We always hear "in order to increase your prices, you have to add more value"...
Great...
How?
In order to figure out how you can add value to your offers, you have to first understand how value to measured and perceived. Value can be broken down into 4 main drivers:
Desirable outcomes - make it appealing
Effort - make it easy
Time Delay - make it quick
Risk - make it obvious
Think of each of these drivers with a "to what extent" frame of mind. Meaning, value is not black and white, but rather on a scale. Outcomes are not desirable or undesirable. Think of "how desirable is the outcome of my offer?"
Different dream clients respond to those drivers differently. The trick is creating an offer that resonates with your dream client in such a valuable way, your dream client feels ridiculous saying no to you. Meaning, your offer is so desirable, so easy, so fast, and so obvious, your dream client feels compelled to work with you.
My dream client craves highly desirable outcomes, they like those outcomes quick, they like that I absorb all the effort, and they really love that I'm the obvious best choice for their desirable outcome. Its my job to make offers that communicate all of that to my dream client.
Here's how that translates to my posts and website. I'm a couples and wedding photographer but this can apply to any genre:
My dream client's name is Kayla. I know all her demographics and consumer behavior.
I know Kayla REALLY wants one-of-a-kind couples photos with her partner. Nothing "off the shelf". Something that truly expresses the story of her relationship. Artwork she can literally hang inside of her home that she shows everyone who visits. Kayla will tell her photo story so many times that her family will be able to recite it back to her.
I know Kayla has NO IDEA how something like that works.
This is a key problem a high value photographer solves. Answering the “how” question. Again, in language that resonates to your dream client. So I must speak Kayla’s language.
I know Kayla REALLY values a professional experience where she can be informed into making artistic choices.
Kayla lives a busy life. She’s a highly competent and intelligent person. She’s also highly motivated. That means my dream client values simple instructions for otherwise complicated tasks.
Because my dream client values simple instructions for otherwise complicated tasks, she needs all of that to come from a professional expert she can trust. Hi, it’s me, James…
So I make Kayla the following offer:
Couples Photography With James Includes:
Pre-Consultation - an awkward first date for us to get to know each other and book if we feel the chemistry.
I get to know the couple and they get to know me.
I show lots of other couples photography work showing them the desirable outcome over and over again.
This reduces risk and increases how obvious the results are.
This increases value as a photographer because my dream client values low risk experiences that have high success rates. But they wouldn’t know if I didn’t show them.
As the couple expresses their vision, I’m taking notes of all the little details that make them unique as a couple.
As soon as Kayla books (a $500 deposit), she is emailed my session planning packet that includes 4 guides:
A guide on finalizing a date
This guide essentially outlines my scheduling policy. It re-explains the times I do and do not book photo sessions. Making it very easy for Kayla to schedule another, if and when that is necessary. Kayla has already been told the information about when we will be meeting for her photo session. This reminder helps her keep it top of mind.
A guide on picking locations
A full guide of 5 different location options that show different environments (ocean views, redwoods, mountains, etc.) to help Kayla discover her photo session vision.
A guide full of local hair stylists, makeup artists, nail techs, and esthetician referrals.
About 80% of the couples I photograph want professional help with at least one beauty related service. I know Kayla knows a lot of people in the beauty industry. But it will take her a lot effort to look up everyone’s information in her phone.
A guide on how to pick outfits
A full style guide of different styling inspiration and of tips for couples. And it has 10+ online retailer recommendations from where other couples find their outfits. This helps Kayla feel supported because of all the accessible tips for men and women! Hundreds of couples have used my style guide to inspire their photo session and frequently tell me they use the style guide for date night, too. Talk about adding value!
The time delay here is none, because I already have these resources written and are sent as soon as booking takes place. But it increases my value for Kayla because I'm prepared to take exceptional care of her with fast results. With those 4 guides, we also have 3 dates on our calendar:
Location Consultation - We settle on a location at this meeting. (Kayla spends less effort because I make picking a beautiful location simple and fun instead of confusing and intimidating. My value goes up.)
Style Consultation - We settle on wardrobe/outfits at this meeting. (Kayla spends less effort because I make picking photo session outfits and accessories very simple and fun instead of stressful and overwhelming. My value goes up.)
Photo Session - Fully directed, on location, where we get to have fun and take pictures like no couple has ever had before. (The risk is low at this point! We've already talked on the phone 3-5 times at this point! We're friends at this point!)
All throughout this offer, I am explaining to Kayla that as her photographer, I have her back.
My offer goes above and beyond taking my dream client’s money for her to show up at a date and time for me to snap a couple of pictures. I’m offering my dream client a new opportunity — To plan their dream photo session, stress free, with clear and organized vision.
This is constantly making my offer the obvious choice for Kayla to receive her desirable outcome.
By the time Kayla is done reading through my offers, she feels compelled to create with me because the value is so high!
But how do you get started?
Start by defining the desirable outcome you want to create.
Couples photography
Family photography
Studio headshots
Define ways you can make your desirable outcome easier for your dream client
Go through all your messages from past photo shoots.
Find each question you've been asked about your services.
Write those questions down and create a guide for each question.
Anticipate any questions of clarity surrounding your desirable outcome and answer them ahead of time with written resources like guides.
You can really stand out and brand yourself by including guides in your offers that reduce your dream client's effort and sacrifice.
Define ways you can reduce the amount of time it takes for your dream client to have a good experience with you
Fast communication
Create a folder of your FAQ’s, common emails you send throughout the stages of working with you, etc.
Automate this if you are a point where you can automate your communication. Instant is best.
Fast turn around times
Get your edits done faster, if you can. If you’re already delivering large galleries of images within a few days, rock on.
Define ways you can position your photography offer as the obvious choice to make your dream client's desirable outcome happen.
Show relevant portfolio work to the offer specific.
Couples photography should only feature couples portfolio work.
Your offer must make visual sense to your dream client (Not to you, or a stranger on the internet). Make sure your dream client can “see themselves” in the portfolio work in your offer.
My rule of thumb for portrait work is a minimum of 20 different faces in a portfolio. Showing 20 different photo sessions all showing the same desirable outcome makes a visually compelling case that you are the obvious choice for that specific offer.
Your dream client wants you to make it so clear, that they would feel like they are missing out if they said no.
Which restaurant would you go to? The one that promotes their hours? or the the one that promotes their food being served?
Include past client reviews as much as possible. If your dream client can see other dream clients have loved you, you become the obvious choice to the next dream client.
Once you understand and combine all 4 of the value levers: desirable outcomes, effort, time delay, and risk, into photography experience, you can start to add value to your photography services in your own unique way.
Ultimately this is about becoming crystal clear to your dream client everything they can expect working with you. Following a framework to convert your pricing into an offer is invaluable for a photographer. Why? Because a confused mind always says no. Confusing your dream customer with pricing when they're looking for an offer will make them keep looking for a photographer with a compelling, valuable offer. If you want to read about how I use the value levers in my pricing framework, checkout The One Framework To Fix Your Photography Pricing.
