Can we discuss Wedding Client Meetings?

[AprilRamone]

Hey guys,
I just got back from another meeting and it went really well I think.
Thanks again for all of the great suggestions.
Cindy, I totally agree with you on needing to have an actual album for them to see and hold to get better sales on those. I have sold an album without having one for them to see, but I'm looking forward to getting some sample albums done so that I can upsell.
I was thinking about your comments on the slideshow. I really like the slideshow I have come up with, but it's of a whole wedding because I thought I really needed to show every image so they can see what they're getting overall. I'm thinking of doing a much shorter slideshow with just my most fabulous images in the future and getting a proofbook to show an entire wedding instead. Thank you for that suggestion. I was thinking I needed to show an entire wedding in an album format, but a proofbook is a better idea. I can't believe I didn't think of that

I was also thinking about the questionare you said that you have. Do you actually go through it with them and just ask them all of the questions in person or do you have them write it all out on the questionare with you? Or do you send it to them to fill out before they get there?

These are the kinds of questions I've been asking at the meeting and was wondering if they are similar to the questions you ask on your questionare.
*Will you have a rehearsal? When and where?
*Will you be seperated before the ceremony? (So I can ask about doing pictures before the wedding and talk more about logistics)
*How much time before the ceremony will we have?
*What is your style?
*Reception: Will you be staying at the reception site and partying until the end or will there be some sort of grand exit?
*Any unusual traditions?
*Any family member feuds I should know about? (This question is actually fun to ask because it always makes them laugh and then I can talk about how it's nice to know if Mom and step mom hate each other and I should know not to put them right next to each other in the formals etc...)
*How many are in your bridal party?
*How did you meet?
*How many guests?

What other kinds of leading questions do you guys ask?

 

[Peanuts]

Last summer when I was second shooting after the bride and groom signed the contract she would take down the bridal parties first names as well as close relatives. On the way to the location we would have a sheet and memorize them all - by the time we arrived it was "Oh hello Deborah, you are Suzanne's sister right?"

So that might not be a first meeting question but for after they confirm some more paperwork to fill out (everyone loves paperwork )

I am not certain, it might have been in there, "but how much time for your 'together' formals?" Maybe state that you like visiting two locations sans the bridal party (or they can all drive in the limo and the party can stay an enjoy the free beverages when they are having their portraits done)

 

[Jeepnut28]

I am a professional advertising salesman by day. I have closed alot of deals, and average $1.5 million a year in sales. following a basic sales strategy in photog sales, I have only lost one wedding that I was bidding for.

1. Open the meeting with setting the agenda for the meeting verbally, tell them what you will be showing them, and what you wish to discuss with them.

2. Ask them questions, this is the information gathering stage.

3. Once you have asked enough questions to get a firm idea of what their needs/wants are, discuss with them how your product or service can meet their needs, show them samples, give them tangibles.

4. Allow them to ask questions of you, ask for any objections they may have. When presented with an objection, firstly you restate their objection and then ask them if you understand their objection.

5. Answer their objections.

6. Ask for their business. As a salesperson you should know/use/have in your aresenal at least 5 professional closing techniques.

 

[emogirl]

My meeting style is exactly the same as Cindy....and results the same as well...its a rarity that someone who comes to see me doesnt book. Clients come to me, we sit down in the living room, candles and all that...I have slideshows playing on the tv or computer and several albums open for them to look at. I have other product samples, albums, layouts etc...and the new stuff all out to show them as well, so they can ooooh & ahhhh and know that I have lots of offer. It does help that I had a background in sales too!!!!

You do have to sell yourslef and dont be afraid to ask for money! I take a 1/3 deposit as well and I always ask at the end of the session if they would like book. If they dont, i give them the first come first serve line...that usually grabs them!

Other things...let them talk!!! Let them talk about how they met or things they want, their wishes, their plans....being willing to listen! the more comfortable they are with you, the more likely they will book! (and the more stuff you learn about them, the better you will be as their tog, plus you'll get great ideas for fun pics).

