The word "Investment" on your website..

[BigFuzzy]

Ok folks.. help me understand, and sorry in advance if I offend anyone... but...

Why do some of you use the word "Investment" when referencing the price/fee for your services?

I ask because Investment, based on the official definition of the word (below), is not actually what the client is doing. Not even close.

This is where the offense comes in, and correct me if I'm wrong, but I feel you use the word because you somehow feel it sounds nicer/fancier/posher/etc than saying the basic "cost" or "prices" or something else more appropriate (and accurate).

To me it's almost as bad as referencing yourself as "we" when it's only one photographer.

in·vest·ment

/ɪnˈvɛstmənt/ Show Spelled [in-vest-muhnt] Show IPA

–noun 1. the investing of money or capital in order to gain profitable returns, as interest, income, or appreciation in value.

2. a particular instance or mode of investing.

3. a thing invested in, as a business, a quantity of shares of stock, etc.

[graciousness]

Maybe the photographer's purpose in setting up the business is for the client's payments to be treated as investments towards purchasing better gears and photography classes. So then later, when the photographer has learned to take better photos through 'better gears' and classes, the clients can then reap the rewards of their 'investment' by finally getting good photos.



.....scrambles to look for her medication.....

[BigFuzzy]

Originally Posted by graciousness

Maybe the photographer's purpose in setting up the business is for the client's payments to be treated as investments towards purchasing better gears and photography classes. So then later, when the photographer has learned to take better photos through 'better gears' and classes, the clients can then reap the rewards of their 'investment' by finally getting good photos.
.....scrambles to look for her medication.....

Heheh.. uh, no. Nice try.
Can I have some meds?

[fofazoju]

Actually the word investment can take on different meanings and doesn't always relate to things in a monetary type value.

Think of a relationship. How much time do you INVEST in it. How much energy do you INVEST in fixing something, reading something, cleaning something etc etc. To me, the word invest means putting something, whether it be time/money/blood, sweat, tears etc. into another thing with the hopes of a return of something infinitely more rewarding and worth it.

But yeah, in the end it just sounds fancier

[BigFuzzy]

Originally Posted by fofazoju

Actually the word investment can take on different meanings and doesn't always relate to things in a monetary type value.

Think of a relationship. How much time do you INVEST in it. How much energy do you INVEST in fixing something, reading something, cleaning something etc etc. To me, the word invest means putting something, whether it be time/money/blood, sweat, tears etc. into another thing with the hopes of a return of something infinitely more rewarding and worth it.

But yeah, in the end it just sounds fancier

I'd agree if it were the photographer we're talking about investing something. But as I see it, the client is simply paying for a service. That's why there's a use for the word "Purchase" and one for "Investment".. again, as I see it.

I'm not trying to be argumentative, but I honestly can't think of a reason that isn't stretching the truth where this is an appropriate use of the word and want to see if I'm missing it.

[Jim Poor]

I've used it. It's a "warning" or filter if you will. It runs off the cheapos and prepares clients for a significant expenditure.

[prabbit237]

Originally Posted by BigFuzzy

Why do some of you use the word "Investment" when referencing the price/fee for your services?

No need to link to specific websites or name names, but can you quote an example or two of what yer referring to? Basically just a couple of sentences from the website to show the context of how the person is using the term?

[autofocus]

Al, the term investment implies to me that you will get some additional value immediately, or over time from taking an action (whatever it is). Regarding photography services, I think it's a way to "soften the blow" of saying you will be laying out some cash and paying for this service. Although possibly a bit of a stretch, the term investment here may imply that you will continue to gain some emotional, or sentimental value from these family photographs as time goes on. All that said, we still use the old fashion wording "pricing" on our web site.

[kingpatzer]

You are setting the client up to think in terms of the long term value they will place on the images you produce and not in terms of the up front cost. It is a way of framing the discussion to focus on the delivered product's long-term value and not on what they will be paying you out of pocket.

[Jim Poor]

Originally Posted by prabbit237

No need to link to specific websites or name names, but can you quote an example or two of what yer referring to? Basically just a couple of sentences from the website to show the context of how the person is using the term?

http://caninesinart.com/index-3.html

Yes, apparently, it's broken in IE9. Figures that MS would muck it up again