How A Good Photo Printer Helps Crush Your Competition
A Good Photo Printer Can Take You To The Next Level
You see it all the time… cheap photoshoots, advertised on social media. It’s the same story every time; $50-$75 for a mini session, and a CD with a few photos. Consequently, when customers call to schedule a shoot with you, they demand low prices and discounts in exchange for your RAW files. The problem is easily solved with a good photo printer, and I’m going to show you how.
Typically, fun photo shoots produce the best-finished product. Starting off with a battle over the budget creates an obstacle that can be hard to overcome. The key is to prevent problems before they happen. So how does a good photo printer solve the problem? Two words: perception, and relationship. More on that in just a second.
Experienced business owners understand the importance of attracting the right customers. What you say is important, but it’s what you don’t say that catches the right person's eye. Here is how to repel toxic time-wasters, and attract top-notch customers, taking your photography to the next level.
Perception Becomes Reality
It’s a statement of fact, judgment starts the second we look at something. Someone drives a Jag or a BMW? They must have money. Rolex watch or Coach purse? What do the rest of their clothes look like, because it might be a fake. Without knowing a person or their situation, people manufacture an image and an entire set of circumstances about someone.
What is your perception of photographers that print their own photos? Are they bigger/better, make more money, have staff, attend training classes, etc? Maybe they’ve been around longer or have a stronger word of mouth reputation than you. Do you know any of those things for sure, or are you just creating a scenario that is easy for you to believe?
People are a victim of their own thoughts. What we perceive ultimately becomes what we believe. Many people believe professional photographers print their own photos. If a “professional” prints their own, then “amateurs” give away a CD that a customer then takes to a “professional” to have printed. Long story short, the mere fact that you can print your own photos makes you a professional in the eyes of the customer.
Not trying to be insulting, just telling you what most people are thinking.
Mo’ Money, Mo’ Photos
In addition to perception, people also understand printing has a price. Authors note, bigger prints fetch bigger paychecks! Not sure where to start? Get our “Print-For-Pay Guide” and discover where to look for customers, what to charge, and much more. Creating your price structure can be as easy as checking your local “consumer” grade printing stations.
Imagine getting paid twice your current rate for the same job. More money per shoot gives photographers the freedom to purchase upgraded gear while still meeting other financial obligations. Just a few prints per month can be the difference between photography as a hobby and being a full time, professional photographer.
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Grow Your Reputation
Everyone is familiar with the importance of “word-of-mouth” advertising and referrals. To beat social media CD specials, you have to be different. Offering a service your competitors are not offering puts you on a higher level. Your photos can be edited at any time by anyone with a photo editing software. Those photos can then be printed by anyone with a printer. Once the electronic copy has left your hands, you have lost control of the image quality, but your name is still connected to the image. Read more about the biggest mistake photographers make in this blog post.
Having complete control of your image, from capture to delivery reinforces your reputation. Additionally, you will become known as the local photographer who also prints. Don’t be fooled, people are willing to pay more for quality and convenience. As a result, offering your customers a large print for the same price as the local print shop, and they will choose you… every time! After your reputation precedes you, fighting over the budget will never happen again. In fact, those types of customers will stop calling you altogether. If they don’t, you won't feel bad about declining the business.
That is how a good photo printer helps you get to the next level!
Level Up
It is impossible to get to the next level if you refuse to do next-level things. No matter how you look at it, cheap photoshoots will always be cheap photo shoots. Furthermore, the same boring backdrops and scenery become routine. If you don’t find new locations, graphics, and props, you are likely going to lose repeat customers. Sending your prints to the same print shop as your competitors is nearly an identical situation. You can’t “level up” by staying beside your competitors.
In a recent interview I did with a Canon imagePROGRAF user, he told me printing in-house SAVED his studio. Read that again! He went on to explain that printing his own shots kept his studio and his employees in business.
Ready to level up?
Get Started
Adding a good photo printer to your studio starts with identifying your needs and budget. ProPrinting Systems offers various models of photography printers ranging from 24-inches to 60-inches wide. Visit the photography section of the website for specific information.
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