my case, sales is a little bit easier because most people are coming in knowing who we are, knowing what we're going to do, knowing what we want to accomplish and really moving forward in that direction in your case it may not be so easy, so we spoke a little bit about the other day. How could you bring business to yourself? You have the market from with and mark it to the people you know, if you're sitting home and you're just getting started, and you don't really know what it is that you want to accomplish it, but, you know, you want to try and do this, go out and shoot for free. At this point, you're going to gain the experience, tell them I'm going to shoot you for free. I'm not going to charge you with this point. I'll let you know what it's going to cost after I completed, but to shoot the actual setting is on me, and you can do that by going to social functions. You could do it. Like I said by creating a family photo night, you can do it by going to sporting events and just understanding how to move faster and quicker and easier. If you want to be good at something, you are truly master it and keep moving forward in terms of getting great at it, so that means practice, practice, practice, get your daughter dressed up for a commune and get your son dressed up for calm community, whatever it may be, do holiday pictures, but give back, the more you give, the more you're going to get in most cases and if you don't get, you get the reward of being great at something and that's really what it starts about. So let's, start with the most important aspect the initial phone call, you get a phone call and most times the phone call or the email that comes in it is going to bay high. I'm getting married bob about date and I want to know how much how much that's the big question if you go oh, you're getting married on september thirteen, two thousand fourteen. Oh, terrific it's going to be two thousand dollars? Okay, thank you off. You have to learn how to sell yourself. What I'm about to say to you could be on a phone call that could be on an email could be in anything in between. How do you get around that question? You get one chance to really sell that appointment. You want to sell an appointment first, whether you're in a bridal show, whether you're getting the email or you getting the phone call, whatever it is you want to try to get it so. What do you do when someone close up? I say hello good good afternoon packing photographer this stuff can I help you? Yes hi. I'm getting married on this state and I want to know how much it's going to be for pitchers like they're buying a t shirt. Ok, it's very simple it's a lot more than that, but you need to express it to it. So here's, how you respond and this is going to be important. Thank you so much for calling. I would love to discuss pricing with you but let me get some information from you first just to make sure that were available be that we're kind of going to be a good match and go from there first and foremost, how did you hear about us that's really important information. Because if you are paying for advertising even if you don't book the wedding you want to make sure that what you know exactly where they came from because the advertising's job is to get you the phone call not book the job so you want to know? Okay, it came from this magazine came from wedding maira came from wedding china came from what that's doing god, take that information now if you get twenty calls from one of these sites but you don't book anything, then you got a look at the magician sticks and so you know what? I'm not getting anything because that's not my clientele or maybe I need to hire a sales person so that's important information great one of you getting married because I'm getting married on the state oh excellent were available don't answer right away say hold on let me just check my date and go look because I know we're really busy that month excellent not going to be available on available I'm ready to go I'm ready to go you don't want to do that because then I'm going to go this person's got nothing going on you want to make it like yes I'm busy there's people who want me because that's how you start putting pressure on them hold on one second I'll be happy to check come back yes were available you got real lucky it looks like someone I think might have even changed their wedding date from there you start saying, well, let me tell you a little bit about ourselves first and foremost, the most important thing that I could tell you about us as a studio is that we are flexible people love hearing that flexible means you're going to work with me, doesn't it? We're flexible that's what you tell them because and also you better be flexible so we're flexible that means that we could photograph you wedding in a variety of styles a combination of them we could photograph it not traditional storybook line which is a combination of typical portrait's and candids we could photograph photo journalistically which is completely candid and unintrusive we're going to mix in a mixture of color but aiken white, cps and for writing all sorts of wonderful tourney our desire is the photograph the wedding with a combination of all of them we want to try to give you that approach that makes things a little bit more unique the way I would describe our style is very simple we are kind of with vintage glamour meets contemporary fashion the biggest thing with this is we're gonna pose you but we're gonna pose youto natural most importantly, we want to make sure that once your wedding start your cocktails thoughts that you don't ever see us again and I mean that in the most positive of ways we're going to set up your day for you, your family and everybody is near and dear to you to enjoy the entire day without interruption with that being said, what I can tell you is because we customize everything we customize everything that we do to your needs and more importantly, your budget. So what that means is we have collections that begin it roughly x number of dollars and go to whatever so it makes it very hard to price out because unfortunately we don't want it to be like you're coming in to pick out your gown what? Really separates us is off flexibility on our customization