Professional photographers can’t be in business for very long without becoming embroiled in the subject of pricing their photography and how to handle a photographer price list. For some reason, creating a price list of photography products and services presents a nightmare for the average person who wants to know the ins and outs of how to be a professional photographer.
First, there’s the question of what prices they should charge, closely followed by the problem of how to present their photography price list to their prospects, without appearing to pressure-sell them into investing in something they don’t really want.
As a photography coach, this topic pops up frequently in my photography business strategy coaching calls, so I wanted to share a few ideas and how to deal with the necessary evil of the photography price list…
The Many Ways To Present Your Photography Price List
In my time as a professional photographer, working in the business of being creative, I’ve personally tried many different methods of presenting my price lists, with varying degrees of success, including:
- Printed price menus and pamphlets
- Combining a price list with a brochure
- Including prices on the website
- Sending out photographic price lists by email
The problem with all of these methods was that photography sales suffered as a result. I would indiscriminately hand out price lists to prospects who requested them, count the number of hits to my price list web page, or email my price list to anyone who requested it. This was especially true as I was learning how to book weddings, for example. Unfortunately, most of those prospects disappeared as quickly as they came. Unless those people were simply professional price list collectors, it was a complete mystery to me, and it was easy to think, “my photography prices must be too high…” At that point, the photography business seemed like a poor choice to be in!
Stop Fiddling With Your Price List!
With the thought of all these disappearing prospects fresh in my mind, I took a long hard look at my price list, and I really did start to imagine that my prices were too high. So, I made the terrible mistake of lowering them and trying again. Yes, you guessed it – I saw just the same result; people would see the prices and then disappear.
If we aren’t careful, this can result in us getting caught up in a terrible cycle of continually fiddling with our price list, frantically trying to find that sweet spot, which doesn’t really exist, by the way!
Does any of this sound familiar to you? Are you stuck in that no-man’s land of second-guessing your prospects, trying hard to discover what you think they would pay, rather than what you think they should pay?
If so, you’re not alone – just about every photographer I know has been through this painful process, including most of the photographers I talk to in my business coaching sessions. (Check out this other article: “6 Photography Business Tips To Cure Pricing Headaches” for more on this.)
But, there is an answer…
Show Your Photography Price List – Don’t Tell
The solution requires three separate things. First, you must decide where you are going to position your photography business in the marketplace (branding and marketing), and what your services and products are going to be (i.e. what it is that you’re actually selling). Next, you should calculate your fees, based solidly upon your operating and sale costs, your income personal requirements, and what your photography studio needs to prosper. Finally, you should print ONE price list that remains solely in your possession, and never leaves the studio.
That’s right, just one; that means no one sees your full price list unless you personally show it to them, together with a full and complete sales presentation of all the photographic services and products you have to offer.
I know, I can hear you saying, “that’s the craziest thing I’ve heard!” but bear with me here for just a moment longer…
There’s a perfectly good reason why the other methods of presenting our photography prices are ineffective. When someone views a website and finds a price list, they can immediately see how much an 8 x 10 print or a wedding collection is. But, how are they going to compare that with something they’ve seen elsewhere, except by the price, print size or package contents? Suddenly, your prospect has been magically transformed from someone looking for sensitive, emotional photography into a robotic price comparison shopper! In the mind of most people, all 8 x 10 prints are created equal, based on the printing cost, but we know that couldn’t be further from the truth. It’s what is printed on the paper that’s important, not the paper itself.
How can we possibly intervene and explain this to an anonymous web surfer, or someone just sitting at home reading a photographer’s price list that they picked up from somewhere?
Wedding collections are an even more extreme example. Displaying the price for a package on a website or in a brochure they can take away is only going to make the prospect think, “well, I get such and such for this price, but that other photographer over there will give me x and y for less….” We both know that the “other” photographer isn’t going to put as much effort into their wedding day as we are, doesn’t have the same experience, won’t deliver as quickly, or simply isn’t artistic.
But the potential client isn’t thinking like that anymore. They’re only comparing one photographer’s price list with another and trying to make a decision based only on the numbers.
The same thing applies when someone calls you on the telephone. The first question they usually ask is, “What are your prices? How much?” If you answer that question straight away, they’re gone, and we never hear from them again. Instead, we must divert the conversation away from the price (at least at the beginning of the call) and on to the emotional reasons for the photography they’re looking for. Once we’ve had a chance to educate them about what makes us unique, then we can gently introduce them to our fees, after which we arrange to meet them personally for a more in-depth chat if our price happens to fall within their budget.
This means that, by the time the client meets with you for a chat, they already know that your fees are affordable to them.
