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Archive 2017 · Why should a couple book you?

  
 
heikoM
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Why should a couple book you?


We had a really sound business man here, Todd Reichmann. I miss him, pity, that he is gone.



He used to ask one question. He said every photographer should be able to answer this question in one sentence.

I find it very valuable to really think about this. It boils down who you are as a photographer, what you are all about. And this is not as simple as to say "because I make great pictures", everyone does. What is your strengths? What makes you different then all the other options the couple have.


So, here is the question. Please try to answer it in one sentence.


"Why should a couple book you?"


heiko



Jan 06, 2017 at 03:25 AM
glort
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Why should a couple book you?



I know what many are thinking but if they say it or not will be another thing.
I'm sure someone will.



Jan 06, 2017 at 03:42 AM
heikoM
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Why should a couple book you?


glort wrote:
I know what many are thinking but if they say it or not will be another thing.
I'm sure someone will.



I should add that if you can answer that question it might be wise to put it on your website. Everybody who looks at your website should get what you are about within the first seconds.


heiko



Jan 06, 2017 at 03:59 AM
dhp_sf
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Why should a couple book you?


Because I have the best words.


Jan 06, 2017 at 04:06 AM
InSanE
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Why should a couple book you?


If you find a better price for the same package, we'll match the competitor's price and refund the difference.


Jan 06, 2017 at 05:10 AM
trashschollie
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Why should a couple book you?


"Solid as a rock,
No matter from where the wind blows"



Jan 06, 2017 at 06:12 AM
IrishDino
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Why should a couple book you?


I don't do the whole fake ass-kissing routine that's flooded the market with J* wanabes.


Jan 06, 2017 at 07:37 AM
heikoM
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Why should a couple book you?


A lot of bar-jokes so far. Nothing real yet...

As I see it nobody wants to talk about stuff like that, s OK...


heiko



Jan 06, 2017 at 08:45 AM
jcolman
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Why should a couple book you?


I put my reason on my website and marketing material. "Recognized for his expertise in creating upscale quality memories at affordable prices".


Jan 06, 2017 at 09:36 AM
LeeSimms
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Why should a couple book you?


I'm Bill Clinton with a camera


Jan 06, 2017 at 09:41 AM
heikoM
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · Why should a couple book you?


LeeSimms wrote:
I'm Bill Clinton with a camera



why Bill Clinton?


heiko



Jan 06, 2017 at 11:02 AM
dhp_sf
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · Why should a couple book you?


The real answer is simple: they feel a connection with me and my work and trust me to deliver excellent service.

What makes them feel these things will likely vary from client to client.



Jan 06, 2017 at 12:38 PM
heikoM
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p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · Why should a couple book you?


dhp_sf wrote:
The real answer is simple: they feel a connection with me and my work and trust me to deliver excellent service.

What makes them feel these things will likely vary from client to client.




But I guess that is true for nearly every photographer, right? We get booked because they feel a connection and trust us.

So the question here is, what do you transmit to your couple that they feel this connection and trust you.


heiko



Jan 06, 2017 at 03:06 PM
hardlyboring
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p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · Why should a couple book you?


dhp_sf wrote:
The real answer is simple: they feel a connection with me and my work and trust me to deliver excellent service.

What makes them feel these things will likely vary from client to client.


Pretty much this.
We pretty much know when we will book people after meeting them. Just a feeling you get.
They come to us because they are drawn to our style and or they get a recommendation about personality fit from planners and then things work themselves out from there.

Very rarely do we shoot a wedding and go "those were not clients we should have booked".



Jan 06, 2017 at 04:31 PM
JHerr
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p.1 #15 · p.1 #15 · Why should a couple book you?


They book me because they require my services.


Jan 06, 2017 at 05:23 PM
heikoM
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p.1 #16 · p.1 #16 · Why should a couple book you?


I find it very astonishing that so far only one has really answered the question.

Seems this question is harder then one might think on first sight.


heiko



Jan 06, 2017 at 06:44 PM
dhp_sf
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p.1 #17 · p.1 #17 · Why should a couple book you?


heikoM wrote:
I find it very astonishing that so far only one has really answered the question.

