A photographer can’t discount their way to success. If it was possible, don’t you think every photographer would be doing it?
When you discount, you penalize customers who pay your normal price. For example, after buying a $400 winter coat, do you feel cheated the following week when the same coat is discounted 50%?
When you discount, it means you have no other value to offer the customer.
Discounting attracts price shoppers. Is that what you want? If you offer a discounted price of, say, $99 for a business headshot, then you’ll attract $99 customers. If they like your work, they’ll tell all their $99 friends and you’ll get more $99 customers.
Price for the customer you want.
Let’s say you charge $500 for a business portrait and you decide to offer a 50% discount. This means you have to shoot twice as many customers to earn the same revenue as before. Since you’re now working twice as much, which means more time, effort and overhead, your net profit goes down. You work more to earn less. How does this make any sense?
Customers gained by discounting only give you a temporary feeling of being busy.
Data has shown that customers who pay regular price are more valuable and more likely to be repeat customers than discount shoppers. Discount shoppers are 50% less likely to return for a second purchase.
When you provide a service like photography, your work is limited by time. Since you have a very limited amount of time, why would you discount it? Why give away your time at a discount?
It’s always better to offer more rather than asking for less.
You have to accept that not everyone is meant to be your customer. Not everyone can afford you and you can’t afford to have everyone as your customer. It’s good business to turn away “unqualified” customers. It’s never good business to penalize your good customers, the ones who are happy to pay your normal price, the ones you need for your business to succeed.
The customers you get tomorrow will be the result of the customers you accept today.