teo you because we know when you're looking around for photography people are telling you you need to parent album you need this you need that you don't really know what you want yet and it's unfair because you haven't seen anything so we want to try to work with you within your budget and really get you to where you want so when would be a good time for you to come in? Do you think I'm going to sell that appointment? I'm going to sell that appointment because of confidence I'm exuding it and I'm telling them everything they want to hear if I give them a price that's my percentage for selling the appointment go down significantly you bet very simple you have the first cell, the appointment that is the key I cannot stress that enough you have to sell the appointment without some the appointment you have no potential for sale correct I'm not same thing that I just said could be put in an email form couldn't it? But I'm always going to write them back be like I'd love to discuss all this with you. I have a lot to tell you is it possible that I can call you and you're either going to get the response? Of course you can call me or I don't really have time for a coal which means that email better be really full of information to excite them, or you can put a video of yourself rather than write an email, I will take what I just did, and I will skype it to them, and I'll make a video of myself because it's so easy out of the top of my mac and all of the sun and it's like, hi, I just want to say hi, I don't really like to write e mails because I like to be a little bit more personal with you, my name's. Doug, I'm the owner of packing, and I really appreciate you emailing may I know this is probably quite different than what you used to. First and foremost, I'd like to tell you a little bit about our studio. The biggest thing I could tell you about us is we're flexible on that. We try to do things doing the same exact thing already, but do you think the video is going on? What do you think I'm putting in that video popping in a video of that I'm popping in an ad, a moto video with our images, all in an email? Low rest got a question? Yeah, for that video, which is entirely smartest thing I've ever heard ah, would it be beneficial? Tio put that video on your website, or should we strict keep it strictly it depends on your company. In my case, it would not be beneficial because for the longest time packing photographer with everybody knew doug was all about doug. Doug, doug, doug, doug, if I could give you one piece of advice most of you might use your name is a studio name it's not the smartest thing you khun dio because when you choose to retire a move on, how hard is it for you to sell your company? I could sell my company because my name is not involved in it. People say we'll make two divisions. I don't wanna work that hard running too, cos I want to run one. I keep one company, I make it a company so that if I ever choose to move on, I can. So in my case for me to put that on the website, everybody who calls is going to be looking for her may now he is the most beneficial thing that ideo do you know who confirms every single appointment? Who do you think does it do I have one of the do I have the receptions? Do it? Do I have one of the photographers? Do it? I do it even when I'm here I get up and I call every single appointment even if I'm in the office, where do I call them from my cell phone I call them from my cell phone saying hi, my name's doug, I'm the owner of packing photographer I just really want to thank you so much. We know that you have an appointment tomorrow night at two o'clock you'll be coming into our video office. She'll be meeting with my sister and lorna dear, I'm sorry I'm not going to be able to meet with you myself, but I want you to know how much we appreciate that opportunity. If you ever need anything from me, my personal cell is global baba on my email is but a lot, and you can reach me at any time. Please let me know how the appointment goes and once again, we know you have a lot of choices. I really appreciate the opportunity that's pretty nice quarter make the next day after they come in if they book hi, this is doug from packing photographer I left you a message yesterday I'm sorry didn't get meet with you again, but I heard you came and met with a deer, and obviously everything went spectacular because I heard that you're now going to be a part of our family. I wanted you to know how much I appreciate that you entrusted in us, but this most important time in your life I'll give you my cell phone again if you ever need anything please don't hesitate to call you can always reach me on my cell phone on the weekends and generally a little bit tough because I may be photographing but I'll get back to you as soon as I possibly can obviously I'm sure in a deer are I formed you travel and teach and lecture all over the world so it makes it a little bit more difficult sometimes. So if you can't get me on the phone, please email me and I look forward to meeting you in person one day if they don't book hi, this is doug from pack and I'm the owner. You probably got my message yesterday to call to confirm your appointment. I just want to thank you so much for coming in. I heard you met whitney dear. I hope everything went well if there's ever anything I can do for you please call me here, please email me here. We know you have a lot of choices when making this decision, but I wanted you to know how much it meant to us that you gave us an opportunity to meet with you. I promise you I'm not going to call and bother you ever again and I want to wish you the best of luck with the rest of your planning. Congratulations you're amazing just got to say thank you, but that's sales going above and beyond me making the call because here's what's going to happen if they want to negotiate them getting ahead, negotiate no my going to negotiate now, really? But what I'm going to do is convince them that I'm negotiating I'm going to convince them that they're going toe it's not gonna work out well for them I'm going to convince them that they should come to us because it's the best decision that they could ever make in their lifetime so it's a matter of getting them to me because as