When you get a haircut, do you choose the cheapest hairstylist? Probably not. Why? The risk that the lowest priced haircut might make you look bad.
When you shop for clothes, do you buy the cheapest? Probably not. Why? The risk that the lowest priced clothes might not be as well made or they might make you look bad.
When deciding on a restaurant, do you choose the cheapest? Probably not. Why? The risk that the lowest priced food might make you feel bad.
So why do some customers choose the cheapest photographer when similar risks apply? Cheap pictures might not be as well made and they might make you look bad.
The reason some photographers charge more is simply because they offer more: more experience, more talent, more knowledge. All of this combined means these photographers can offer less – less risk.
Just as a $10 haircut is not the same as a $70 haircut and a $200 suit is not the same as a $2000 suit, a $250 photographer is not the same as a $1400 photographer. Remember that “you get what you pay for” usually holds true. There’s always a reason why something is priced lower: lower quality, lower service, lower customer experience.
The problem with hiring a cheap photographer is that you risk not only your money but also your time. When it comes to corporate photography, you also risk company reputation. When something goes wrong, you might be able to get your money back but you won’t get back your time or get your reputation restored. Why would any business risk its marketing efforts and corporate image on the lowest bidder?
If you end up with a bad-looking haircut from a $10 barber, then you wear a hat and wait for your hair to grow back. But should you end up with low quality photography for a business project, then that project has to be rescheduled, deadlines have to be pushed back and people have to return to be re-photographed. Assuming any of that is even possible, this will cost you more time and more money. In the end, it would’ve been cheaper to have hired the “expensive” photographer.
This is often called the common law of business balance.
So well said.
And frankly, the people who are looking for the $10 barber are not the people I’m looking for as clients… They just do not appreciate the nuance of the work and quality.