There Can Be Only One Price List! The Personal Touch
As you probably expect, I meet with every client I work with before I allow them to book a session or wedding. Apart from being able to meet them face to face, this is an opportunity to give my full sales presentation before introducing them to my full photographer price list. As a professional salesperson, it is my responsibility to ensure that I understand as much about their needs as possible before trying to sell them anything.
When it comes time to talk about fees there’s one copy of my price list, which is printed on fine parchment paper and kept in a leather folio. To the client, it really looks like an official copy, which it is, and no one has ever asked me if they can take it home or borrow it. They simply take notes as we go through it, but they don’t get my actual price list under any circumstances.
If I’m meeting with a prospect to discuss a wedding, for example, it may be 45 minutes to an hour before we start talking about price. They can see the folio with the price list there on the table, they probably know what it is, but I don’t open it until I’m ready to show it to them. If they ask about the price list, and I don’t feel ready for them to see it yet, I simply say, “I’m glad you brought that up, and I’ll be happy to go over my price list shortly. But first…” and then I ask them another question about the wedding.
By the time the discussion does get around to the wedding collection price list, we’ve already talked about the wedding day, how the couple met, what they like to do together, what’s important about the wedding, how many bridesmaids & groomsmen they have, the color scheme etc. At that point, they know that I really care about them and their wedding plans, and now the price is no longer a primary driving force. Obviously, they will still have a budget in mind, but their minds are no longer simply crunching numbers and comparing our prices to someone else’s. They are making a comparison – but it’s more to do with things like service, quality, attention to detail, personality and so on.
Photography Pricing Is From The Top Down
When I guide them through my photographer price list I start with the most expensive option first, no matter if they’ve already indicated a specific budget. This way, I only have to sell from the top down, and not the bottom up, which is much easier!
Don’t be tempted to make the terrible mistake of confusing this process for pressure-selling, because it isn’t – far from it. The purpose of selling down is to help them buy a collection that’s appropriate for them, even if it does happen to be the least expensive one on offer.
For example, if they had a budget of around $2,500 and I were to only show them a package for that amount, they might automatically perceive that as “expensive” and will be more likely to choose the one below it, which may not suit their needs as well. However, if I start at the top and work down, then they’re more likely to choose a more appropriate package.
Marry Me & Get A Birthday Gift!
If you’re still in any doubt about the value of not allowing anyone to see your price list until you’re ready, try this hypothetical example:
Imagine you’re looking for a romantic partner, so you register on a dating website to try to find the ideal person. The site is unusual in that there are no photographs and no information about any of the people on there. The only clue you have about anyone is how much he or she would expect you to spend on their birthday present. How would that affect your choice? Wouldn’t you be more interested in finding out about their personality, character, age and looks?
The same principle applies to selling photography. The prospect or client doesn’t understand as much about creative professional photography as we do, so they may not understand the unique factors they really ought to be concerned about the most. Instead, they get hung up on the only thing they can relate to, which is the price. At the end of the day, it’s our job, as sellers of photography, to unhook them from the price, and re-connect them with the real elements of what we do.
Treat Your Price List With Respect
Just to make sure that I do underline this point:
I have only one printed price list that I show to prospects – there are no fees on my website, no price lists emailed out to those who request them, no detailed charges given over the phone without a sales presentation, and no brochure with a few photographs and a price list for them to take away. By treating my own prices with the respect they deserve, others will do likewise.
I’m not hiding anything from my clients or trying to deceive them in any way – that’s no way to run an ethical photography business. But, it does demonstrate that I value them personally, and their individual needs, above the fees for my services. It also helps to screen out those types who I don’t want to work with – the ones to whom price is the only important factor and to whom values of family, relationships, emotions and memories are not as important.
So far, no one has complained about this procedure, or made any negative comment about it. People understand the context in which my fees are given, leading to better sales and, in my opinion, an overall better experience for the client.
Thoughts And Comments On Photography Price Lists
This is always a very provocative subject, with as many opinions as there are photographers! Please do take a moment or two to share your thoughts and comments, especially on anything you think I may have missed.
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Wow!I loved to read about this post and I’m going to share it through Twitter. I never thought that you’ve to put first your highest price rate..I’m going to edit my price lists right now. Thanks million for sharing this useful post with us!
great post. thank you for sharing your lessons learned.
Beautiful post Nigel. You’ve perfectly described the type of hand wringing I’ve personally gone through trying to hit that sweet spot, yet never hitting it. I wish I could ride along in your presentation case and watch you in action to see how you handle the clients attempts to derail you. I don’t think I’ve yet received this quality of information from any of those rock-star togs doing the seminar circuit. Thank you for this generous post!