the owner they're going to do it do you know whenever I am in the studio, who do you think goes? So I let the reception's greet them where do I go in greek? Every single person who walks through that door, I walk up the two handed approach hi, I'm doug nice to meet you thank you so much for coming in. What do you hear for? Oh, we're picking up our images excellent how did everything go? Great wonderful! Did the photographers treat you well? Excellent? Did my staff treat you well? Excellent everything's in good, no problems occasionally I'm going to get well, I'm not really happy with this oh my goodness, I'm so sorry did you talk to join our general manager? I spoke to him a little bit oh my goodness I'm sorry that I didn't know about this what can I help you with this everything been improved and if I go there on proactive I fixed the problem and they always know that they have someone listen to why do people get angry? Because they feel that nobody is listening to them you have to be pro active you have to ask them why do I have so many reviews on wedding lawyer? We have more reviews probably than any photographer because we keep and seek it if you like what we do and please make sure you tell everybody about us how did they always spectacular? Well don't forget to tell your friends and thank you so much and don't forget your first baby session is on us we give them the first baby session get them to come back for more because once I get that baby in one time and I produce beautiful newborn results going to do it you see I don't just specialize in weddings I specialize in photography and creating stories because when a bride likes me she's going to have a project at work a corporate project which is going to pay ten times more and hire me to do it, we do all sorts of things and a motor became a huge part of what we do do you know why it became so huge because now we had a cooperation just the other day come in and say we need eight hundred photos in a sideshow and we need it in two days. We figured out to do it by hand to do it through the computer, upload them and do all of it. If we did it and rented, it would have taken us about fifteen hours to create the transitions we were able to charge over a thousand dollars to create this, and it took us less than two hours in an emotive I'm going to get it right. It all comes together. The great thing about enomoto is that you can play it in any situation, you can play it with a large screen, so right now I'm hoping way go right here we're in a full screen mode, you'll start to see it work and come together. I need just some of the images that we took over the last three days wakes tio way e I don't want to tell you without you I just want to be the one that makes you happy. One day we'll tell you, I just want to be the one that makes you happy, happy I need you wait this way you just want makes you happy, I need you wait his moment way you don't realize it. Thank you. You don't realize it, but you just saw over two hundred images in a slide show that we created over time. Now here's the thing every one of my clients gets that and they get it within a few days of their wedding. Do you think I'm going to get them excited? It's a hire a show? Would you want that? And it has beautiful music on a royalty free music that enomoto gave you all in their thousand songs to choose a five minutes so it blew right by. And guess what? That's on ly seven twenty p playing off the web, they have ten adp that you could just download it's about creating different things even if they never ever purchased that slide show. I just advertised it to everybody and I press one button, one button and that was it. And now if I want, I could put this on my facebook page right now, just all I have to do is go into the sequence right here, and if you look, I could facebook it, I could tweet it, I can email it to all of it and that's it all I got to do is it logs in and I'm on my way, how much better can it pay? It's simple it's quick it's easy it's about letting your client work for you so let's take two questions let's bring in our bride and groom and do a sale session what do you got for me? No facebooking at work sorry. All right have a common I want to read from gemma johnson photography who says amazing feeling a bit emotional about the whole thing? Amazing, amazing, amazing. And then bryce mansfield said he is just so stinking good so I just want to read a couple comments that people are, you know, tearing up at home watching thank you. So just a couple of questions on the content right before showing this when you were talking about personalizing a video and sending that teo a potential client were from t r k was that that was for a specific person or is it general video that you sent in? What I do is I'm gonna put together I haven't anna moto of my favorite images on I also oven an emoto off every reception facility on one island. So when we asked them where they are, we send him in on a moto of their reception facility it's not just one photographer it's a lie a wide array of them and it gets them sucked right in and I all have different song so I look and be like oh he's at this there at this facility let me send it out with that video and I'm only going to do that if they can't come in ok? I'm only going to do that if it doesn't if I can't get them to talk over the phone I really want to talk him into phone but if I have to operate that way I'm gonna operate that way working within what they're doing okay so understand not any other questions can it before we move on I think we're good all right do we have our bride and groom come on in and so here's the thing let's pretend I just met them they're going to come in there walking into my studio for indoor everything starts with the basic foundation of an inch reduction just walking in coming and I don't know them from a hole in the wall they walk in hi guys. How are you? I'm doug nice to meet you congratulations so nice to meet you. How are you? Pleasure thank you were much please come in take a seat. Excellent. So thank you so much for coming in. How did you guys hear about us? You were recommended or did you see an ad somewhere or your hole on an excellent so what I normally do is I try to get in I don't