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Archive 2013 · "Client for Life"

  
 
joelconner
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · "Client for Life"


I am sure some of you have seen this before. Basically, if you book a certain level of package, your clients become a "client for life" and are given one free photo session per year until whenever. There are no products attached to it, so it is just the session fee being waved. The advantage in my eyes is that it sounds impressive, and it could give you at least one opportunity per year to sell prints, images, etc. to people who know you.

Has anyone ever tried this? If so, interested in hearing your thoughts.



Oct 31, 2013 at 01:43 AM
ricardovaste
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · "Client for Life"


I think it could perhaps be a good idea. I've not been doing this long to really comment on how well it could work, but hopefully others can...

I'd say you'd have to be extremely select with who you choose and how you manage it. 1 everyone 1-2 years I'd say, otherwise the extra "free" work could just become quite time consuming for you.

I think you would have to have a clear sales strategy. It's all good and well spreading "good word" but you need to make it worth your time too. So with a free sessions you would need to make some sort of wall art or album a clear end product for them.



Oct 31, 2013 at 06:34 AM
Tony Hoffer
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · "Client for Life"


That would have to involve A LOT of money. I might consider 5 years if we still did families, but never a lifelong. What if you're shooting Nike ads in 6 years or you decide to do another career in 3 years?

Edited on Oct 31, 2013 at 08:22 AM · View previous versions



Oct 31, 2013 at 07:27 AM
ricardovaste
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · "Client for Life"


I think it would work a little like a lifetime warranty on your car. The small print would read "The life of Joel, not the client" ;-). Meaning as long as he's still in that area, he'll honour it. But yeah, I in general I think 3-5 year limit is a nice idea. You could even add in free insurance + MOT for the first 2 years


Oct 31, 2013 at 07:31 AM
RichardLavigne
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · "Client for Life"


here's a novel idea... some may call it crazy. Why not work hard to impress your clients with your work and talent, so they HIRE you every year. To me, this sounds gimmicky.... it's really no different than giving away product in order to get a job... it doesn't foster an appreciation of the work, in fact, I think it de-value's you in the eye of your client... it makes you look like the guy who needs work so bad, he's giving it away.

The second wedding we ever shot is a client for life.... they've hired us every year for 5 family sessions each year (we just booked the dates for 2014's sessions), we shot both of their children's baptisms, and earlier this year, we booked the bride's brother's wedding in Ireland.




Oct 31, 2013 at 08:03 AM
TRReichman
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · "Client for Life"


Rich said it better than I could have. The client needs to decide if they are going to be a client for life, you don't want to try and decide that for them. Because you might change and move away from what they want over time.

I've had client spend $10K on a wedding and not want to spend $500 on their first born a year later. You don't want to obligate either party into an ongoing relationship based on one event.

- trr



Oct 31, 2013 at 08:26 AM
Littleguy
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · "Client for Life"


From the top of my head - I think I heard of this from Sal C. but its basically a waive the sitting fee for a portrait session.

More suited for a business that only sells products - no digital files delivered.

He shoots for free and up-sells the client on prints/products.

GF used to do the same for weddings - sets a really really low shooting fee - no digital files and tries to up-sell on the back end for the albums.

What's new is that Sal was using the "free" lifetime shoot to upsell his ultimate wedding package.



Oct 31, 2013 at 08:39 AM
SGallant
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · "Client for Life"


Yep this is Sal's method. He is in your backyard in St. Louis. He puts the client for life in his top package at $8500. Or you can buy it for $699 (pretty sure he never sold one separately). That's his St. Louis rates. He believes that if he can train a client to buy the top package, they will continue to buy the top package as a client for life. His business model is unlike most and built heavily around print and book sales. So yeah, he is just waiving the session fee for life.

Edited on Oct 31, 2013 at 09:39 AM · View previous versions



Oct 31, 2013 at 09:39 AM
jojosung
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · "Client for Life"


don't forget to put disclaimer that promotion has not monetary value...
just in case you can't fullfilled in the future, you can't be sue for missing the cost of the portrait.



Oct 31, 2013 at 09:39 AM
SGallant
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · "Client for Life"


jojosung wrote:
don't forget to put disclaimer that promotion has not monetary value...
just in case you can't fullfilled in the future, you can't be sue for missing the cost of the portrait.

