There’s a ninety-nine percent chance that the next potential customer who phones will ask, “How much?”
So how are you going to respond? Just hem and haw? Mumble something like, “It depends”?
Ideally a price should not be given over the phone. It’s always better to use e-mail. When you give a price over the phone, the customer will remember only the price and nothing else you said.
A customer asks “how much” usually because they don’t know what else to ask. While price may be important to them, the true reason they call is that they’re trying to figure out if you’re the right photographer for them. Do you understand their needs? Can you do the work properly? Do they feel reassured by you?
When that inevitable question is asked, you have to be ready without missing a beat. The way to do this is to have a prepared script or checklist which includes a number of questions for the customer, for example:
1) When was the last time you worked with a professional photographer? How did you find that experience?
2) If they’re asking about business portraits: When was the last time you had a portrait done? What did you like about it? What did you dislike about it?
3) Do you have page layouts, specific designs or other requirements that I need to know about? How far along are you in this project?
4) What would you like your new portrait/pictures to say about you/your company?
5) How should your pictures feel? Casual and friendly, professional and polished, or maybe something else? Can you send me a sample of what you’re thinking about?
6) Who is your intended audience for these pictures (or this project)?
7) How are you planning to use the pictures? What message are you trying to send? What kind of reaction are you trying to get?
8) Do you have a set budget for this? Everybody wants a Cadillac for the price of a Toyota Corolla but that’s never possible. What type of production do you need?
9) Of course, the usual questions: where and when will the photography take place, when are the finished pictures needed, etc.
The purpose of asking these questions are:
i) You need to fully understand the customer’s photography requirements as well as their intended goals. You might be able to suggest better alternatives or additional pictures.
ii) You want to show interest in the customer’s photo project. If you ask only for the photo date and the usage, then you’re no better than a cheap stock photo.
iii) By having the customer talk more about their project, you’re trying to enhance their perception of your value. If a phone call is just about price and the call lasts 45 seconds, there’s no connection made and no value was communicated. You’re just a number.
iv) You’re trying to build trust and set yourself apart from other photographers. You want to show that you know what you’re talking about and what the customer is talking about.
v) In the eyes of most customers, you’re a technician, a camera operator, a commodity. You need to progress past this. By talking with a customer, you can hopefully “interpret” what they need because you want to be a creator (the “why” of a customer’s needs) not just a commodity producer (the “what” of a customer’s needs). Creators are worth more to the customer.
When done talking with a customer, ask for their e-mail address so you can send them all the information they need about how your photography will work for them. You can’t do this over the phone because you want to ensure that nothing is left out.
When you do e-mail an estimate, it should never be just a price list. Repeat the assignment back to the customer, briefly outline how you plan to do the work, maybe add suggestions to enhance their photo project and include any other applicable information that shows you’re the right choice.
Certainly some customers will press for a price: “I just want to know the price,” “Just give me a ballpark number,” “We’re in a hurry and just need your rates.” In these cases, the customer is clearly just shopping price and it’s up to you whether to proceed or not. Just remember that everyone is not your customer. There’s nothing wrong with saying something like, “Thank you for calling but I don’t think I’m the right photographer for you this time.”
With a ninety-nine percent chance that your next potential customer who calls will ask for a price, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t be prepared.
