How do you compete with this?

k8et wrote in post #11174806
Has anyone ever tried this tactic?

Explain you get what you pay for, and suggest they should go with the craigslist company, and offer $59 off your normal package price when they aren't happy with the results? No loss if they ARE happy, and incentive to come to you when they aren't without paying any extra out of their pocket for the learning experience? (if your pricing could handle the discount, that is, and it should.) The way I see this, either you convert them or get rid of them, win-win? :P

Hurting your own bottom line to reward a consumer for making a mistake is just silly. You're basically paying someone to try someone else out first instead of coming to you in the first place.

Hogloff wrote in post #11178347
Yeah, this whole digital thing is just killing everything. Let's all just bury our heads in the sand and count to 10...maybe we'll all be transported back to the 70's.

Things were a hell of a lot better then, thats for sure.....people respected others.

Kids today are so stupid from all their texting, I-Phones, Playstations its horrifying to think they will have to look after us someday when we get older and unable to look after ourselves.

Oh, but they will be able to share a digital file on facebook, when our Depends haven't been changed in 3 days and we are sitting on a pile of ****.

Bosscat wrote in post #11175885
The social networking thing has devalued photography as has digital.

That's only true if you equate photography with the ink and paper itself. I don't define photography by the display medium being used.

I'll happily sell a print cheap and give you a digital social networking file for free...but you gotta pay me to take the picture first.

I had one bride try to get me to price match-we set up a meeting, I showed up, she wasn't there, and so I called. She said 'Oh, we found a photographer who would shoot the wedding and give us an album for $1,200. But we really like your work, can you match that?' I told her I couldn't afford to do that and left it at that.
There is always going to be somebody out there who just got a camera, doesn't depend on the income, and will work cheaper than you-don't fall into the trap of trying to compete with that crowd.

They may be idiots, but likely it is a size that you can't print, with a watermark. Just enough for you to post on a blog and advertise for them. They could be trying to be the budget photographery. I'm trying to be the luxury photographer so I'm not even trying to compete with them.

USER876 wrote in post #11173530
A few people have asked me if they can get a cd of the entire shoot. when I tell them I don't offer that they showed me this ad from craigslist. How do you respond to this and not lose a customer?
---------------

"we're offering slots at $59 in order to fill some vacancies. No catch or hidden fees. " ...

Easy, you lose the customer. A customer is someone who is willing to pay you for your expertise and service you provide. This person isn't your customer and, in the long term, you don't want customers like this.

If you drop to that price now then that's where your bar is set. It's hard to start charging more when you're know as the $59 photographer.

And eventually that studio will charge $50, so you'll have to go to $49. Then the guy next door, who has a nice job that pays his mortgage, will do shoots for $40 - just because he loves trying out that new L lens and studio lights he got off eBay.

It's a horrible vicious cycle and you want to stay as far away from it as possible. If you believe in your abilities then charge for it because there are still people out there who believe a higher price is an indication of better quality.

davisphotos wrote in post #11178517
I had one bride try to get me to price match-we set up a meeting, I showed up, she wasn't there, and so I called. She said 'Oh, we found a photographer who would shoot the wedding and give us an album for $1,200. But we really like your work, can you match that?'

LOL. Your response should have been, "If you like my work, can he match that?"

AdamGasson wrote in post #11180096
If you drop to that price now then that's where your bar is set. It's hard to start charging more when you're know as the $59 photographer.

It's hard to keep eating when you're known as the $59 photographer.

I've got a friend, an amateur photographer who started doing work for a bit of money on the side. He has stopped doing that. He complains that even though he only charged barely more than it cost him, people still demanded the moon from him--even when he did a job as a complete favor, people still demanded, "Are you going to have that ready by tomorrow?" He liked having people give him kudos and money for his photography, but he decided it wasn't worth jumping through hoops and missing time with his family.

RDKirk wrote in post #11180253
LOL. Your response should have been, "If you like my work, can he match that?"

I like that....

cdifoto wrote in post #11178453
Hurting your own bottom line to reward a consumer for making a mistake is just silly. You're basically paying someone to try someone else out first instead of coming to you in the first place.

Well, I did state that only if your pricing structure wouldn't take a huge hit with that discount. If you have wiggle room and would negotiate down $60 bucks or so for someone on a regular basis, then this idea wouldn't be much different. I'm developing my business plan (slowly), but maybe I'll take what I want to charge at a minimum, add $100 to that, and offer a "second chance" discount of $50 to anyone who was unhappy with a craigslist or similar cheap photographer. (maybe not, but just an example of how you could work this out...)

If you plan for it, it won't hurt your bottom line. If you are someone who would never budge from your lowest price for anyone or undercharge as it is, then yeah, it would be silly... But either a) they are happy with the other work, b) not happy but won't pay for your prices regardless, or c) they will be educated about getting what you pay for and become loyal customers...

I wonder how many photographers factor in discounts to their pricing structure? knowing how many people will want to negotiate lower rates, is that something most factor in from the start or do they just have a "bottom line" number in their head that they won't go below? I don't mean padding the numbers so you always have a "sale" like stores can do, but just figuring out your COB and desired profit, and adding a bit for the sole purpose of negotiations/special offers?

The problem with doing that, is people talk..and you can quickly get the reputation for lowering your price for a Craigslist ad (wether or not the person actually had a bad experience..are you going to ask for proof?)...then you have painted yourself into a corner, unless that is your target market....If you want to give a discount, then offer specials that have a deadline..deadlines get people to act...

Good point, especially about the deadlines. I would ask to see their shoot, however, and find out what they weren't happy with. (all this is hypothetical just for the fun of the discussion, however! :P)

I wonder how many photographers factor in discounts to their pricing structure?

I don't do discounts, so I don't factor that in.

However, I do offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee: If I can't produce work that you absolutely love, you get all your money back. If you decide within a year that you'd rather have a difference size wall portrait, I will exchange it for the difference in price (which includes a refund if you want a smaller portrait). If the wall portrait reveals a production defect ever, I will replace it free of charge. If the wall portrait is damaged in any way within five years, whether by accident or an event of nature, I will replace it at half price.

I guarantee that the client risks nothing: Love my work or money back. That guarantee I do factor into my price structure.

Kirk do you have all your prints done at a lab or do you print them with an archival setup.

TopHatMoments wrote in post #11182492
Kirk do you have all your prints done at a lab or do you print them with an archival setup.

I have them done at a lab that offers art prints on Epson materials rated by Wilhelm to be of "archival" quality (although "archival" is subject to controversy). I frame them myself to "conservation" standards. My defect/accident warranties only apply to prints that I framed and that are returned to me as originally framed.