normally sit like this okay, so I gotta move according to the sun we got perfect, so one of the things that I want to do is I want to be up close and personal. I'm normally going to work with them on a couch with me on a chair with a small coffee table to may this sales presentation has to be about instant connection. The longer I let it go, the bigger the problem, I don't want to let the sale go for forty five minutes. I don't want a medical for an hour, the longer it goes time is money, we don't function the way we need tio, so I'm going to try to connect. I have albums here, but I don't let them look at the albums on there, all the base six scenario is going to be this what we're going to try to do and accomplish is really working it out so that I show them the album, I have an album here and I'm going to show it to him, but first I'm going to talk to him, so you're a recommend from the internet. Excellent. So obviously you probably read some of the reviews about us. I'm going to tell you a little bit about us from our side, the biggest, the most important thing that I could tell you is that we're flexible. We're going to try to customize everything to your needs and more importantly, your budget. So with all of that being said and guess what they went, got the microphone, they don't even need it because I'm not even going to really talk to them too much. I'm not waiting for them, I'm controlling the conversation. So with all that, let me give you a little brief description of it's. The biggest thing I could tell you, like I said, is that we're flexible, but more importantly, the description of how we shoot the way I would describe this is kind of vintage grammar, it's more of a contemporary fashion now we could photograph your wedding in a variety of styles where we could be traditional. We could be completely candid informant journalistic, but most of all, we want to figure out about you. The most important thing that I could tell you that we're going to deal with you is we set up a whole engagement session for you that engagement sessions to tell me so much about you, and since I met with you today, I'd love to do it myself because we try to do multiple ones. Let me tell you why is because the fact is when you look at this work you don't really know how you're going to feel about it on you, so what we're going to try to do during that engagement session is for me to figure out well, you good points photographically and the not so good points that we all have so with that being said, we're going to bring you into the studio going to take you right in the room over there I'm going to start to do different things were going to look and see how you photograph I'm gonna find you good angles, the not so good angles, but more importantly, I'm going to see how you feel about things because you could tell him a little hyper and high strung and you may like that or you may be a wolf tone it down now the great thing is you're probably right it is everybody in the studio is taught and trained by me, so let me give you a little background of what that means. I try to take it as seriously as I possibly can. I been photographing weddings for a little bit over twenty four years at this point I'm certified I hold a craftsman's degree, a master's degree on I pretty much written and lectured all over the world at this point I was very fortunate in two thousand eleven I was awarded the united nation's leadership award is wedding in portrait photographer of the year in two thousand twelve I was awarded the wedding and portrait photographer international motivator an educator of the year and in two thousand thirteen I was a nikon infinity award winner as photographer of the year now I know that probably means nothing to you but my wife doesn't care so I'm just going to break to you because she doesn't really care about it so what that does mean no is obviously we take what we do pretty seriously everybody in the studio is taught and trained by me although they're torching trained and they could do things the identical way the engagement session kind of lets me figure out what you like like I'm very hands on I'm a toucher when I pose you may like that and you may be whoa that's not for may you could be the type we says you know what I'm really traditional and then when I take you inside before you know it you're laying on the war with your legs up in euro this hoochie mama stop well you could be the complete opposite you could be the type of so I really like sexy and then when I lay you on top of each other like oh my god what is this? I don't want you to be that way I want to be very hands on I'm very active if you ever need me my cell phone is on the voice mail always here for you. Now let me ask you this the big thing or you guys big picture freaks, do you like a lot little medium or you just kind of doing it because you have to bottom great now he is the best thing I could tell you about us most important thing is whether you come in here and you buy the most expensive collection or the least expensive collection we are going to shoot the exact same way on what that means is I know that when you go to photographers like, well, if it's eight hours it's this much, if it's ten hours this much it's twelve I don't want to work by the hour I don't ever want to tell you, I know you're going to cut cake in an hour, but I got to go home and charge more when you walk out of here, you should know every expense that you're gonna have, and it should be no hidden charges, and I'm going to give you all of that. So what we try to do is figure out, so let me show you kind of the work do you notice? I'm dictating everything at this point? I'm trying to get them motivated and going through now the album if I let them flipped or an album by page eight, they're sitting there and they're saying, oh look at what dress she's wearing. I wonder where this was at and are paying attention to what's going on. I need to control it. So I'm flipping through the album which I have memorized. I have my favorite albums, so even describe our workers. You looked well. You can tell we wanted to have more of a fashion glamour approaches, I open it, it's a bride laying, of course, a page and a two panel set. We like colors as I flip