Studio and Location Photography
Online: Facebook, Web and Pinterest
Serves: Arizona and New Mexico
Market: Families, Weddings, Maternity, Newborn, Children and Seniors
Go to Gear: Nikon D300, 50mm 1.8, SB900
Iʼm Rachel with CDO Studios, a joint venture with my husband, Stuart. As a very green professional photographer, it has taken me a while to come to grips with true “professional” pricing. Itʼs a hard thing for me to think that I would not be able to afford myself, on a regular basis anyway. :) And I fight against the urge to share beautiful portraits with the world at a bargain price.
Even though Iʼm a “baby” in the business,Iʼve done it just long enough to know that I do NOT want to work for free!! After crunching some numbers thatʼs exactly what I would be doing if I charged any less.
Now, if youʼre at all like me, this will make the 17 thousandth post youʼve read about pricing. And if youʼre like me, most of those posts left you with question marks still hovering round your head. I hope that what I have to say will be a help, though this isnʼt going to be a “what to do” post, but rather, “what I did” and how itʼs changed and changing things for me. So donʼt be daunted, READ ON, and tell me what has worked for YOU in this ever constant flux of a thing called pricing.
The first thing I say is that you need, need, need a guide! There is no way on the face of the Earth I could come up with the whyʼs and whereforeʼs of pricing without a guide. If you havenʼt got a degree in business, you really need some starting point to help you understand where those numbers are coming from and why. This part bamboozled me for the longest time. I know there are pricing guides out there with rave reviews, for a pretty penny. I really wanted to get one!!! But my budget for something like that was, well... $0!
I hadnʼt figured out pricing yet, and it cost more for the guide to figure it out than I could afford. Fortunately there are people out there who are willing to share their success for FREE! Or at least less. :) I found a great pricing guide that I would suggest you look at for a starting point and reference if youʼre still trying to hash all of this out. Just google Stacy Reeves Pricing Guide, youʼll love it! And if you still feel the need to purchase something else, by all means go for it! Just make sure you have a guide of some kind that will help you crunch the numbers. Oh, and lest you think paying is going to get you out of it, nopers. No matter what, YOU are going to have to do a LOT of number crunching. Having a guide will help you with this, but the reason why everyone has different pricing is because every business needs different pricing. Hey, Iʼm not a numbers gal.... in fact I run away when the numbers come out to play, so if I can do this you certainly can too!!
A couple of surprising things happened once I got a guide, slogged my way through it, and set my “new” pricing. I wasnʼt expecting some of the results, but Iʼm very happy with them. These arenʼt even business results, but personal ones, and Iʼd never, ever want to go back to the me before my pricing change experience. :)
The first thing I noticed was a new confidence in myself. Really! By simply pricing my service and products in a way that I now knew was right for me and my business, I was overflowing with confidence. Now when I have the “potential” client turn away at the very mention of my pricing, I simply smile to myself and think, “They are not my ideal client, and Iʼm glad to know that now.” Because havenʼt we all had those “not ideal” client experiences? Before my pricing makeover I had, and those experiences leave you feeling defeated, depressed, doubting. In a word, bad. But now I have the buffer of my pricing to help deflect some of those people who want you to give them the moon, oh, and gift wrap it too, for the price of a Micky-Dʼs combo meal. I, of course, still reserve the right to offer “specials” and discounts to clients and even potential clients if I believe the situation calls for it, but they know up front what my prices are, and it makes it that much more valuable to them.
Another thing I noticed after I set my pricing was a sense of urgency on my part. Oh yes, I needed to get my act together and my rear in gear to get people in! Now that I know why I needed my pricing to be where it is, I know that I need people to start paying that! As new as I am, the whole concept of marketing is difficult for me. You are reading from one of the worldʼs BIGGEST introverts. Seriously, sometimes I think my career choice should have been hermit. ;) But I am now motivated to get out of my comfort zone and start putting myself and our business out there. No one is going to beat your door down for what you have to offer, if they donʼt know you exist. So I have found a few great places for advice. Studio Trainer is one of them! Fantastic tips, wonderful advice, and a very friendly place, I might add. Iʼve stalked other photography groups on Facebook, and often spend time browsing other photogʼs blogs or site, looking for inspiration and ideas. I had an opportunity to go to a PPA charity conference this year as well, and I am STILL digesting all the amazing information that was presented there.
The point is, ya have to make a splash, and sometimes that means youʼll end up getting wet. Rejection is not my favorite thing, and the fear of it sometimes keeps me tongue tied, but I am setting myself goals and working at reaching those. Some of my personal exercises are to pass out my business card to random people I see while shopping. Iʼm pushing for babies and mommies-to-be right now, so thatʼs who I target. Though I try really hard not to come off as a stalker or something creepy. ;) Ha ha!! Iʼm also reaching out to clinics and other businesses that reach those people as well to do some joint marketing. We are prepping a big high school senior push this Fall, and hope to see some good results from that.
Because I have confidence in my pricing, and because I know that what Iʼm offering is worth the price Iʼm asking, I can more easily get out of my comfort zone and doggedly seek my target clients. Find that sweet spot in pricing for your business and then never look back! Keep on going, and never NEVER give up on your dream! :)
- Rachel
Rachel, has some awesome points here. On the topic of confidence, I would like to add: Pricing myself appropriately and working with people who expect to pay what I ask has both challenged and given me the confidence to grow as a photographer. Posing people and directing a session is an uncomfortable thing as I learn how to guide the session, but having clients put the faith and money into my hands has challenged me to make sure I'm worth it, and that challenge (more like DARE!) has given me enough confidence to push past the fear of saying something wrong or making the clients feel uncomfortable. I think that makes clients that much more comfortable with me too, so in a way not being cheap can validate you to the clients in more ways than you would think.
ReplyDeleteGreat article, thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteAwww, Rachel, thank you SO MUCH for the shout out. I don't even know how I missed it in the proofread ;) You're too sweet.
ReplyDeleteHa ha! Your welcome Kate! :) You've been great! Appreciate your work!!!
ReplyDeleteGreat article. I found myself nodding through most of it. LOL
ReplyDeleteGreat points on why you need good solid pricing! It can be an everyday battle to price your own worth. Great read!!
ReplyDeleteGreat article! I definitely agree, pricing is so important. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteA good growing story! Everyone has to start somewhere before they bloom!
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