Package pricing only, no session fees... opinions

Abby,
First, and this is nowhere near on your topic, but I would recommend you clean up your FB page. When I went through this a month ago or so on here, I had not only families and children, but wildlife and waterfowl. Several members on here suggested I greatly clean it up. I have hidden almost, if not all, of it and have more than doubled my followers. You shoot families, babies and pets - there is no need for a picture of the moon of a flower on your page as it should only be families, babies and pets. I would also limit the "chit-chat", but that's just me. Use FB to promote your business, not tell potential clients about your new lens. ALL OF THIS IS MY OPINION AND BASED OFF FEEDBACK I RECEIVED ON HERE.

As to your question about pricing, you could be the greatest photographer in Arkansas, but if those willing to pay for pictures can't afford you, then you won't be there photographer. A lot of pricing is determined by where you happen to be. I live in eastern NC, a pretty poor section of the state. There are not many people here who could afford $150 portrait session fee or $150 for a package. So you have to set your prices by what you think people can afford, which isn't always what you are worth.

Also, as read through this post, notice where posters are from. For example, and no offense meant, syclarac is from San Fran. Last time I checked, neither NC nor AR had a city as big population or economically wise as SF. For me in eastern NC to charge $250 per session would guarantee my failure - it isn't economically feasible. However, because of where she is located, Sue can do it somewhat easily.

My current promotion is $50 session fee with a free 8x10. That's what the market here in eastern NC can stand. In 4 days, I've had 15 people claim the offer. That's $750 for 15 hours of work and 15 8x10s printed at my house. IMO, that is fair enough for me and the market seems to be accepting it well. When this one ends, I'll consider doing something else, but again it has to bearable to the market.

Also, people like knowing the full cost up front, and don't like having the price altered after a shoot. When they know how much something is and what they get, they expect that. But if you spring something on them like, "oh but if you want this, it's more" or "actually, the cost has changed because of this" then they back out. Thats why it's easier to just have a package rate and you are free to alter however you want to include you product, service, time, profit etc. and just present that. Obviously it depends on the photographer, and what you shoot, but it works for my auto clients

We have tried different pricing models. We have done better with a lower session fee and make our money on the different photo packages. I know some photographers are fearful of the sales process but it really is just a mindset. If you photos are great. You shouldn't have to worry. In time it will all be easy.

huntersdad wrote in post #16066947
Abby,
First, and this is nowhere near on your topic, but I would recommend you clean up your FB page. When I went through this a month ago or so on here, I had not only families and children, but wildlife and waterfowl. Several members on here suggested I greatly clean it up. I have hidden almost, if not all, of it and have more than doubled my followers. You shoot families, babies and pets - there is no need for a picture of the moon of a flower on your page as it should only be families, babies and pets. I would also limit the "chit-chat", but that's just me. Use FB to promote your business, not tell potential clients about your new lens. ALL OF THIS IS MY OPINION AND BASED OFF FEEDBACK I RECEIVED ON HERE.

As to your question about pricing, you could be the greatest photographer in Arkansas, but if those willing to pay for pictures can't afford you, then you won't be there photographer. A lot of pricing is determined by where you happen to be. I live in eastern NC, a pretty poor section of the state. There are not many people here who could afford $150 portrait session fee or $150 for a package. So you have to set your prices by what you think people can afford, which isn't always what you are worth.

Also, as read through this post, notice where posters are from. For example, and no offense meant, syclarac is from San Fran. Last time I checked, neither NC nor AR had a city as big population or economically wise as SF. For me in eastern NC to charge $250 per session would guarantee my failure - it isn't economically feasible. However, because of where she is located, Sue can do it somewhat easily.

My current promotion is $50 session fee with a free 8x10. That's what the market here in eastern NC can stand. In 4 days, I've had 15 people claim the offer. That's $750 for 15 hours of work and 15 8x10s printed at my house. IMO, that is fair enough for me and the market seems to be accepting it well. When this one ends, I'll consider doing something else, but again it has to bearable to the market.

Thank you these are good points. On the FB I am working to clean it up, slowly. I didnt used to put stuff about a new lens and "chit chat" but honestly people seem to respond to it, and I noticed other photographers doing it. It may have been a wrong idea to follow suit, but being that I am not shooting people and posting pics on a regular basis yet I have to have something to "engage" the follower or have no posts at all. At this time that has been mostly the landscapes and things I have shot between client shoots. Hopefully as I get busier, that will not be needed.

