The business side of photography
A photographer wrote to say:
“I don’t know why sending out job quotes still stresses me out too much after all these years. I tie too much emotion to my business at times.”
She went on to say that she wanted to learn to separate her business from her emotions because, she said, it’s not personal, it’s just business.
If you view your photography as art then perhaps you should also view your business as an art. And art tends to be emotional.
1) How much would you pay me to take a photo of you?
2) How much would I have to pay you to model for a photo?
Are your two answers the same? Shouldn’t they be the same since the outcome – a photo of you – is the same?
I bet your answer to the second question is much higher than the first.
The first question was about me, the second question was about you. Everyone values their own time more than someone else’s. This applies not only to individuals but also to businesses.
A photographer has to understand that many corporate clients tend to value their time more than their money. These clients know that any money spent on photography will be earned back but any time that might be wasted (on a photo project) is gone forever.
This means that marketing low price is the wrong approach for a corporate photographer. Instead the photographer should be showing that they value the client’s time as much as the client does. How will the photographer save the client time and effort?
For many corporate clients, it’s about the results. This means that a photographer gets paid for bringing value, not low price, to the client. It’s not usually about price unless the photographer makes it about price.
And when a photographer makes it about price, they shoot themselves in the wallet.
A jack of all trades, a master of none.
When a photographer tries to be a jack of all trades, they may actually harm their business.
The Dilution Model [link to PDF] suggests that when a business tries to do too much, customers will have a lower opinion of that business. Or to reverse that, when a business specializes, that business will be considered to be an expert.
Which is the better inkjet printer: a machine that’s only a printer or one that’s a printer, a scanner, a copier and a fax machine?
Which has the best pastry: a bakery that sells only pastry or a store that sells coffee, soup, sandwiches and pastry?
Which is more knowledgeable about bicycles: a department store, a sporting goods store or a bicycle shop?
As a photographer, you have to do multiple types of photography to stay in business. But if you spread yourself too wide or if you’re just vague about what you do, you will reduce the perceived value of your photography.
A customer’s perception of your business directly affects how much they’re willing to pay for your services.
A lot of folks are either having a good laugh or scratching their head over the $500 bridal selfie stick that was shown at a New York fashion show.
The boutique clothing designer said the selfie stick wasn’t just a fashion runway prop but that it’s a real product. She even claimed the product was already out of stock. (Out of stock even before it was in stores?!)
A bride could easily buy a cheaper selfie stick and decorate it themselves but they won’t have a “designer” selfie stick. Of course, no one should have a selfie stick or even a pair of selfie shoes ;-) but that’s another post.
Who would buy a $500 selfie stick? Someone who thinks it’s worth $500.
Continue reading →
Photographers are often told to sell value rather than just pictures. But when it comes to value, there can be a disconnect between photographer and customer.
A photographer generally tries to sell future value: how the photos might be used and enjoyed in the future.
But a customer often sees only the immediate value: the cost of the photography today.
If cost is greater than perceived worth then the customer won’t buy.
It’s difficult for any business to sell the future because we only see the present and we only know how we feel today.
A solution is that you have to realize that it’s not about cost, high or low. It’s really about worth or the lack thereof. If a customer sees little perceived worth today then your only option may be to lower your price and even that may not be enough.
Having to discount your prices is proof that your current marketing has failed.
Once you understand that worth is related to trust, then perhaps you’ll change your marketing to build trust rather than to promote low prices.
Customers can, and want to, feel trust today.
If you were at a pizza store and you bought one slice, would you expect to get the entire pizza? If you were at a bar and you paid for one glass of wine, would you then ask for the entire bottle? If you purchased one ticket to the cineplex, do you demand to stay and watch every movie that’s playing?
Strangely enough, when some customers hire a photographer, they expect (or demand) to get every picture that was shot.
Why might a customer ask for every picture?
• Sometime in the past, another photographer once gave the customer every picture and now the customer (incorrectly) thinks that this is the normal practice.
• The customer thinks the photographer didn’t choose the best images and they’re worried that they’re missing out on something (i.e. FOMO).
The 1969 American cult film Putney Swope, a satire about the advertising world, corporate corruption, politics and more, has horrible acting and lots of great quotes. It also has this scene which has been posted on many photography sites:
I can get anybody for nothing.
The running gag in the film is that the commercial photographer appears at inopportune times always showing his portfolio but not getting any work.
A satire is something that pokes fun at a vice, foolishness or human folly. Feel free to interpret what the photographer represents.