over its a bride on a war with deep red on aggression blur we like things to them vibrance. In contrast, the next one is a bride by a tree, and clarity on it is just whipping off the page. We also like to tell a story, and we like the blend things together. If you look there's nine images on a page, if you like that that's great, if not it's. Ok, but we're really trying to capture emotion and what we do. As I said before, we pose you. But we pose you to look natural now, in terms of setting up your collection, you khun. Tell me what you want or I might be able to help guide you, but I'm going to be honest with you um I'm not like your typical sales person is, you know, everybody's trying to sell you the most expensive collection I'm going to be the complete opposite not really a sales person I don't like dealing it what I'm going to try to do is guide you towards something a little bit simple because the fact is you have no idea what you want I'm sure you never seen a single picture of yourself, so I want to try to make it a simple is possible do you know what you want to do? You want me to help guide you a little every time, every time here's your mistake right now you're going to go and you're going to suck him in and be like, oh, let me go for the most expensive collection I have and blow them out of the water it's not about getting the most it's money out of him it's about gaining the client and then if you do a really good job, guess what they're going to d'oh they're gonna buy more, they're going to buy more how could you make money? If you're not working, you can't can you and here's the thing you may look and be like I can give them a price of thirty two hundred dollars which is two hundred dollars less than what the guy down the street iss but that guy's giving ninety pictures in an album I'm giving thirty I'm making maur on the job I'm building it so I have more profit built in and I'm starting at a lower price but I could be starting at a well a price on my two thousand dollars collection I could be making five hundred dollars more than the guy who's charging five dollars because he's throwing in twelve albums he's throwing in a ll these different things so great that's wonderful I remember when I got married it's been fifteen years but I got to tell you we love each other until we started planning a wedding you know what a huge pain it is? It seems like doesn't seem like wedding vendors are like vultures you go in and all they want to do is suck money out of you like oh do you want money for them? They want money for the viennese and do you really need the lights? I'm going to keep it simple is possible I would say start with a bride and groom album obviously you want something like that right average bride and groom album to start is anywhere from forty to sixty pictures you tell me if I was I'd probably stop it around sixty it's what you would consider up the middle is that okay wonderful so what we're going to give you is the bride and groom on one of sixty photos now the next question is one of the most important questions here it goes do you want to give your parents individual albums before you answer I want to give you kind of my advice on it if you don't mind when I got married my parents could have had whatever they wanted I own the place but realistically when my sister got married several times okay my brother got married the album's wound up in a closet so here's what I'm gonna ask you are your parents going to display this is the bible or is it going to wind up in a closet under stuff okay so think about it why invest that money in it if your parents want it they can always buy an album later on you're getting married in july if you choose you could always give it to him as a holiday gift but why get into that expense right now good so we'll start with the album no I will not accept your money later on okay, I know that yeah good so yes and he has a great thing I'm going to give you a couple of portrait's for them this way they have things later on and if they want him they could always come back but don't tire yourself into it the last thing you need to add up great, so we're going to start with your album, so now he is the best thing we're going to give you with your album, we're going to give you three duplicate little out parent albums on what they are is the court brag books that these little, many three by three type albums from bay photo, they're going to be exact duplicates of their album, they cost me next to nothing, and I'm giving to them because what are they going to deal? They're going to go and they're going to give it and they're going to show it off to every single person advertising, making a thirty five forty dollars, investment in advertising from the moms, and then so we're gonna give you that. So let me tell you about the war, portrait's, what we're going to give you is the first thing we're going to a nice big war portrait, a twenty by twenty, which is roughly the size of this mirror over a year. Besides that, I'm going to give you an eleven by eleven, which is roughly the size of these albums here. I'm also going to give you six eight by a portrait that will be three for each set of parents, so they have a beautiful portrait of to you and individual family as well, besides that I'm going to give you five by five portrait's for every member of the bridal party that could be them with their boyfriend or girlfriend or husband or wife, whoever they want and don't worry, we're not checking if you want to keep them for yourself, you can. Besides that, like I told you before, I'm going to give you one of the most important things and eight by eight engagement portrait from every session you deal. So what will happen is the first session they said I met you would like to do myself, I'm not looking to create a picasso, I'm looking just to figure out how I want you photographed and the perfect team member for you, so after that you can pick out portrait and we're going to give you another bonus. What we're going to give you is thirty five what we call save the date cards, so going to be able to pick you engage in portrait will be in kind of a three and a half by seven we're going to custom design it for you to save the dates are a wonderful