On the pricing a beg to differ. I do think people can always afford it. We used to go off the mindset with the gym that we were in AR and people couldnt afford it. We were broke. Honestly the zip code I live the income significantly high in comparison to others in AR and I believe it's well above average household income nationally. I know the sub sect where the gym is the average household income is $80,000.... well enough to afford luxury services. When we began taking advice in regards to raising our price at the gym and doing demographic research we found out that not only could people afford luxury services but there were enough that could. We doubled our prices. quite frankly, the way I see it is this: If someone can afford an iphone with a bill of over $100 a month and a nice car and clothes they can afford luxury things like photography, martial arts, etc. At that point it's a matter of choice. I can tell by what folks spend at the gym that there are enough that have the $.

I do have a gym in another city with an average income in the $30,000s. there people can not afford the gym so easily. they come in and don't have iphones, they dont have nice clothes and they dont have nice cars.

I believe it's not the state or anything like that but the city and surrounding areas in general. In fact the town next to us, it was rated a year or so ago as one of the top 10 places to live. I fully believe people here can afford it. That I do believe. So it's a matter of taking my time and getting to the level I want to be at, which I am working to do.

Tony_Stark wrote in post #16067061
Also, people like knowing the full cost up front, and don't like having the price altered after a shoot. When they know how much something is and what they get, they expect that. But if you spring something on them like, "oh but if you want this, it's more" or "actually, the cost has changed because of this" then they back out. Thats why it's easier to just have a package rate and you are free to alter however you want to include you product, service, time, profit etc. and just present that. Obviously it depends on the photographer, and what you shoot, but it works for my auto clients

This was my line of thinking and I like this. Now in regards to my last post, about income yes I live in AR and yes a well off town with well off $ to spend I believe, but with that said we are almost last in education. I found at the gym in particular we ran into issues when we offered a lot of pricing issues and choices. I used to get hungup on the sales people and thought htey werent doing a good job and then I realized something that caused me to totally change my opinion: the people really dont get it. I have explained people things straight forward and in writing and they just dont get it. I realized it wasnt a matter of sales people not fully explaining things or other things but a matter of some of the people just didnt have the intelligence to understand all the options. The simpler it was, the easier it was to sell.

I see a lot of people offer things like "$150 session and prints are this much but theres a min print order of $300" I honestly think if I tried that it might confuse people to the point that it could hurt.

I also believe people by nature dont read and dont pay attention to things that well, and I think some of the prob some people have might be that they put prices on the webs and stuff and send it to clients and just expect they read it and they don't....

and it is for these reasons I want to keep it as absolutely simple as possible, yet still make $ eventually of course.

RockStar Photo Events wrote in post #16067648
We have tried different pricing models. We have done better with a lower session fee and make our money on the different photo packages. I know some photographers are fearful of the sales process but it really is just a mindset. If you photos are great. You shouldn't have to worry. In time it will all be easy.

Thank you this is a good point and I will consider it. I do believe people will buy if the product is good. It's not as that I'm scared of hte sales as much as I just want it to be as simple and clear as possible to make it straight forward with no confusion.
Do you make people do a min print order or anything like that?

Yes totally true. Where you are will affect your pricing. I know I am lucky to be in SF Bay Area with its own economics!

abbypanda wrote in post #16067833
On the pricing a beg to differ. I do think people can always afford it. We used to go off the mindset with the gym that we were in AR and people couldnt afford it. We were broke. Honestly the zip code I live the income significantly high in comparison to others in AR and I believe it's well above average household income nationally. I know the sub sect where the gym is the average household income is $80,000.... well enough to afford luxury services. When we began taking advice in regards to raising our price at the gym and doing demographic research we found out that not only could people afford luxury services but there were enough that could. We doubled our prices. quite frankly, the way I see it is this: If someone can afford an iphone with a bill of over $100 a month and a nice car and clothes they can afford luxury things like photography, martial arts, etc. At that point it's a matter of choice. I can tell by what folks spend at the gym that there are enough that have the $.

I do have a gym in another city with an average income in the $30,000s. there people can not afford the gym so easily. they come in and don't have iphones, they dont have nice clothes and they dont have nice cars.

I believe it's not the state or anything like that but the city and surrounding areas in general. In fact the town next to us, it was rated a year or so ago as one of the top 10 places to live. I fully believe people here can afford it. That I do believe. So it's a matter of taking my time and getting to the level I want to be at, which I am working to do.

Abby, I agree with what you're saying in general, but we'll have to differ on the opinion of affordability. I don't think people can always afford it. Some can afford it at any time and price, some can afford it they are willing to put aside something else, but some simply can't afford it as they are doing their best to survive. My thoughts are price to service the most, not the most well off.