Thank you, Bruce, for your very kind words, I really appreciate it. Things can certainly get interesting during client presentations, as you know, but I find that making sure that I address many of their concerns during the carefully orchestrated initial phone call really helps a lot. Many of the price-shoppers are gone at that point, so the people who do come in for a face-to-face meeting are usually more serious. Wishing you all the very best in your business!
Another interesting post. I have held off for a couple of years now, printing up my price list in mass qty for mailings. Just recently, I changed my mind but haven’t had the time to create the ‘brochure/price list.’ Glad I read this because it does answer a few concerns I had and gives me a new perspective. Thanks.
I agree with KNairn, it has definitely given me a new perspective. While I am still new to the business of photography (not the art
) I have thought about this subject continuously for almost two years, or ever since I decided I wanted to go pro. What are your thoughts about having a “starting” price on our sites? like “Wedding Services start from $xxxx” rather than a full out price?
Thanks for the wonderful post, very instructive!
Hi Emma, and thanks for the comment – I’m glad you liked the post and found this useful. Including “starting at” prices is something a lot of professional photographers do, and I think it works well for many of them. The key thing is to establish value and interest first, and then offer a starting investment (that word is much better sounding to me than “price”), but make sure there is a strong call to action to get your prospects to call you about your professional photography services.
Hi there, thanks for your helpful article. I’m not a photography, but do live paintings for weddings and other events, so feel that wedding photography is the closest related business to mine. This advice has been very helpful. Although I already did not show my rates online, I plan to take your tips regarding one printed price list and also the top-down approach. THANK YOU!
great post! i have always insisted on meeting the couples first to understand their needs and how the wedding is going to be organised. I like your take on the wedding price list starting from the top down. keep it coming!
All my packages are top down which usually steers the client to the middle package (of 3). I do however have 3 separate price lists; one for weddings, one for high school seniors, and one for portraits. Not sure how I could have one price list when these 3 categories are so different and each has different options. I also have tried the price list in the leather folio, but always always get asked if they can take home a copy to review. Haven’t found a way to refuse, so they have taken home a copy (you know, to show the hubby, future hubby, or dad of the senior – because they rarely want to come along even though I ask for all decision makers to come to the consultation).
I can understand the dilemma when you have more than one photography price list, but I would still recommend splitting them up into separate ones, each in their own unique folder. Then, you just need to bring out the one that’s appropriate to the type of photography you are trying to book.
As far as having the decision makers there, I’ve found that 90% of consultations where the key decision maker is not present are a waste of everyone’s time, and rarely result in a booking. For that reason, I insist on having all the key people present, making sure that I’m as accommodating as possible to work around their schedule if need be.
Hi Nigel. I’m not a wedding photographer (I do massage therapy) but I’m very interested in pricing and positioning online, which is how I found your website. I appreciate the rational thinking behind your answers of how you present. I am however confused by your example of the dating site and the birthday gift. While I think I understand your point (don’t let an irrelevant number replace bigger considerations), I am not clear on how a readily available price list would correlate with that.
Seems like the price list equivalent of that would be to not show your work samples on your site, and just list the price of an 8×10. But a good website (as you know) will sell the quality of your work, as well as your personality. Unlike the ill-designed dating site, it isn’t stripping away any essential factors, it’s selling your potential client on the value of your work (again, I know you know this). While it would be ridiculous to omit all of the value and to just list the price, it seems to me that not communicating at least a range of your prices does a disservice to people who want to find out whether they’re able to work with you. How does it help them to not know whether they could afford you? (In the dating site analogy, wouldn’t this be more like leaving off the fact you don’t want kids until you’ve already become engaged?) Thanks!
Hi Amy
Thanks for the comment, and I agree with you. Regarding the example of the dating site and the birthday gift, it’s merely a hypothetical situation to illustrate how much information (and the quality of that information) we actually need in order to make a properly informed choice on something as important as hiring a photographer. Photography is a very subjective and often emotionally-based sale, with no real yardsticks by which to compare one photographer with another. This is why it’s dangerous to allow price to become a deciding factor – the actual value for the client may or may not be reflected in the fees being charged, depending on how they connect with the photographer and their work.
Great to see you here, and wishing you all the best!
Hi Nigel,
Thanks for the great article. I’m transitioning from a wedding to a family portrait only photography business. From doing weddings I’m used to meeting with clients before bookings but I can’t practically see people wanting to take time to meet with me in person for a family portrait.
How do you pitch the meeting to your potential portrait clients? Do you think a proper pitch can be done over the phone? Would sending prices by snail mail after a phone conversation be okay since you’re removing the possibility of an electronic document being forwarded?
