Photography Price List

The decision that saved my photography business

Sarah tells you about her photography price list Hey guys, Sarah here.

I am so excited today. Something finally happened that made me feel like I can really do this.

Like I can finally relax and focus on the fun stuff and stop stressing about the business all the time.

Lately I have felt like my photography business was constantly consuming my thoughts.

There was just something missing.

Bookings were coming in and I’ve got a pretty good calendar for next year, but I still felt like I was in a rut, you know? Like I just couldn’t push past this invisible ceiling.

Today is the day. (trumpets sounding!)

This is how it all started. I read this awesome photography price list book by Lawrence Chan (that guy that made the Tofurious blog themes).

And for what seemed like the millionth time, I changed my price list (Ugh, yeah I know.)

But it just felt so different this time. I wasn’t just moving stuff around, adding here, taking away there, all willy nilly. I knew WHY I was changing things.

Ha! Imagine that. Actually making changes with a specific, known purpose.

Here are a few of the things in the pricing book that really hit home with me:

Your number of packages affects how much money you make
Forcing your customer to make choices can either make them feel powerful or make them feel confused.
Discounting your services makes the customer skeptical of the quality they will receive
The order of your packages affects how much money you make

What is so great about this book is that it isn’t just a bunch of formulas and cheat sheets. Lawrence actually explains why people buy what they do and how we can use that to make our photography price lists super effective.

>> Click HERE to find out more about the photography pricing book <<

And he won’t go over your head. That is the best part. He is so down-to-earth and uses tons of examples and illustrations to really help you understand and USE everything he is teaching.

Thanks to Lawrence I really had a great day today.

So, what happened?

I booked my “favorite” package (you’ll learn more about that in the book), TWICE. Today!

A package that includes basically the same things my top package used to contain, for twice the money.

And the best part, the brides didn’t even flinch.

This time was SO different. No hesitation, no bargaining.

The cost of his book was definitely worth it. And he includes his actual price list with the book (he is an awesome wedding photographer).

The only problem I had with the book was that, if I wanted a hard copy, I had to print it myself.

I am really looking forward to building my business now. So much of the confusion is gone and I am finally confident in my photography price list. It’s just such a great feeling! Thanks, Lawrence!

>> Click HERE to find out more about the photography pricing book <<

(Lawrence offers a really cool affiliate program for those who purchase his book. The links in this post are affiliate links so I make a little commission if you buy it. I knew I wanted to write a review of it anyway, so that was a nice perk! And you can know that purchasing the book helps me keep this site running. I hope you love it as much as I did!)

Discounting your photography price list: Why you shouldn’t do it.

Did you know offering discounts can really hurt your business?

I love this lesson from Lawrence Chan (ya’ll know I love his blog, Tofurious!). This one is from his photography pricing ebook that I’ll tell you a little more about next time. (Best. Decision. EVER!)

Have you ever been tempted to discount your prices to get that really awesome client, or to book a few more weddings (gotta pay them bills, right!)? I know I have.

Here is the problem with discounting. It makes those customers feel like they are getting less than your usual (stellar) service. I guess we are really ingrained to think “You get what you pay for!”.

That’s fine for the thrift store or a Mcdonald’s hamburger, but when you are shooting someone’s wedding that is definitely NOT what you want them to feel about your service.

Check out this video for a good example of what people think when we discount a high-end service.

Would you pay 50% off for eye surgery?

It all comes down to the type of business you are running. Photography is a luxury; a high-end service. A commodity might can get away with discounting, but we can’t.

Lawrence does a (much) better job of explaining this, just so ya know.

Leave a comment to tell me what you think. Do you offer discounts?

5 ways to get more referrals from your brides

I’m sure you know that word of mouth marketing is a great way to get new customers that are a really good fit for you. That is vague though, right? How the heck do you get people to talk about you and recommend you to their friends. It’s all in the experience.

Here are a couple techniques I have picked up to bring in some good referrals.

Setup an email newsletter. Sending out a simple email newsletter to your past brides and inquiries is an easy way to keep your business on their mind.
Go beyond the photos. Write a short 1-2 paragraph story of their wedding day at the beginning of their blog post. Show that you were paying attention! Write as if you are writing a (very short!) chapter in a romance novel. Talk about why they and their relationship are unique and explain the wedding day in detail. Every wedding can sound amazing if you present it that way!
Don’t forget about them. Your job isn’t over after the wedding album (or disc) is delivered. Keep up with them! Send them a card or free gift on their wedding anniversary, first Christmas or Valentine’s day. An 8×10 is an easy gift or a simple paper ornament. Let them know that they aren’t just another paycheck!
Beat them home. After you get home from the wedding (or the next day) do a quick run through of their images and pull the best for your blog post. Try to get the blog post up before they get home from their honeymoon. It is so important to do this before the big excitement of the day wears off.
Under promise, over deliver. If you don’t follow any of the other steps, follow this one. In every interaction and promise you make, under promise, over deliver. If you tell them you will have the images ready in 4 weeks, get them to them in 2. Its as simple as that.

Here is the real trick. Actually doing all of these things. ; ) “Get on the ball” as we say in the south, and you’ll make a real difference for your business.

>> The decision that saved my photography business

Are you constantly making changes to your business and never seeing results?

How do you figure out what the brides and families are looking for while at the same time steering them towards products and services that you know will help them have the best experience and the best memories from their wedding?

How do you ensure that your business is profitable while at the same time not scare away clients with inflated prices?

How do you create a brand that will get YOUR message across and attract the perfect clients for you?

I was lost. I wasn’t trying to squeeze every last dollar out of my clients, I just wanted a photography price list we could both be confident in. I just wanted to make a decent living while doing what I loved.

I finally figured it out and I created this site so that I can help you get there too. Its not easy, but it can be done!