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Archive 2014 · Qualify leads before providing packages?

  
 
IrishDino
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Qualify leads before providing packages?


How many people here qualify leads before giving out package pricing and other information?

This year I've started to ask follow up questions (dates and location if not provided, hours of coverage, second photog, engagement session) to each email inquiry before quoting them a price, and to be honest, my follow-ups are low, maybe 25% actually respond after my email.

Last year I was providing a packages pdf to every inquiry and finding brides would book me quicker, but oftentimes at a lower package then they really needed (booking base 6 hours coverage instead of the 10h they need).

My bookings are down in 2015, but my average revenue per wedding is way up.

I'm not sure what to do.



Nov 21, 2014 at 12:33 PM
Mark_L
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Qualify leads before providing packages?


Were these lower-package brides booking without meeting you or something?

For me, the more obstacles put in the way the less people will persist and will just move on - there are plenty of photogs out there too.



Nov 21, 2014 at 12:36 PM
IrishDino
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Qualify leads before providing packages?


Lower budget would meet, but would pick a package by the next email.

Client: "We'll go with 6h coverage, but we have a few questions..."

If I figure out how many hours they need before quoting, I have some flexibility in my follow up price, if for example, they want 4h in a Saturday in July when every other client is booking all day, I can kind of softly turn them down by quoting too much.



Nov 21, 2014 at 12:43 PM
tgillespie
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Qualify leads before providing packages?


We qualify to some extent, but try to avoid giving out package pricing until we meet up. Its hard to build value in albums and prints if they cant see or touch them... and they'll almost always go for the cheapest package possible. Like you said, you'll get more bookings by going the easy route, but you'll also shoot a lot of weddings that don't fit your style and personality. We made that mistake 2 years ago.

We don't ask for a lot of detail, but information size, venue, and reasons why they are interested in our service will go a long way. If a bride wants to book with us after 1 or 2 emails and never talking to us, we usually are hesitant to give a formal proposal. Hope that helps.




Nov 21, 2014 at 03:09 PM
IrishDino
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Qualify leads before providing packages?


Usually my inquires go one of two ways: they either email once or twice and are never to be heard of again, or they book really fast (at a package that's usually too low). Most of the time when we get to the meeting strange, it's all a formality.

Almost know one accepts a meeting without knowing what they're booking us for.



Nov 21, 2014 at 03:34 PM
tgillespie
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Qualify leads before providing packages?


ZachOly wrote:
Usually my inquires go one of two ways: they either email once or twice and are never to be heard of again, or they book really fast (at a package that's usually too low). Most of the time when we get to the meeting strange, it's all a formality.

Almost know one accepts a meeting without knowing what they're booking us for.


I would look for ways to change that. Lines like "We would love to meet up to show you some more of our work as well as our beautiful wedding albums, but also so you can tell us what's important to you photography wise." There usually isn't any emotion in booking a client over email/phone, and its hard to sell yourself without it. As much as we want the transaction to be quick and easy, upping your packages and print sales won't occur that way.



Edited on Nov 22, 2014 at 02:06 AM · View previous versions



Nov 21, 2014 at 03:39 PM
ricardovaste
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Qualify leads before providing packages?


ZachOly wrote:
I'm not sure what to do.


Maybe increase your inquiries?

Mark_L wrote:
there are plenty of photogs out there too.


Exactly, if we all do the same thing why bother looking too far? I'd just go with the cheapest possible.



Nov 21, 2014 at 03:50 PM
sgraafmans
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Qualify leads before providing packages?


I have just posted a simular situation with enquiries. Check it out.


Nov 21, 2014 at 04:35 PM
amonline
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Qualify leads before providing packages?


I have a general response to email inquiries that somewhat pre-qualifies clients by providing "basic" pricing structure and asking a few questions to get them talking. It's designed to weed out the tire kickers, but engage the serious inquiries. I do not provide an "in-depth" pricing breakdown as I want to know as much about the day as possible before providing that data. Therefore, I push for a face-to-face consult before giving an actual "quote". This has worked fine for 7/8 years. I've seen no need to change the habit, and I've never felt I've underbid myself by doing so.


Nov 21, 2014 at 07:11 PM
SGallant
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Qualify leads before providing packages?


Other than starting prices and average. Absolutely not. I get the feeling you want to shortcut your leads. Correct me if I am wrong, you were also the same person that was talking about how one line leads from the Knot were fake. And I remember getting a 1 liner just asking for price in the middle of that thread from the knot, which I worked properly, and ended up closing at my normal middle package.

Try working your leads instead of seeing how fast you can weed them out. Stop trying to interrogate them right off the bat with a ton of questions, nobody wants that. If you don't hear from the client, follow up. If you don't hear after that, follow up again. I would seriously look for sales courses if I were in your shoes.



Nov 22, 2014 at 09:35 AM
Inku Yo
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · Qualify leads before providing packages?


I do.


Nov 22, 2014 at 11:35 AM
glort
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · Qualify leads before providing packages?



This is such basic business practice it can't imagine how it's just not a given for every shooter. Go to a car dealer and ask him how much a car is or for a price list and see what they do. They sure as hell won't just hand over the price list thats for sure!

I don't have a price list, even one for myself. I have to qualify people before I can give them a price because I don't know what to tell them if I don't know what's involved.
I regularly spend 45 min on the PHONE to them talking to them about their wedding, qualifying them, building rapport and then I will give them a ball park figure. I tell them they have to come in to see me so I can go oover it all in more detail and then I can give them a firm quote.

2 things regularly happen..... Often, they come in to see me and I haven't told them any price because I qualified them and know they are in my ballpark.
secondly, because I throughly qualify them on the phone, they will often book when they come in without seeing any more pics than are on the walls around them. Most of which now are 5-10 years old. Which I like because I can still book them on what I did back then.

Certainly I'm happy to tell them ball park price if they ask and certainly I like to show them FULL wedding coverages. I tell them anyone can look good if they show you the best possible flukes of the last 20 weddings they did but it's the overall standard you want to look at.

Qualifying clients is just such a basic, fundamental of selling. I'ts just the professional thing to do. It should be the automatic thing anyone does.

If I'm not going to hook them, much better to know that oin the phone than stuffing around arranging interviwes and wasting my time like that. 90% of the ones I blow away on the phone are the $500 bargain hunters or the ones that insist its just a price they are after and are likley just going to book the cheapest regardless of work or inclusions.

By the time I give them a price, I know as much about their wedding, their likes and dislikes as they do and all jokes aside, often what the brides underwear choice is going to be!



Nov 23, 2014 at 11:42 AM





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