hassy501 wrote:
Wow ! You have only lost ONE booking ever ? Whats your secret ?
Well I usually talk with my clients before we have a booking meeting, and by only loosing 1 booking, I mean loosing 1 client that I have had a booking meeting with. Most of it is probably just luck, that and I was the only photographer in my area that had a non traditional style that charged under 5k (that should have been my hint as to how much I could charge right?) and anyway loosing 1 out of 15 weddings that I have booked myself, so it really isnt magic, I just dont have the 100's of weddings that some other people have, and I was filling a fairly huge hole in in the market. But now that I have moved from Texas to California I feel like I am going to be changing that average quite a bit.
Oh.........I thought that over the umpteen years that you have been in business that you only lost one client during the consultations...........I.E....1000 consultations, 999 booked.........
Edited by hassy501 on Mar 22, 2008 at 06:08 PM GMT
unblinkable wrote:
Everyone MAY do that to a certain extent... but it's more than just running down a list and filling in some blanks. It's the way you present yourself. To me, filling in a sheet with a photographer asking about my wedding is about being a client. Sitting and talking with no agenda is about developing a relationship. And that will have a completely different affect on the situation.
Well of course....that's a given........but you still have to fill in the blanks unless you have a photographic mind ? Dates, times, who , what, where, how, how much, products, etc....at what point do you do that ? Before, after, during, never ?
The clients leave with our packet and the information about our packages.
Many times when we get "the call" telling us they want us, we don't know which package they want. It is kind of a fun thing. We get the contract and retainer in the mail and find out which package they chose.
We get all of the event details on the contract. Of course we already have gotten the main info. Dates, places and names / email - phone.
We spend at least an hour meeting with, getting to know and generally chit chatting about the whole process. We ask them about things they may not have thought about like order of events and such.
If nothing else, when they leave our meeting they have a lot more information to make their day go smoother whether they book us or not.
It is our genuine interest in them and their event with an almost un-interested attitude about signing and such that leads them to pursue us.
It's our company and we run it how we want to run it. I couldn't be happier with our process. You should figure this out for you too. The more comfortable you are with your sales process the more you will sell.
hassy501 wrote:
Well of course....that's a given........but you still have to fill in the blanks unless you have a photographic mind ? Dates, times, who , what, where, how, how much, products, etc....at what point do you do that ? Before, after, during, never ?
I do that at the pre-wedding meeting that occurs one month before the wedding. That way, the interview isn't "business"... and so many details can change between the signing of the contract and the actual date. Most girls hire us before they've decided the majority of that stuff. It's mostly still in their head at that point.
unblinkable wrote:
I do that at the pre-wedding meeting that occurs one month before the wedding. That way, the interview isn't "business"... and so many details can change between the signing of the contract and the actual date. Most girls hire us before they've decided the majority of that stuff. It's mostly still in their head at that point.
That's my concern too. 90% of inquiries come from email and I give them a lot of information. In our meeting, most brides do not have much info on their wedding day. Some don't even have a venue... It's really hard to ask them questions if they aren't sure about anything. The way I see it, I am getting booked based on my portfolio. Most will make up their mind before meeting me. I am not a good people person,but I suppose my work is good. I love photography,just not dealing with people. Because of that,doesn't mean I shouldn't be in the business.
I do try though... Like when a bride tells me that I have to make her look good because she's not very photogenic.. I want to say that there's nothing I can do to ..to make you look good...BUT...I say how beautiful she looks already...
I suppose because of me being not very "people oriented" I can deal with difficult clients. I don't mind a bride yelling and screaming. It doesn't bother me a bit.
PS. I absolutely hate when I get asked about my background. The other photographers in the town have university degree in photography. They really pitch that in and 75% of those who ask,don't book with me. I don't know how,but I have to find a way to turn that into my advantage as well. I personally belive photography degree doesn't make you a better photographer. It's all about your porftolio. I just wish they knew that too.
If you are booking your percentage of weddings that you targeted for the year, then who cares if you have a degree........When they ask you that, point to your work......that should speak for itself............the results are the bottom line, not a degree.........I don't think i've ever been asked whether i had a degree.....
hassy501 wrote:
Why would NOT being a people person mean that a wedding photographers work not be any good ? I know wedding photographers who have the personality of a wet dish rag yet their work is outstanding........
If you read my post properly you would realise this is the opposite to the point I was making. Stockriderman seemed to be saying that people skills were not his strong point - in that case his work must be really good, since to my mind couples pick you based on these two factors. Personally I think that quality of your work gets the couple to the meeting, then if they like you and they like the sound of the way you work, then that is what 'closes' the deal for them.
