Do you send out any sample discs to clients ?

[moviemaker]

Just a question.

Most of us have our company websites, where we show our work. when you get enquiries from clients, whether over the phone or email, do you have a disc containing images of your work that you send out to clients, so that they get an idea of your style of photography ?


To be honest, It's something I have started to do, as a lot of my work is quite far from where I live (at least 70 miles). What I tend to do is send them a DVD (random images created in proshow gold) with music. This gives them an idea of my work. If it's something that they are after, do we then have a get together to discuss the package of their choice.

[Silverwool]

I do but I am always worried about the quality of their monitors. If the photos come out with a green cast because their monitors are not calibrated am I going to get the blame. I include a note explaining this but I don't know how many read it. When they contact me re things that are clearly explained on the price list I wonder if some can or do read.

I find it does help though. I operate in a country district with very basic/slow internet coverage so many of my clients are not on line. Therefore I do this instead of having a web page.

[karensimmons]

Nope. My website is my portfolio. If they have a computer to view a disc, then they can see the same images online.

Karen

[Scott_Quier]

I also don't do this, but then, I'm in a high population density area and most folks have access to decent internet connections.

[moviemaker]

Completely agree. The disc also helps if they don't have a computer and can be played on their DVD player. Here in the UK, you can pick up a DVD player from as cheap as £13 upwards, (ASDA) which will play eveything from MP3, jpg DVD etc.

At those prices, everyone has a DVD player. LOL

[sapearl]

No - I just point them to my website where they can browse several different galleries of my work. I also give them the link to my online proof gallery - linked to the site - which will show them complete sets of processed proofs from recent jobs. This will give them an excellent idea of my style and type of coverage. Even then they could be viewing my work on a lousy monitor which would not represent my level of quality.

Actually, I don't include any disks at all in my packages as my goal is to sell prints and albums. Perhaps if somebody purchased my most expensive package I may consider it.

[newgenphoto]

a marketing idea I just picked up at WPPI is to do the following...

Create a nice DVD that showcases all your work.
Send them all your studio info.

in most cases you can courier this stuff to them and they can have it either same day of next day. We are going to do this but in a very upscale kind of way. We're not going to skimp on packaging, quality etc. Basically when the potential client recieves the package they are going to be "wowed" and so what if it cost us a little bit of money for this approach. Often a client will contact you to set up a meeting or just enquire about your services and then often enough they never follow up with you.

We have about a 95% booking rate IF WE GET THEM INTO THE STUDIO but for those who just cold call we want the benfit of at least knowing they ACTUALLY interviewd us wether it's in their home or ours.

I still only want to shoot about 25 weddings a year but I will gradually also be raising my prices through the year as well.

[newgenphoto]

Oh yeah and even slidewhows work well as a marketing tool....
we just created a small short one that's basically our web gallery but set to music. I can have DVD's made of this show for cheap as well. here is the link... nothing fancy but I think effective...
http://newgenerationsphoto.com/slideshows/NGP-WEDDINGS/

[sapearl]

Jason - how do you get your initial contact/mailing lists... bridal shows?

a marketing idea I just picked up at WPPI is to do the following...

Create a nice DVD that showcases all your work.
Send them all your studio info.......

[newgenphoto]

No... what I'm referring to here is clients who actually call our place or even send me contact info through our website. If they sound like they are just "browsing" then we will send out a package. To be honest though 90% of our work is from all word of mouth and referrals so in those cases I will just go ahead and schedule the appt for them to come in and interview with us. We don't do a lick of advertising. We won't ever do a bridal show either...

The reason we want to start doing the package stuff is because more often we are getting more cold calls that aren't all referrals.... make sence?? :)

[sapearl]

I've done a grand total of one bridal show - found it exhausting, and got one job for it. Perhaps I should do more but one part of me regards it almost as a lost day.

For your situation it sounds like this could possibly bear fruit. Certainly give it a try - the investment in promo materials would only be modest and you wouldn't be locked into doing it forever. Good luck.;)

No... what I'm referring to here is clients who actually call our place or even send me contact info through our website. ........... We don't do a lick of advertising. We won't ever do a bridal show either...

The reason we want to start doing the package stuff is because more often we are getting more cold calls that aren't all referrals.... make sence?? :)

[tim]

Like Karen, my website is my portfolio. Next step is they come to see me (I never go to potential customers, I don't have time) and look at more images and completed albums. I give them a price list folder to take away that has other details in it. If they want to book they call me, I make up a contract and package for them, they sign and return with deposit.

[newgenphoto]

Like Karen, my website is my portfolio. Next step is they come to see me (I never go to potential customers, I don't have time) and look at more images and completed albums. I give them a price list folder to take away that has other details in it. If they want to book they call me, I make up a contract and package for them, they sign and return with deposit.

Thats cool.... we will have everything pre-packaed and all we have to do is call the courier for a pick up. Takes no extra time at all for us and it reaches out to MANY more customers. It's basically hands free marketing for us.

[tim]

Thats cool.... we will have everything pre-packaed and all we have to do is call the courier for a pick up. Takes no extra time at all for us and it reaches out to MANY more customers. It's basically hands free marketing for us.

Jasen, when people call/email you send out a pack and ask them to book from that, or do you send the pack then have them come and meet you? Just trying to work out your workflow as I spend quite a bit of time with potential customers, and of course not everyone books with me so the time isn't well spent.

I don't think i'd send out a full price list without showing an album, because once people see the albums they understand why they're not exactly cheap. Quite a few people have come to look at the CD only package, and have ended up booking an album package.

[newgenphoto]

Hey Tim,
We actually will be sending these out as "teasers" basically. At least they have SOMETHING from us instead of just seeing our work on the website. If they get a full professional looking package they will be more like... "Wow, these people know what their doing and are pretty serious".... at least that's what we hope for anyway...haha

Again...this is ONLY for those RARE calls we get that are just feeler calls or people just browsing around.

[samnz]

I've always been 'iffy' about "mail-outs" - it's time and money I'd rather invest in traveling to talk with couples face-to-face.

Sure it's a moving, visual, talking business card but I believe you can make an even bigger impression in person.

I do have a 5-6 minute presentation which the couples view on MY laptop. This is followed by viewing completed albums, prints and questions. I get all the details I need and leave them with documentation for them to return should they decide to go ahead.

The mail-out seems...I don't know - too commercial and impersonal...FOR ME anyways.

[sapearl]

Back before websites, galleries and pix on disk I loved getting phone calls. In those days it was pretty much print advertising and word of mouth - worked quite well.

I still get calls. Unfortunately, the screening that websites automatically accomplish tend to reduce one's overall number of calls. The client checks out the site, decides they've seen what they want and often don't give you the chance to answer any questions, or worse, dispell any assumptions they may have made.

I've always felt the terrific thing about a phone call is that it's your make it or break it moment, when you have a great opportunity to really sell yourself and try to infect the client with your enthusiasm for the job you love to do. I closed a LOT of deals that way.

Yes, a website, promotional disks and other materials can be very effective in attracting potential sales. But IMHO I feel nothing can beat an enthusiastic 2-way conversation. Promo materials "talk" but they don't CONVERSE. Now if they generate an inquiry, then you have the opportunity to make that pitch. ;)