What this really says to me is: A) You don't want clients like the first couple that mess you around and don't care about your work only your price.
B) You understandably feel badly let down by the Kids Clothing lady. This is a problem in all walks of life and for all professions when you discount too much for work to begin with. The client wants to hang on to the heavy discounts. We learned this the hard way too, and it has taken many years to bring some clients up closer to our standard charging rates. We learned that it is much better to start clients on the proper rate but apply a percentage discount for a fixed period than actually quote a lower rate. It is much easier to reduce a discount than to increase a price - even though they both mean the same thing! Could you offer her a discount on 'off-season' work - is there on off peak time for your wedding etc work? Or maybe offer a deal in exchange for links/photo credits on her website/catalogue? C) You don't want to pander to clients like the Arab guy - he is another version of couple A. Explain to him that the items he wants removed are either no cost or low cost items and offer only a nominal discount if any for excluding them. Make clear to him that the bottom end packages are already priced to the wire and that there is no room for negotiation. If he cannot accept that then it does not bode well for the future contractural arrangements... Don't get carried away by the fact that he is a more 'glamorous' client due to the overseas aspect. He is actually less useful to you because you are less likely to get word of mouth business from him than from someone local. D) Ignore any negative parental advice/comments. Trust friends more than family - and what better friends than those on the list in the business? E) You need a drink - today was a bad day. There will be plenty of good days too! Hope you have a better tomorrow... Rob > -----Original Message----- > From: Tanya Mayer Photography [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: 05 January 2004 16:45 > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: Down off my "high-horse"... with a thump. > > > Hi all, well, it is 2.12am here and I am heading for bed > after a long night of invoicing, contracts, photoshopping > files for ftp'ing etc. > > I just wanted to tell you all about my rollercoaster of a day. > > Just when I thought I might have been "getting somewhere" > with this whole charging what i'm apparently worth thingy, I > was quickly dragged down off my high-horse by a would-be > wedding client. They had telephoned me in late November > after seeing my website and an add in the paper (this was a > local enquiry), and the bride to be had said "omigosh, i've > just seen your website and you HAVE to shoot my wedding - > your images are just beautiful, our budget is this, but i > don't really care what you charge, i just want you, blah, > blah". So, we talked budget, deposits etc and she promised > to pay her deposit within 7 days as I always require, to > reserve her day etc. Well, 14 days came and went and I > telephoned her and she said that they had had some unexpected > bills and so could she pay on 24 December? No worries I say, > I understand these things. 26th December, no money received, > so I phone her again, reminding her that if anyone else wants > her date before her deposit is paid, and they are flashing > $$$ under my nose, I will be forced to give it to them. I > said this extremely politely of course, and she responded > with "well, too bad, i can't afford it now until 7 Jan, and > if someone else pays before then well that's just not fair > because i booked it first". Ok, so in the meantime, whilst > waiting for 7 Jan to role around, I send her out a really > nice package of information, a very polite "congratulations > on your engagement and thankyou for choosing TMP" letter, > some sample images etc. I figure this will wet her appetite > a bit and maybe make her keep her word this time. Well, > today, I ring her back to check if she was going to deposit > the payment tomorrow as promised and who should answer but > the groom-to-be, he says to me "oh, is this about the photos. > well, i've decided that i don't want you as i have found > this bloke with a better deal, thanks anyway..." I ask him if > it was the quality of my work that has let me down and he > says "no didn't even look at your work, it was dollar signs > that i was looking at". Click! And that was the end of that > conversation... > > Now this was, let me tell you after he was presented with my > OLD price list - imagine what he would've said had I shown > him my "new improved, fairygirl charging for what she is > apparently worth" list?!!? Just goes to show that I am not > "worth" as much as you all seem to think... > > So, then my day progresses, and I get a phone call from my > kids clothing lady who starts the conversation by telling me > just how much she loves the work that i have so far completed > for her, and really appreciates all of the extras I have > given her, and how she has always loved my stuff etc, and > that she has paid me by depositing the funds into my account. > Ok, so far, so good... then i go on to explain about how i > am re-assessing my rates and how i need to start making money > rather than just covering costs as i will never be a true > professional photographer until i do (her and i have become > quite friendly during all of this and discuss business/money > issues all the time as she is just starting out too). she > agrees with everything that i say, even adding comments such > as "well, there is no use being in business if you aren't > able to pay yourself a wage" etc. So, then i explain that > any future work that i do for her will be charged out at > either an hourly rate ($25 p/hr) rather than a flat quote, OR > on a "by image" basis, whereby she pays $100 per image that > she decides to use on her website/catalogue etc. Suddenly, > her tone completely changes and she says that she could never > afford that and that she would have to fly her dad (a landscape > photographer) up here for any future work. She said the only > reason that she didn't get him up here for this job was > because she loved my work so much and it is very different > from the sort of stuff that he does... I said, I totally > understand, but I can't keep working so many hours and > palming my kids off to people for no reason, and I thought > that of all people she would appreciate that as we have just > completed a business management course and in the classes she > was SUCH a stickler for working out the financial side of > things. I said "please no that I won't be upset if you need > to use your dad in future, and I am sure that you will be as > happy with his work as you have been with mine and that it > will help you to sell your products just as well", she said > "well, i won't be, cause he's a landscape photographer and > you are the only person around here that i really trust, but > i won't have a choice now will i, i'll just have to make do > with him..." > > Now fairygirl is dragging on the ground, eating dust behind > her high-horse... > > Round three - the Arab guy. Emails me after seeing my > packages, and says "yep, we want you and we want X-package, > but without these things in it and don't want to pay anymore > than this for the package with those items removed..." He > had chosen the smallest package that I quoted, less work for > me sure, but also, not much more profit than I would have for > a local booking, and the items he wanted removed? Well, they > were things that don't cost me a red cent - one was a web > gallery of their proofs (which I upload for nix to my own > domain) and the second was wedding announcements that are > submitted to newspapers in their social pages (again, free to > me, in fact the newspapers generally beg me to submit stuff > to fill their pages and make them look pretty...), so now I > am forced to discount an already cheap package for the > removal of items that cost me nothing anyways... > > The high-horse runs off into the distance and fairygirl lays > in the dirt... > > Oh, and then my ever-loving mother arrives on my doorstep, > right as I am on the phone to the groom who was cancelling > me, and basically says "I told you so", finished with "well, > it's about time you got off your high-horse and came back to > earth, you just can't expect people to pay that much money > for a few photos...", yeah, I know it, she has no idea what > she's talking about etc... but, it seems like she is > completely right today... > > Yep, really hot sh*t I am guys, three people (four if you > count my mother, but I am getting used to her) in one day > telling me that a) I am not good enough and b) I am charging > too much - now what was it I have been telling you all along? > > Ok, off to drown my sorrows in a big block of chocolate > whilst watching Letterman (he comes on really late here), and > then to try and get some ZZZZZZ's... > > 'night, > tan. > > >