Thanks again for the great article (and sorry for the many questions!)
Katie
Hi Katie
Thanks for the comment – glad you liked the article
I treat family portrait clients exactly the same way as wedding clients – I take the time to meet with them for a proper consultation before they book, just as I would for a wedding. I’m not sure why you might not have time to do that, but it is definitely the best way to go, in my opinion. Sending prices out in the mail or by email, or even just trying to book them on the phone, just never worked well at all.
Hope that helps, and all the best!
Nigel
For portrait photographers, are you advocating holding back showing the pricing until the sales session or are you advocating a pre-sales consult? wasn’t 100% sure… and the two are very different approaches…
I know a lot of clients are looking for the best quality at a price they can afford and may not want to meet without first knowing your prices are at least in their budget. Would it be a bad idea to ask their price range and tailor package options to their budget needs?
Hi Jessica and thanks for the comment. Your question is a common one and is often a result of the photographer lacking confidence in their own pricing (usually out of some irrational fear, such as “I don’t believe people will pay what I’m asking”). It’s certainly okay, at the end of the initial telephone consultation, to give a price range to the prospect after value and rapport have been established, but tailoring packages to suit prospects’ budgets is like letting them run the business for you. At the end of the day, if they don’t have the money to pay what you need to charge to be profitable then they are probably not your client.
Thanks Nigel, it was a fun and educating post. It seems to me, though, that the stakes are much higher for wedding photography than they are for other portrait photography (such as family or seniors). I wonder if it’s not wise to provide as much information as you can to your prospective clients, just because they are not very likely to meet with 2-3 photographer before booking a 30 minutes family portrait session.
In that case, I fear I may lose prospective clients that move on to different website that provide them with all needed information (such as price, among other things). I agree with the position that you don’t pick a photographer just for their price, but for their artistic vision and images.
I guess my question is whet if my prospective client narrowed his\he search to 3 different photographers, but I’m the only one with no price on my website. Who do you think they are most likely to contact?
Hi Naor, and thank you for your comment. The question you raise is interesting because it reveals 3 other things that the photographer’s website MUST do:
(1) Engage the interest of the prospective client…
(2) Create a sense of urgency for them to contact you…
(3) Give them a clear call to action to do so.
Our job is to stop the prospect from heading off to other photographers’ websites, and to get them to take action on our site instead!
To answer your last question, if the prospect loves your work, can clearly understand why you do what you do, is excited by your passion for what you do and your love for your clients, why would they not want to stop what they’re doing and pick up the phone to call you right then?
This is why marketing copy is SO important – a slideshow of photos just doesn’t come close to getting the message across.
I agree with you that strong marketing copy is essential, and that engaging content, a sense of urgency, and a clear call to action are important elements on a photographer’s (or anyone’s) website. I doubt, though, that these assets will actually result in eliminating the customer’s innate desire to research or comparison shop. A confused mind says no, and while some prospects may be “sold” by a photographer’s ability to demonstrate passion and talent on a website, there are plenty of people who are still going to continue their “information gathering” phase. It makes sense to acknowledge that, and to decrease friction and anxiety (and increase the force of the value proposition) by at least hinting at a price range, particularly in a commodity-based (rather than luxury-based) niche.
Thanks for your input, Amy, and you’re absolutely correct in everything you say – except that it’s up to our marketing copy to remove confusion and replace it with a strong desire to act. For those who are so fixed on the price that they feel they must continue their “information gathering” (read: price-shopping), they are probably not our clients. Your last point hit it this idea right on the head – those people are looking at photography as a commodity, in which case they are most definitely not our client.
An answer to my questions… Thanks! I have been unsure for a while on how to properly price myself. Looking forward to your ebook.
Nigel, I fully appreciate the technique of interviewing and noting the prospects wishes. I used to do weddings for a while and then deleted this from my menu as I found this area of work took too much time and I lost the enthusiasm, however family portraiture is altogether a very different scenario. The family prospects that contact me have all, largely made up their minds to book me and the inevitable price question is always answered this way “… I really don’t know!… I have a session fee and a set of prices for each size print, so it all depends on you what the final bill is… but suffice to say you should expect to spend between $1200 to as much as $11,500. depending on quantity, size and framing, how does that feel for you?…”
I always get a positive result.
However I also do commercial photography – industrial, product, headshots etc and this is a very very tough market at the moment.
It’s a market I’m used to and need as the family market has shrunk lately and the bookings are sadly, seldom.
The matter of pricing in the commercial markets is very matter of fact. Price for service and if the prospect is not prepared to pay despite the explanations of how this industry works, then that prospect is not right for me.
And we look for another. 90% of my time is prospecting.
best regards.