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Bridging the Value-Gap with Consumers - Part 1

9/4/2019

3 Comments

 
Understanding how to better connect with your clients is critical to the sustained success of your photography business and bridging the value-gap is an important piece of the jigsaw. 

This is part one in a series of posts that will discuss exactly how you can do this. In this first part, we will look at why clients ask for digital files.
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Fed up with clients asking “What do you charge for just digitals?”

This question tends to cause a huge headache and boiling frustration for the photographer as they know that it's difficult to create a sustainable, profitable business selling just digitals.

Apart from the personal irritation this request causes, photographers know there is a much bigger and more important reason why it is wrong for your client to just buy digitals.

The reason?

Printed portraits trigger happy memories in your clients' minds for decades and generations to come. Sales of printed products also tend to command a much higher AOV resulting in increased sales.

As a bonus, research shows that happy memories help contribute to a healthier mental state - even better for the general population!
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Photo Courtesy of Wendy De Craemer of ZOOM Foto-Atelier

Why do they want "Just Digitals"?

Before we look at ways to combat the "digital only dilemma", let's analyse why consumers might be asking the question in the first place.

In my analysis, I tried to remain objective, and some of what I suggest might initially hurt some people but I strongly believe that as an industry we need to wake up and smell the coffee - quickly.

I believe that we as vendors have got it wrong, that established photographers have got it wrong, that our associations have got it wrong and, that many of those teaching photography have got it wrong.

Many of us collectively fail to understand what the consumer is actually saying when they ask “What do you charge for just digitals?"

What they are actually asking is “Can I buy the digitals too?”

​Why does the consumer want the digital files?
We live in the Digital Age. Most consumers nowadays use social media in some form or another. While they may still want to buy Folio Boxes, Wall Art, Albums and Prints from you, they also want a copy of the digital files to share on their timelines, or to show friends and family when they meet for coffee. Some people also want them for safekeeping in case anything ever happens their prints or indeed the photographer who created them.

In summary:
  1. They want to share it on their social
  2. They want to show them to family and friends
  3. They want it for "safekeeping"

Why do we not actually hear what they are saying?

It's because we have been conditioned to see ‘Danger’ when the consumer asks for "Digitals Only". 

The biological human reaction when we anticipate ‘Danger’ is for our adrenaline to start rushing, which causes us to make irrational decisions around whether we ‘fight’ or ‘flee’ instead of trying to truly understand the question, and why our prospective client is asking it.

Let’s try to change our mindset as an industry from one of ‘Danger, Danger, Danger’ to one of ‘Opportunity, Opportunity, Opportunity’, not just to survive, but to prosper.

So how can you turn the desire for digital files from the consumer into an opportunity for your photography business?

Find out in the next post... stay tuned...

P.S. Make to join our free 3XM Insiders Facebook Group here for more fantastic content. 
3 Comments
Nigel link
9/4/2019 16:37:36

Don't necessarily agree with all of this.
We have always only sold photographs, we are after all photographers and our pricing is for photography of which we include the digital file. When people ask for digitals in my experience the notion is that just having the digitals will make it cheaper.
The answer we always give is sure the digitals alone are the same price. The work is in production of the final file, not the the print so you may as well have both. I have had one client who then said we will take the files as they come out the camera. answer if you wish to purchase the raws it is actually more because your asking to purchase the copyright to the images. but yes we will sell them to you if want the raws. often that is enough to stop this train of though in its tracks.
We are surrounded by people who own a camera who are offering a "shoot" and 3 digital files on a CD for £50 they come and they go as it's not sustainable, but it is life and as a non regulated industry it will always be the case. Be different. educating you're client is key. offering quality and service are part of the process. its always a slower way to build a business, it not easy, but over time you will win through.

Reply
Clare link
9/4/2019 20:42:53

I totally get the good idea of letting people have digitals so they can share on social media! Of course this means that there is a chance given to some of their friends who may return to us through recommendation. I also give the digital images matching the images bought as WallArt or Print Boxes. However there is another bug bear to when the customer asks if they can ....'..just purchase the digitals?' This is because they think they can get their own WallArt printed from them at ASDA or BonusPrint!! They all know that these 'WallArts' are cheaper than the ones I sell! We know they are not the quality but to some people that doesn't seem to matter. OK I can sell them Jpegs at some 10x8, or 5x7 at 300 dpi with the Print Boxes (same as prints). These will break up if enlarged but I have seen an example on a returning customers wall and its better than I would expect at a stretched 16x20 inch but other people could see that and think that 'I' the photographer sells crap! So what do we confidently say to the frugal customer to justify my 'steeper' prices for WallArt? Especially when the better quality doesn't seem to matter. Just a thought!?! Or we say "We don't sell just digitals", and loose the sale altogether.

Reply
lmaarys link
31/8/2023 19:51:06

Thanks for writting

Reply



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