 

[Big Mike]

I'm not at the point where I feel that having them come to me, is the best option. I'm very willing to drive to meet them where ever they want. I try to give them the feeling that I will do anything to get the job done and make them happy.
I do understand that this actually isn't the best strategy but I'm working on it.

My main selling point (besides the photos) is my personality. I try to create a connection with them and make them comfortable. I've even had clients tell me how comfortable they've felt about me...but I do realize that for closing the sale...it's probably better if they have a sense of urgency.

I hear people say this all the time:
"Ask for the Money" or "Ask for the Sale/job".
But I rarely hear what they actually say/ask. What is your wording when you ask for the sale?
This is something I really need to work on. Does anyone have a recommendation for some good books on sales techniques?

 

[emogirl]

Simply put, when the meeting is finished and all their questions are answered, if they have not already said they would like to book, then I ask "would you like to go ahead and book your wedding today" ....about 80% of the time they book it right then and there, the rest of them call back within a day or two. YOu can tell by the way they talk and how interested they are whether they are going to book you or not.....

If their response is "we'll have to go home and think about it" or "we are looking at other togs as well", or I have to talk to my parents first, I then I remind them that it is a first come first serve basis, but I dont mind giving them a couple of days if they are truly interested.

Some people seem like they need a minute alone....so i will excuse myself for a moment and let them chat....that usually does it! Its a done deal.

As for asking for the money itself, its not a rude thing to ask...i mean, you go to a store/restuarant, you pay your bill!! its's really no different. You rarely even have to mention the money, as its already been discussed as to deposits, so they know what to expect.


As for meeting people at my place...i feel i am no different than any other business/store, clients who want me will come to meet with me....same as "i like the clothes at that shop, so i go to them, the store doesnt come to me". However, i have made exceptions before for people with mobility issues ( had a parapeligic groom once) or other special circumstances. But 99% of the time, they come to me. There are less distractions, you are in YOUR comfort zone (the home court advantage) and you dont have to lug all your albums etc...

 

[Big Mike]

There are less distractions, you are in YOUR comfort zone (the home court advantage) and you dont have to lug all your albums etc...

Yes...but i'd have to spend all day cleaning my house. It's not a pig sty but on a day to day basis, it's not up to 'client' standards.

Eventually, I want to be set up for this...but not yet.

 

[AprilRamone]

Yes...but i'd have to spend all day cleaning my house. It's not a pig sty but on a day to day basis, it's not up to 'client' standards.

Eventually, I want to be set up for this...but not yet.

Haha Mike, I am sooo with you on that

 

[Jeepnut28]

Shall I book your date?

Which package works better for you?

Would you like me to fill out a contract tonight?

When shall I call you and follow up?

 

[guitarkid]

this is such a great thread, and a much-needed one for me. i also have clients meet me at home most of the time. it's a newly-built home for us, which is a plus, being in a nice area. i drag out the vacuum, clean up the dog toys, put the dogs upstairs, put all the things that are out, temporarily in a closet somewhere...it's a whole process. it looks like a model home when i'm done tidying up. i will meet with them at times but not like i used to. with the cost of gas, i would drive for MILES, only to hear, we will think about it. over and over again, we will let you know....so now it costs time and money. as someone said...the store doesn't come to you.

i do what most would do. i thank them for coming over, offer them something to drink, and bring them to the living room on the comfy new couches. i like this better than the dining room table since it is cozier. i ask if they have any questions right off the bat before we begin and i go over what we offer, what we do, as i hand them a large wedding album with prints matted in it. they thumb through that, love the work, and love the proofbooks as well. i go over it all and answer any questions they may have. then we go through the contract briefly. i can tell right away who is interested in us for real and who is just "there."

what drives me crazy is before they come over, they have seen the site with the many samples and galleries, they have seen the pricing, and they know what they want. they want to come over and express large interest. most of the time they leave with the contract, not signing. i don't get it. why waste my time or theirs by not signing if they love the work and pricing on the site? usually within a week i followup with them. most of the time email goes unanswered, but the other times, 1 out of 10, i get the booking since i followed up...and in that email they state how excited they are to have found me. i guess you can't please everyone.

