tmiller wrote:
Man... I only have 5 booked, and they're all with last years cheaper prices.
BTW - I did 23 weddings last year at my cheaper rates 800 - 1400, and I've more than doubled that price range. I'm getting compliments, just no commitments.
Thanks for listening... and good job to everyone else.
Well, you doubled your prices, so you only need 12 weddings to make the same profit as last year And you already have 5, so that's almost half. Maybe consider offering a lower priced package with a bigger profit margin, that way you're not charging too much from the bride's perspective, yet you're getting more money in your pocket.
tmiller wrote:
Man... I only have 5 booked, and they're all with last years cheaper prices. No one's booked this year yet with my higher prices and albums, and I can't even get my first meeting done yet. Just got a call at 9:45PM from the mom of tomorrow meeting and they're going with someone who is a pro, who shot they're friends wedding.
The girl does great work, I commended her... thanked her for her time, bit my lip until it bled and said goodbye.
I just want to MEET... I've been fairly lax. Now that my studio albums are in, I'm taking the gloves off. I'm a darned good salesman, and I enjoy it, and this whole series of events has ticked me off.
I started January with 6 potential brides... I'm down to 3, if I'm lucky. I NEED them.
Good job to everyone else. Anyone need a 2nd? =o)
BTW - I did 23 weddings last year at my cheaper rates 800 - 1400, and I've more than doubled that price range. I'm getting compliments, just no commitments.
Thanks for listening... and good job to everyone else.
If you did 23 last year at an average of $1,100 and then doubled your prices and have only 5 bookings this year (and none at the new higher pricing) you should really take a look at what's going on .. are you too expensive relative to the other shooters in your area? Or did last year fill up late for you and you can expect to get more later this year? Did a bunch of new shooters enter your market? ... my area added about 20% this year ?
All my price increases are incremental and allow me to see their effect on bookings before I put a whole season at risk.
Price your work at a level to keep yourself busy .. all fine and dandy to say you've increased your prices but if nobodys buying at that price then what's the point.
tmiller wrote:
I just want to MEET... I've been fairly lax. Now that my studio albums are in, I'm taking the gloves off. I'm a darned good salesman, and I enjoy it, and this whole series of events has ticked me off.
Hey Tim,
Don't sweat it...they'll come. If I could say one thing though...don't sell yourself short just to attract bookings. You don't want to come across as desperate when meeting with clients. They'll sense that and turn the other way. Be confident in your work, make sure they feel that you feel you are worth what you are charging (hope that makes sense) If you start to offer discounts for meetings on this day and discounts if you book by a certain day you will start to be know as the discount guy...and I am sure you don't want that. Anyway stick to it, sell your work... not your prices and be confident what you are charging.
Mike Mahoney wrote:
If you did 23 last year at an average of $1,100 and then doubled your prices and have only 5 bookings this year (and none at the new higher pricing) you should really take a look at what's going on .. are you too expensive relative to the other shooters in your area? Or did last year fill up late for you and you can expect to get more later this year? Did a bunch of new shooters enter your market? ... my area added about 20% this year ?
All my price increases are incremental and allow me to see their effect on bookings before I put a whole season at risk.
Price your work at a level to keep yourself busy .. all fine and dandy to say you've increased your prices but if nobodys buying at that price then what's the point....Show more →
It's all perspective... I vented last night. I'm better now. This time last year, I had 1 booking.
Same time this year, 5, with a few leads left over. I'm in a highly saturated market, and yes it grows every year and there's room for it. I just need more exposure to the masses and I'm working on an ad campaign that will do that for me.
I just need to sit and wait... I do get a ton of late in the year bookings.
We've got 16 booked, and only one is after June...
Hopefully the Bridal show next month will drum up some late season clients. I'd be more than happy with 20-25 for the year.
In the 500.00 to 1500.00 dollar range, there are tons of weddings to be had.....once you hit that magic mark of 2500.00 and up, the bookings are more selective.........booking 20 to 30 weddings in the lower range is fairly simple......be careful on price increases though so that you dont outprice your market and talent........but if you're work warrants it, go for it.........if wedding photography is your part time gig, then you have alot more leeway to experiment with your pricing...........
hassy501 wrote:
In the 500.00 to 1500.00 dollar range, there are tons of weddings to be had.....once you hit that magic mark of 2500.00 and up, the bookings are more selective.........booking 20 to 30 weddings in the lower range is fairly simple......be careful on price increases though so that you dont outprice your market and talent........but if you're work warrants it, go for it.........if wedding photography is your part time gig, then you have alot more leeway to experiment with your pricing...........
good points... and keep in mind. You will know when your good when you raise your prices and your still booking 20-30 or mroe a year.
My first year I did weddings almost at cost. I now do a lot at $3000-5000 sometimes more and we still book 30+ a year. It is a great feeling when you hit that mark. It is also nice to turn work away. In the beginning I would do everything and anything. Now I turn weddings down if I feel we are not a match.
Wow thats great.........and thats how you work your business....you develop your skills and marketing and raise your rates accordingly.........not raise them "just because"...
hassy501 wrote:
In the 500.00 to 1500.00 dollar range, there are tons of weddings to be had.....once you hit that magic mark of 2500.00 and up, the bookings are more selective.........booking 20 to 30 weddings in the lower range is fairly simple......be careful on price increases though so that you dont outprice your market and talent........but if you're work warrants it, go for it.........if wedding photography is your part time gig, then you have alot more leeway to experiment with your pricing...........
The trick here is to figure out what market segment you are pulling from. What works for the $500 - $1500 brides may not work for the $2500 - $3000 brides at all.
Additionally, YOU need to present yourself differently to brides where the price is a secondary concern vs. a lower end. How you present and pitch your product will vary by market segment. Understand the basic business principles to market your product and you will capture more market share.
We average $5000 per wedding and have 22 booked for '08 so far. We'll cut it off at 30. I did 37 last year and it was just too much. My goal is to lower it to 25, but I can't do that until I knock my lowest package out of the picture. That happens in 2009.
12 so far for us, but we advertise next to not at all and our goal was 12-15 as it is only our second year. We fully expect to book 15 but don't want to go much over 18. Strangely we have very few June, July, August weddings- which is actually good as out of season weddings are harder to book I imagine. Plus we're in a frigid climate where the wedding season is shorter.
Booked 1 more since last I posted here... still not a full package (custom rates). But things are progressing better, and I remember last year, when I had 1 booked at this time.
I booked 27 for 2008 so far - Anyone find that expenses (office, advertising, bills, insurance and etc...) at 20% is too much a year? That is excluding what to have to pay vendors (albums, prints, 2nd shooter and etc...).
And you already have 5, so that's almost half. Maybe consider offering a lower priced package with a bigger profit margin, that way you're not charging too much from the bride's perspective, yet you're getting more money in your pocket.
?
Looks like I'll have to advertise some more. Anyone need a 2nd shooter 