One thing we must never forget as wedding photographers, is that while we gain more and more experience and knowledge about the industry with each wedding we shoot, every new enquiry we get is from a couple going through the planning process for the first time.
It’s easy to get caught in the trap of assuming that clients know as much as we do about wedding photography and styles, how much professional photography should cost, why albums always rule over CDs, or which are the best wedding blogs and magazines. In reality many of them, quite understandably, don’t have a clue about wedding photography or how to book a photographer and are possibly terrified by the prospect of approaching a professional artist.
I mean, I have no idea how much sculptors charge or how to approach one for a commission. Do you? I’d probably say something like “Er, hi, I’d like a sculpture please. Nothing too big, something around 12” x 8” with some wood in it will do. How much will that cost? And does it come with a CD? Wait, why are you pushing me out of the door?!”.
So when you receive an email asking how much 3 hours of wedding photography costs and if a CD is included, exercise patience (ok, after you’ve had a deep breath and bitten your tongue!). You don’t know who’s at the end of the email or what their budget is, and the last thing you want is to end up looking like that sales assistant in Pretty Woman!
I had a similar situation very recently. An email flew in from a couple saying they’re planning a small wedding of just 25 guests and how much would it cost for 2-3 hours of photography to cover the morning ceremony?
My initial reaction was mixed. As an emerging wedding photographer I need to book as many weddings as possible for experience and for my portfolio and their ceremony was going to be at a really pretty location. But at the same time my business head said that reducing my cost based on just 3 hours of shooting would lose me money on a precious Saturday and therefore I should turn this down and hope that something on a larger scale would come along for the same day.
How would I handle the response to this enquiry?
I didn’t want to be dismissive. That wouldn’t be fair after they went to the effort of finding and contacting me. But I also had to stand my ground and not compromise my business model. So ever the optimist I assumed that this couple just needed a bit of guidance and coaxing to get all the relevant information out and turn this enquiry into a decent sized booking.
It took a while to work out exactly how to set out my reply, but I eventually crafted a carefully worded and polite email stating that I was very interested in being their wedding photographer but they needed to understand that I do not cost weddings on an hourly basis due to the amount of preparation and editing I do regardless of how long the day goes for. I also stated that I would love to tell the story of their special day, so what were their plans for preparations and a lunch or reception?
Off went the reply and I was happy knowing that if they didn’t get back to me then I had been as professional and helpful as possible. Fortunately a couple of days later they replied, thanking me for my quick response and asking if we could meet up to go through a few more questions. That was brilliant news as face to face meetings are what you need to aim for! Why? Because they allow you to really engage your clients and show them your personality, charm and warmth. The face to face will also determine whether there is the all important chemistry between you. If there is then price becomes a minor issue. Because as the saying goes, people buy people.
So we met up for coffee the following week and had a wonderful hour together! They were a really sweet young couple who had recently moved to Sydney and didn’t have any local friends who could help them with wedding planning. They also revealed that they would be getting ready in one of the big hotels in the city and had booked a private room for lunch at a very swank restaurant. They just didn’t think I would want to photograph any of it! Are they kidding?!
As with all client meetings I had brought my iPad portfolio and sample books and albums which I took them through. By the end of the hour they said they wanted to book me at my usual rate and would also order one of my books! That was an amazing turnaround from the initial email which offered so little!
So what I learned from this experience is to never underestimate new clients, but to be patient, nurture them, and always be your professional self. They may not all convert into bookings but some will and that’s what counts.
If you have any tips for managing new clients I’d love to hear them, so please share in the comments!
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I’m a born and bred Londoner who decided to give up the rat race, move halfway round the world to Australia and live by beautiful Bondi Beach.
But that’s not all. I also bought loads of cool camera gear to play with then realised I could use it to make a living, and now I run a successful wedding and baby photography business.
My background in media and marketing has been invaluable in quickly establishing myself, particularly through social networking, and I’m keen to help others do the same. I also strongly believe in giving back to the community, so look out for my blog posts where I’ll be sharing thoughts, insights, and tips about life as an emerging wedding photographer.
Thanks, Milton. This was very helpful to read. Your reply is just what I hope to be able to say when faced with a similar situation.
I’ve actually had similar experiences as that. You really just never know what a couple has in mind or what their budgets are. I recall getting an email a few years ago from someone that wanted to do a wedding session and what would be the cost for the session + 3 albums? I simply quoted retail rates for a 2 hour session and custom albums, expecting I would never hear from them again after they got my quote for thousands of dollars. I nearly fell out of my chair when they almost immediately replied with a “great, we’ll take it, here’s our credit card…” They had had an quick overseas wedding several years ago but longed for more intimate, casual wedding images now that they were successful. We photograph their family now, and it’s always a great order, and they love our work. You just never know.