How do you do your print order?? Timeline?

[sarahgirl777]

Originally Posted by steelese

So, this is the big question in sales. How do you close the deal. There are a few ideas. The first one, and probably the most useful, is based on a psychological theory called commitment bias. I understand that you are doing the sitting for free, but as long as you are doing that you should just expect to give away the digital negatives for free. People will be willing to waist their time, but rarely their money. Once they have spent the money, they will be in it for the long haul.

So what does this do for you? Well, you need to start charging. There are lots of good strategies out there, but I do the this. Once someone makes an appointment with me they have to get me a $20 non-refundable booking fee by the next day. If they don't, they lose their time. Even if you want the sitting that same day, I require the $20. the $20 mark has a special place in most peoples minds. You may be willing to give up anything less than $20, but rarely will you give up $20 or more. You see how I have financially committed them to the appointment. For weddings the down payment is a lot more, but for a small one location shoot, $20 seems to work well.

Once, you arrive at the location, I require check or cash, or they pay ahead of time by Credit Card. Now, they have committed even further to the price. They just spent money to get nothing, and they are going to spend money on the prints. What you charge from here on out is your thing.

Now, when you are starting out you do the freebie stuff all the time. After a while you need to limit it to just family and friends. If your work is good the word of mouth will spread and you just need to come up with a sitting fee. I know, you don't feel good enough to do that yet, but just ask for the money, take it and run.

Well I have taken yours and other advice and have started working on charging a sitting fee. What I have come up with is this. $40 for a minimal 1hour session, one location with a $20 print credit if they order within 14 days of the shoot. (It may seem cheap to some still, but I'm in a small town with a very low cost of living and wages, so I'm starting here to make sure I"m in the photography market ballpark) I had an online gallery, but I'm going to try having a sit down proofing session instead and asking for their order at that time. We'll see how it goes. I'm also increasing my print prices too as even my friends and family thought they were awful low. I'm feeling pretty good about my photography skills, and feel that I'm worth paying for, I was just trying to get a bunch of sittings quick so I'd have a portfolio to work with. I do have a couple more free shoots already booked, so I'm thinking that should do it for my portfolio for now and any future sessions will have a fee. Now I just have to figure out how to get my name out there!

[prince]

Originally Posted by sarahgirl777

$40 for a minimal 1hour session, one location with a $20 print credit if they order within 14 days of the shoot.

$20 print credit only if they order a certain amount of print within 14 days, right?

[Jim Poor]

Something that we've implemented is to give discounts for pre-paid packages.

We have three price tiers of packages with two packages at each price level. The savings for level one is about $7, level two $10, and level 3 $18-20.

We've only had a few clients sort of balk at pre-paying. They ask about what happens if they don't like any of the proofs, and the answer is that they would get a refund of the print cost (sittings are non-refundable). Those folks usually go ahead and pre-pay.

This approach allows us to leverage the impulse buy AND pays for the printing of packages up front.

Of course, folks have the option to wait, see the proofs and buy A La Carte as well. Our last event was about 95% pre-order and 5% "wait and see."

Depending on your level of confidence, you could also do on-site proofing and print selection & purchase. We've done that at private sittings and at group events. It gets hectic at big, busy events and that is why we implemented the pre-paid package program. Now, we plan on only doing immediate proof viewing for private sittings.

Just FYI, I do mostly pets, but have done some senior portraits and formals of people as well.

Hope this helps


Jim

[sarahgirl777]

Originally Posted by prince

$20 print credit only if they order a certain amount of print within 14 days, right?

Well, my pricing/ ordering form states that they must choose a package before they purchase individual prints. So in that case my smallest package is $40. So I guess that's the minimum.

[wannabehorsephotographer]

Originally Posted by shutterbug_wannabe

Sarah, I give anyone who orders within 30 days a 20% off coupon to do so. I also give a free 8x10 and 8 free wallets. This costs me just 5 bucks and gets them in gear.

Great idea - I'm restructuring everything for 2009 - I think something similar will definitely be implemented!

Originally Posted by sarahgirl777

Well I have taken yours and other advice and have started working on charging a sitting fee. What I have come up with is this. $40 for a minimal 1hour session, one location with a $20 print credit if they order within 14 days of the shoot. (It may seem cheap to some still, but I'm in a small town with a very low cost of living and wages, so I'm starting here to make sure I"m in the photography market ballpark) I had an online gallery, but I'm going to try having a sit down proofing session instead and asking for their order at that time. We'll see how it goes. I'm also increasing my print prices too as even my friends and family thought they were awful low. I'm feeling pretty good about my photography skills, and feel that I'm worth paying for, I was just trying to get a bunch of sittings quick so I'd have a portfolio to work with. I do have a couple more free shoots already booked, so I'm thinking that should do it for my portfolio for now and any future sessions will have a fee. Now I just have to figure out how to get my name out there!

I'm from a rural area as well - and familiar with Hays, KS - and I've seen your work. I don't know what the competition is like in Hays, but I charge $50 for a session fee and $10 for an 8x10 - prices go from there. I stated on my site that the prices are an introductory discount because I am a new professional for 2008 with plans to increase prices in 2009. Seems to be going okay - make about $10 an hour. My point is don't undersell yourself. I still feel like I'm underselling myself, but you are right in a rural area sometimes you don't have too many options - I'm already a new photographer charging as much or more than the competition - but if you can get people to pay it - why not charge it?

My best advertising came from an art/trade show. I paid my $15 booth fee, set up examples of my best shots, and handed out business cards. If I do it again, I am going to implement a drawing so that I have contact info for those interested in a shoot and can send out reminders/updates occassionally so people don't forget about me. From that show I booked a few sessions, those people recommended me to others, and hopefully I will do a good enough job with those that they will recommend me to their friends too. I have also tried working with the high schools to take pics of seniors who couldn't otherwise afford it and hung up business cards - not too many leads on these though.

I am having a problem with people ordering efficiently too. I know they like their pics because they tell me and they tell their friends, and eventually they do order. I'm so glad you asked the ? because I've been looking for a way to get them to order faster without being pushy. I know that people are busy, and I myself spend months before I even get my own pics printed

[JerBear]

Give them a break in the price, if they order by a date you select. After that, the price is a lot more. If they call you a few days after the due date in a panic, give them a break and earn goodwill.

If you like the photos, leave them up so that others may see them and possibly commission you to shoot their photos

Good shooting

JM

[steelese]

I'm not a big fan of increasing prices the further you get away from the shoot date. I usually see that it should be the other way around, but on a more long term scale. Yes, time limit is a good thing, but some people respond negatively to that time of marketing. If you are going to do it, use coupons. You don't discount the whole thing, but you might chuck in a free print with an order of yada, yada, yada... This seems less threatening, and gives them that deadline.

Once again, I am a big believer in charging upfront for the shoot and even the package. The best commitment you can do is for them to have already paid.