gift to give why? Because it's an advertisement for me now he is the best part immediately after you're engaging portrait, usually within a couple of days if you call up, they'll tell you that I've made a recommendation for you and it's exactly that it's a recommendation I'm recommending a photography you for you based on different things I'm recommending them because ofthe personality I'm recommending because of location I'm recommending because of preferred style then the next step he was the most important thing remember as a photographer I have the power to ruin your wedding more than anybody else no matter how good the photos are if you don't like me we're in trouble so I want to make sure that you come in and get to know the photographer if you want to do an engagement session with the photographer every week to your wedding I don't care bring every family member in the more you come in the better and the more engagement sessions to we're going to give you an eight by eight from every session anyway why am I giving an eight by eight to sell a frame so now with all of that being said besides that you're fifty guests were also going to give you thirty five greeting card type thank you's that the fold of a greeting card we can custom designed it any way you want what do you think is on the back of that card? My logo and my phone number besides that the most important thing we give you I know every photographer you're going to is saying I'm going to give you all your files on dh while that sounds great, it really isn't because what you're not realizing his most photographers files are a lot larger than what your local you know, drugstore, different things like that we're going to give you just like your parents got I'm going to give you every single image we take going to give you all your proofs, they come in a nice little album and even better they're edited and we touched the perfection that means bags under the ours that remains movement, pimples, whitening teeth, you name it, we're going to do it because I want every image to look perfect just the way you deserve and income in an album now is terms he have files when you pick up your proofs, I am going to give you excuse me or your glow reds files on what that means is a menace. Eyes up all your files for any social media devices could post them on facebook you can tweet them any social media this way you could go and show everybody what a great job we did. Now what's gonna happen next. Besides all of this, I am going to give you all of your high rez files your high res files will be given to you exactly. One year after the date of picking up your album, you may be asking why the reason we give them later is because what everything we do we have a lifetime guarantee and like I said, most of the files aren't size where you could do anything with I want to make sure that you order is perfect and everything is great I promise you you're not going to be you getting albums you're getting everything from us it's no great deal most of our clients probably ninety percent of them never even picked him up but you can have them a year after your albums have delivered now is there anything else that you could think of that you want or need that I'm not telling you about? Are we doing good so far so good? Excellent and I'm writing this all down on our estimate sheet which is in our business game plan now let me tell you a little bit about our payments we just changed our payments recently it used to be a third retain a third four weeks before the final third after the wedding when you picked up your proofs but unfortunately people have changed and so his economy so for the first time in the twenty seven year history of a company I made a change to the payment plan works is follows because I have roughly a half a million dollars of unpicked up proofs sitting in a back room that's a lot of money to have that could be coming in it isn't so our payments now obviously telling somebody could pay after the wedding's exciting to them so how could I make it glamorous that I'm going to take all their money up front watch so here's how our payments work the most important thing I could tell you you know how all your wedding vendors there asking for cash I don't want to deal in cash I want to be here when you pick up your actual photos because I want to go to jail for abating sales tax so unfortunately we have to charge you sales tax but all that means is making yet my recommendation for you is if I were you you may not want dead or anything but you should pay every part of your wedding by credit court anything you can pay by credit card you should dio the reason being is simple it gives you the security that I'm always going to do the right thing by you and that means that no matter what you have to go back on so here's how our payments work you could make any payment at any time by any method check charge or whatever's most convenient for you our payments work this way it's a third upon a retainer that's when you initially book another third eight weeks prior and then your final balance is due two weeks before when we are going to annoy the heck out of you were going to ask you more questions than you could ever imagine and go over every specific detail on at that point we're going to make sure that everything is perfect for your wedding and again you could pay by any method. So do you have any questions? Excellent? I'm gonna give you two a couple of minutes the bond and I'll be right back I walk out, then give him into just how long did that whole process take? Not more than ten minutes it was very quick because I show them the images I dictated that they like the images I dictated the collection and made a move in I told him how much it was in the sequence and I think I forgot to tell you how much it was x number of dollars if you all sitting there wondering what is he charged, it doesn't matter what I charge it doesn't have that you because you're not in my area, you don't have my reputation, you know? It depends everybody could charge, but I can promise you one thing the instructor who's sitting there, I'm telling you and I don't mean to call anybody out and I won't mention money but he instructs you gotta charge fifteen thousand dollars for a