It has a value, just lower than most think.



Oct 31, 2013 at 09:40 AM
joelconner
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · "Client for Life"


I guess I did not realize that Sal was one of the ones who did this. I have heard a number of people talk about it before over the past handful of years, but since it is one of those long-term type things, I had never heard any feedback on it from anyone who tried it.

Tony Hoffer wrote:
That would have to involve A LOT of money. I might consider 5 years if we still did families, but never a lifelong. What if you're shooting Nike ads in 6 years or you decide to do another career in 3 years?


It would definitely need to have a disclaimer in relation to the limits of the session and if the business closed. As for the money aspect of it, the only thing it would cost would be the time spent on the session, dealing with the proofs, and meeting with the family to see what they want to buy. They are not receiving anything for "free" other than our nominal session fee. The main concern for me on that end that because they do not have anything invested on the front end, they will not feel the need to actually buy anything...or they might think "Let's just wait until next year" once they see the images.

RichardLavigne wrote:
here's a novel idea... some may call it crazy. Why not work hard to impress your clients with your work and talent, so they HIRE you every year. To me, this sounds gimmicky.... it's really no different than giving away product in order to get a job... it doesn't foster an appreciation of the work, in fact, I think it de-value's you in the eye of your client... it makes you look like the guy who needs work so bad, he's giving it away.
The second wedding we ever shot is a client for life.... they've hired us every year for
...Show more

I definitely do not feel like it would have the air of needing work so badly that we're giving it away. In my mind, it would be something attached to our to package (I guess like what Sal does, apparently), but that would be the only way someone could get it. It would not be sold outright. In all honesty, we do an extremely small amount of family photos because I do not generally enjoy them. I would, however, enjoy working with more of the people we book over and over again...because we tend to get on really well with our couples. So, most of our couples do not even tend to think of us for family photos because we never show them. Also, considering these would be the very small percentage of people who book our top package (2 out of 35 booked what is our current highest package this past year), and considering the type of money that these families spent with us on their weddings and engagements, those are exactly the kind of clients that I want to build even stronger relationships with...and the ones that I WANT coming back year after year.

If our current trend continues of having 2-3 people couples book our top package per year (none for 2014 yet, though), that is a max of an additional 2-3 1-hour sessions per year that we would be doing. I think we charge $200 or $250 for a family session fee (again, with nothing attached to that), that is all that we are giving away. Plus, I would not expect all or most to actually want to do it every year until they have kids. And because they have money, they would likely want to buy the cute pictures of their babies, etc...which would generate more income than I am losing by not charging on the session fee

Anyway...just thinking out loud and was wondering if anyone who had done it had any experiential feedback



Oct 31, 2013 at 11:39 AM
SGallant
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · "Client for Life"


It's been almost a year since I took his course. But what I recall he has it down to a very small amount of time. Most people don't use it every year, it's more like life events. His whole business is built around prints. His bottom wedding package doesn't even include the digital negatives, just an album. He charges $1500 for the negatives. He has 100% purchase rate, and usually the people are buying his top package as that's what they are accustomed to buying.

Two other reasons he puts it in. 1. it shows you plan to be around for a long time. 2. it tells every client he does other work than just wedding photography.

Honestly it might be worth picking the course up on CL if you are headed in that direction.



Oct 31, 2013 at 11:59 AM
RichardLavigne
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p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · "Client for Life"


Littleguy wrote:
From the top of my head - I think I heard of this from Sal C.


haha... ahhh.. that explains why I don't like it.



Oct 31, 2013 at 01:06 PM
CareyNash
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p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · "Client for Life"


I keep thinking about a phrase like groupon when I hear it. I just imagine everyone signing up for (getting your client package) and then you find yourself obligated into something that you can't find time to do or don't want to do over time. Like Todd a Tony said, you don't want to make someone feel obligated and in the end you may find yourself doing something you don't like in a few years time.


Oct 31, 2013 at 01:18 PM
TheGE
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p.1 #15 · p.1 #15 · "Client for Life"


TRReichman wrote:
Rich said it better than I could have. The client needs to decide if they are going to be a client for life, you don't want to try and decide that for them. Because you might change and move away from what they want over time.