Seems this question is harder then one might think on first sight.

heiko


Wedding photography is a luxury, not a need. People buy what they feel suits them. They make this decision based on how photographers are branded. I've established a certain kind of brand and clients that are looking for something like that become interested. They talk to me further and decide whether or not the connection of the work extends to the person behind it--assuming that is important to them. The factors that weigh into their decision making is probably not determined by a few concrete notions that you can just lay out there.

In the end most wedding photographers do exactly the same thing: tell the story of the wedding day and provide a record of it. But the nuances in how differently people approach it can start making all the difference. Or maybe they're looking for the best "bargain." Or maybe they want to spend alot because they equate quality to price. Or maybe their friend said, "this person photographed my wedding and is amazing and you should hire him" so they do...

Cars do exactly the same thing, too. They get you from point A to point B. Why does one person buy a Honda vs Toyota? Lexus vs BMW? All car commercials are the same. Subjective values.



Jan 06, 2017 at 07:20 PM
heikoM
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p.1 #18 · p.1 #18 · Why should a couple book you?


dhp_sf wrote:
Wedding photography is a luxury, not a need. People buy what they feel suits them. They make this decision based on how photographers are branded. I've established a certain kind of brand and clients that are looking for something like that become interested. They talk to me further and decide whether or not the connection of the work extends to the person behind it--assuming that is important to them. The factors that weigh into their decision making is probably not determined by a few concrete notions that you can just lay out there.

In the end most wedding photographers do exactly
...Show more



You are right, of course they donīt hire you because of one sentence you put in front of them.

Still, I think it can put them in the right direction, to see your work from the right angle, the angle you want your work been seen.


As you speak of cars, the is one slogan of a motorcycle brand that comes to mind. One, that is very good in demonstrating what I mean.


"You donīt buy simply a motorcycle, you acquire a way of life." Guess who?


heiko



Jan 06, 2017 at 07:52 PM
glort
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p.1 #19 · p.1 #19 · Why should a couple book you?


jcolman wrote:
I put my reason on my website and marketing material. "Recognized for his expertise in creating upscale quality memories at affordable prices".


There it is! Sure as sunrise.

The old quality and price misnomer. Wish I could have put money on that answer, I would have bet my house on it because its the pre programmed response of most small business people whom have no knowledge of business or their clients wants or needs.
The majority of small business people will say this ignoring the fact that the great majority of their competitors will say the exact same thing making the answer Null and void in the mind of the potential client.


The real answer is simple: they feel a connection with me and my work and trust me to deliver excellent service.

Bingo!
We have a winner. The field of competition was pretty slim, but none the less it is THE correct answer.

People buy the Person, the product and the price, in that order.
Business 101..... Which is further than most people in this game ever get.

No one books someone they don't like, don't trust or don't feel feel comfortable with no matter how good their work or how cheap their price..... unless they are desperate or the exact type of clients no business wants, tightarses.

What amazes me in these discussions is how business people seem to look at things from the exact wrong way. They look at things like consumers when they should be thinking like business people and then they ignore their own consumer behavior when it's relevant to their business.

If a brand new camera brand came out tomorrow that had twice the features at half the price of nikcanony, the board would be lit up with the same old " I'm not taking the chance, I'll wait 12 months and see what others say" or " I ain't taking the risk with some Chinese crap".

You don't trust it, you won't touch it no matter what the quality or price.



Jan 07, 2017 at 12:08 AM
heikoM
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p.1 #20 · p.1 #20 · Why should a couple book you?


As I said above, nearly every photog thinks that way. But how do you translate that into an unique sentence that you can display?

Maybe you canīt. Maybe it works for some, like Harley, but not for others.


Wouldīt it be a good thigk to have a short message that customers see before they dive into your work which tune them into you, who you are as a person or your way of shooting that helps you convey the message.

If you don't do that you let the customer do that for themselves. Good marketing, in my understanding, put the words you want to spread out there with purpose. If you only show images, the customers will say all different things about you. Some right, some wrong.


heiko



Jan 07, 2017 at 04:57 AM
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