wedding they're full of it they probably did it once or twice I've been the biggest market in the entire world it doesn't happen that often I've dealt with celebrities I've dealt with athletes I've dealt with all of them people want to get value for their dollar they're not booking thirty or forty thousand dollars wedding pictures you want all photographers here and most everybody at home is a photographer susan kind of money with endless would you spend thirty thousand dollars on a model photographer? Would you thirty thousand dollars for any amount one day pitchers no one being seriously going on anybody in here? I love my photographs over not spent thirty thousand dollars on him would you spend fifteen to twenty? Probably not the people who would a few and far between that's my point it doesn't happen is regularly as you think so now with all of this being said, I give them two minutes to breathe. I walked back into the room did you guys come up with any questions? Okay, so do you have an idea of when you're going to make a decision on anything? Okay, so let me give you a little breakdown basically when they look at each other like that now it's time for me to apply quiet pressure so with all of that being said, whatever you mind you with the price and everything, the price will never, ever go up, I promise you that fortunately, availability may change as I told you, we have limited available he actually got a little lucky that we even available for the date, so the prices never going up, but it may change in the event that we book, we're going toe out try to recommend you someone will be a little bit more traditional in more money, but at least you know they'll be reputable. The next question is usually the same. Well, can you call us if you gonna book? Do you know if you're gonna book? Unfortunately, I'm not call you was you can tell we have a lot of people coming in through here. I don't ever want to force you to make a decision. So the fact is I'm not going to call your wanted to you to make it because you know that we're the very best of what we're going to dio so what that we're not going to call you were not going toe bother. You are asking questions to try to cut deals it's not the way we do it. We know that we're going to wind up looking up anyway. I'd like to do your wedding because obviously you were recommended, you saw work, you liked it. And you're here to give you more background or is one of the best things I can tell you is that you should review us if you look online we were chosen is the best of wedding why a wedding challenge or what they're still a long I own weddings dot com uh not we were the one I'm impressed best photography and video company all of that you know so anything you need honest we have therefore you uh any other questions good so what that being said I'm just going to go grab an information packet I'm going to give you guys a couple of minutes to bond remember like I said no pressure price will never go up but unfortunately if we book then we're going to wind up being a little bit out of luck so excuse me one second I walk out yes point in all of this do you actually tell them you're pricing I had given him the price from before but I forgot to since I didn't want to give a pricing number out immediately after the shell I would have said to him based on all of this after their gave the deposit schedule I would say based on all of this the price is two thousand dollars whatever it is at that point and then went from there do you have any questions or you feel nauseous so you see I'm feeling seasick you feeling queasy? No, I'm ok and go from there so I would've broken and I get forget okay, but from that standpoint now saying they're not gonna book, I think I got them but I may need to push a little bit so if I need to push and they're just not immediately going to respond which most of my clients do, I'm gonna walk back in ok? Do you have any more places that you're going to see? Do you know of any more appointments or we the last stop checked out a couple of your excellent so let me ask you something who did you see the light? Don't worry, I'm not going to say anything negative about them I just want to tell you the differences we saw studio x there are wonderful photographer very nice who did you meet with mark internet? Very sweet well, let me tell you the difference, the biggest difference is you could tell they photograph about more traditionally then we do as you know, they don't really give you proofs they give you images that you're going to go in print yourself, it's just going to course two additional money as you know, they charge by the hour where with us the services for the entire day and give them the differentiation am I ever going don't say anything bad you just explain the differences truthfully yeah you're right excellent well let me ask you this because now they're still not jumping at me here comes the winner the big incentive so did I convince you to book yet? Well good I'm going to give you an incentive anyway because you're supposed to say no ok excellent so here it goes with all that being said are are you close to making a decision or that any incentives I can offer in other words if I give you against your knife commercial might I might be able to entice you in other words if I throw a bone is there a chance the book all right so let me give you a bone here would you agree after you see all the pictures there's a good chance that you're going to want to get more for your album and other things that you notice I gave you all different unique big prints like a twenty by twenty to give you an idea this frame on the wall over here is about six hundred dollars okay so they can add up to be very expensive mind you it's more expensive frame so he is my incentive for you if you book today this minute no pressure on you whatsoever I'm going to give you one hundred fifty dollars gift certificate towards extra pictures or frames afterwards so what that'll do that'll entitle you because our prints or roughly forty dollars each for the opera it'll give you almost four more pictures for your album or this frame which is six hundred is now four hundred fifty because you made a decision to book you really want today rather than wait