I've had client spend $10K on a wedding and not want to spend $500 on their first born a year later. You don't want to obligate either party into an ongoing relationship based on one event.


It's a way of putting a "fence" around your herd so that they have reason to stay with you rather than stray.

Of course they can do whatever they want. But considering they've already spent money on you, which is a huge psychological factor, liked you, saw results, this gives them additional incentive for sticking to the brand for their future needs.

It's no different than Disney making you a lifetime member of some club because you patronized one of their hotels and restaurants.







Oct 31, 2013 at 03:56 PM
joelconner
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p.1 #16 · p.1 #16 · "Client for Life"


CareyNash wrote:
I keep thinking about a phrase like groupon when I hear it. I just imagine everyone signing up for (getting your client package) and then you find yourself obligated into something that you can't find time to do or don't want to do over time. Like Todd a Tony said, you don't want to make someone feel obligated and in the end you may find yourself doing something you don't like in a few years time.


I do not think anyone would feel obligated to do a session with us every year. We are very easy going people, and I would tell them they never have to use it if they do not want to. But, it is there for them if they want. As for having a huge amount of people having this...we do not have a huge amount of people spending over $7k with us. It has happened twice. If a couple wants to spend massive amounts of money with us..probably in the range of $8k for just the wedding package, I WANT to keep them around. I WANT to have them as ongoing customers because they will hopefully keep using us and sending their family photo money our way. If they are not interested, they will not do it. If they are interested, they will do it (when sometimes otherwise they might not do it at all), I would only be missing out on the session fee, and I have the chance to sell them awesome products again. Even if we would have 5 people a year get a package that includes that (not likely...more likely 1-3 tops), then at most that is 5 additional 1 hour or shorter sessions I would need to do a year, but it would be 5 additional chances to make money. We make our money on the sales for portrait sessions...not the session fee. That just covers our initial time (and not by much)

I am still not sold on the idea...I am just defending it moreso because everyone else is against it and I think it is worth discussing (at least, it is for me). I think there are positives here that no one else is really seeing. If your business runs on a shoot and burn format, this is a total waste. We are doing a lot more to selling these days. If I can get a handful of guaranteed sessions that are easy with people we love that will pull in $700+ in sales for us, then it seems like something worth considering. The long term implications are definitely the biggest concern on my part, but as long as we explain what limitations we have set on it and have it clear for the couple, then that can deal with many of the issues (mainly dealing with if we would close/sold the business)

EDIT: I did not mention this before, but we also are wanting to shift more into portraits and take on fewer weddings. We have 35 weddings this year, and it's challenge. I would like to get closer to the 25 mark, so other sessions with sales opportunities would be nice.

EDIT EDIT: As for the Groupon thing, there is a boudoir photographer in our town that has made a KILLING with the groupon model. The coupon they buy is enough to get them in the door and with a session, and she rakes it in with the post-session sales.



Oct 31, 2013 at 04:10 PM
jmraso
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p.1 #17 · p.1 #17 · "Client for Life"


Tony Hoffer wrote:
That would have to involve A LOT of money. I might consider 5 years if we still did families, but never a lifelong. What if you're shooting Nike ads in 6 years or you decide to do another career in 3 years?



+1

or retire !!!

I would add to the offer (and I mean offer not hoffer ) "if I am still in this business and/or in this particular area".

Anyway, it sounds crazy to me



Oct 31, 2013 at 05:34 PM
Littleguy
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p.1 #18 · p.1 #18 · "Client for Life"


I think Joel you have hit the nail on the head: How good are you at selling post-session?

This is pretty much a Portrait business model - small sitting fee - big print sales afterwards (or at least for the businesses that know how to do post-session sales).

If you are good at post-session sales - this is a no brainer! You move the client up to your top package for the wedding while giving yourself first shot at selling them portraits once a year. To the client this is a free session for them, for the photographer this guarantee them a sales pitch once a year to their highest paying clients. What you do with that opportunity is up to you.

But for someone who not comfortable in up-selling or is used to getting all the sales at the front end and 0 at the back end. This would be a disaster for them.

Figure out how good you are at the sales pitch and that should determine if this sales model is for you.



Oct 31, 2013 at 06:07 PM





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