a week and come back so I'm gonna give you guys that and then I'll be back that's too close if I walk out got him ready to go very simple, very simple that's my way of sales some people may be like wow it's fast it's quick that's a questions, ladies oh yeah we have questions about the albums a lot of people would like to know including photo foreign keith e is doug's wedding albums with sales wedding albums is it one wedding or several to show the different styles one wedding and it's on ly bride alone bride and groom and groom alone photos no family, no bridal party no ceremony, no reception so the common questions it's oh do you have anything with this? Only yes we have done if you want I could show you proof is a little bit later the reason I don't really put him out is because although you sign up to be a client your guests don't really so I don't want to invade anybody's privacy by showing them that's not the reason the reason I don't show miss it's boring it's born nobody wants to see family pictures okay, so I focus in on that one wedding at a time, but I know that certain they don't have the budget we have over eighty sample albums between all four studios, so makes it a lot different. Yes, I promise I'm not trying to get you amped up right now, but can you elaborate on the files? Why don't I give him a year afterwards? Yes think about it a year after your wedding you're banking on them not coming back to get him. I don't care if they come back a year after the wedding, they ordered everything a year after the wedding. Do you think you're going to remember to call me for your files? The files really are worthless, they're worthless because they're going to go and try and print my square files on one of those machines and they're not going to be able to do it. In my case, I beat the system that way by making different squares and range because you can't get them in a book so you need to go to a lab. Do you ever tell them that? Like you can't print the's somewhere else? Because, well, you know, because of the way we shoot it's going to be very difficult, of course I'm telling them because I don't want to deal with the complaint later on I'm honest about everything the reason our complete ratio is a slow is it is it is because I'm up front about everything good yes so just training before you ask your question this is going to be dead unfortunately, the last question we have so many questions this segment is you know is was joy for what we're trying to do here so we know people that got so many questions I have one piece done well, yeah let's have a train a train a asked her a question and then the floor is yours okay? So that so for those of us who do just give out the disk now and that's all we've ever done if we want to transition tio it's the model that you're using, what do you suggest we just change everything, but the first thing that you would do is you have to realize you know you're probably charging five hundred eight hundred thousand dollars fifteen hundred dollars whatever it is. So right now your profit margin you're saying is fifteen hundred dollars because you're doing all the work. What you need to figure out is if you were a photographer, your dear working ten hours at fifty dollars an hour you think you're going toe edit for another three hours so you five hundred you're editing in three hours twenty five so you probably making seven fifty realistically on nut job what you need to figure out is how much more money you want to add when you do albums. If you want to sell the disc the way you are, it's going to be hard for you to change now, but you should start offering up cells saying to the client, you can go and try and do this so you could take this this comb and probably never, ever do anything with it. Well, you could let me attempt to make albums for you, and you figure out what it costs. Go to bay photo the albums to be on affordable and you'll be in good shape. Start by airing and then for the future sell up. If you're charging fifteen hundred dollars now in an album, cost you two hundred fifty dollars to design produce between going the pilot and then going to bay. Then you charge six hundred for it. Make an additional three hundred. So now you charge twenty, one hundred rather than fifteen. Think about the added money for doing very little work.

Class Materials

bonus material with purchase

Bride Alone Photo Editing Video-HD.mov
Bride her family and BP Photo Editing Video-HD.mov
Doug_Gorden_Wedding_Album.pdf
Doug_Gordon_Posing_Guide.pdf
Full Family and BP Photo Editing Video-HD.mov
Groom his family BP and the Ceremony Photo Editing Video HD.mov
Doug Gordon Creative Live Shot list.pdf

Ratings and Reviews

a Creativelive Student
 

Doug is one of those teachers who combines the right blend of humor with knowledge to keep the learning process inviting. Doug's heart is what draws me in...his passion for photography as an industry not to mention his personal desire to see those around him excel in their new-found skills. I have witnessed first-hand Doug's ability to transform an ordinary environment into an extra-ordinary work of art. Don't miss an opportunity to learn from someone who studied with the great Monty Zucker and who offers a system for integrating posing with an understanding of classical lighting. Don't miss a wonderful opportunity to learn from one of the best!

a Creativelive Student
 

Highly recommend to any wedding photographer, be you experienced or new. Although based in the Uk, most of what doug taught is relevant and has helped boost my confidence when posing and making adjustments to peoples pose. amazing depth to the way an image is created and lovely to see the images then used in an album to tie everything up from start to finish.

Sherry Callahan
 

Loved and bought Dougs first Creative live workshop and learned so much from it that I intend to watch and learn from this one as well! Just from watching the first creative live workshop I can see a big improvement in my work, so I am looking forward to this workshop and learning more from Doug. This one looks very interesting and more real to what us as wedding photographer encounter in real life. Cant wait!

Student Work

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