one thing i find very hard to do is the close, asking for the money. i hate doing that! as mike said, i rely on my knowledge and work and personality to close. i don't want to force them by asking for money. i feel it is very tacky and i hate pressuring people. i know there is nothing wrong in asking for the money. i think i will say...would you like to book your wedding with us today? if they say they have to think about it i will mention the first come first serve deal as you guys said.

i would love to counter their "we have to think about it" with something like, is there anything in the package you would like to see as different to help suit your needs more....." this would be great to say, since i'm all about flexibility, but then i may look desperate. i have tried this before the close and have routed packaging around by removing some things and adding others to customize it for them. although they are very happy, they still leave.....!!! my pricing is affordable....it's hard to price things since pricing is all over the map with everyone. maybe i should raise things by $500 and be done with it!

most brides i meet have a range of around $1200-$1500 to spend and we always include 2 photographers. this puts me in a bind since the proofbooks cost $150 each and i need to include them since it's great marketing when they get passed around.

anyway, sorry this is longer than i wanted. this thread was a a help. i just need to get with the closing more. that is the hardest for me.

 

[Big Mike]

maybe i should raise things by $500 and be done with it!

You may be onto something there.
I've heard it time and time again...raising your prices is a great thing. That being said, it's easier said than done.

On aspect is that people with a budget of $1200-$1500 might be doing a lot of shopping around....while people with a budget of $1800-$3000+ might be more cognizant of their time...if they come to you, they have probably made up their mind.

 

[guitarkid]

Mike, you are right, it is easier said than done. i always have 2 photographers at each shoot. more coverage, watch each other's gear, if i miss a shot, they could get it, etc.

i want a starter package, where there are just 2 photographers for 5 hours with backdrop shots at reception and all photos on DVD. that is at $1250 right now. it may sound like a lot, it may sound like a little, i don't know. whether i give the DVD or not, i don't see many print orders, which is shocking, since the lab we use is phenominal. i give them the DVD! it costs me nothing...whereas a digital proofbook costs me $150. some studios do the 8 hours with DVD for $900 and others do it for $1800!

if i raise the rates, to match larger studios, i'm afraid i won't be looked at since we aren't a "name they know." if i lower the rates, then we aren't taken seriously. i believe in giving people the most for their money. i find it hard charging $2000 for just photos on DVD. these brides i meet are booking and saying, oh, we only have $1400 max to spend. then i see other photographers starting out at $3000 and only give photos on DVD! amazing. hey, maybe i will try it for a month or two and see what happens, just for fun...jack them up there.

 

[Big Mike]

I took a wedding photography course, and the instructor made it very clear that the #1 reason for why people failed in this business....was that they weren't charging enough.

Maybe try looking at it differently. Maybe you are charging $1200-$1500 for two photographers to shoot the wedding. If you didn't give them any prints, how much do you think you would sell, with prints & albums etc.? It might be several hundred dollars, or more. When you give them the DVD, you are selling the reproduction rights to the images...and you should give that a high value.

Also...what about processing time and expertise? I might spend 20 or more hours working on the photo, designing an album, doing all the little things that take up my time...that should be a consideration.

I guess not everyone can pull it off....but to be successful, we need to raise our prices, stand by them and sell ourselves.

 

[guitarkid]

you're right Mike. i never took the editing time and design and upload time to the lab, etc. into account. i was too busy trying to entice people by beating out their pricing and getting established more. hmmm....

 

[MichaelT]

I'm new here, but have done over 1000 weddings since starting business in 1985. One thing is for sure, clients have to like you and you have to like them. So the real question is, how can you get people to like you? The answer is not that hard - people like people who are interested in them.

In this thread I read a lot about asking questions, but usually they are questions that deal with the photography - after all, that's what you're most interested in. But the key is asking questions that help you get to know them. Where they grew up, what school they went to, what their hobbies and interests are. Etc.

If you have a problem with this, read the book "How to Win Friends and Influence People" (or something like that, from Dale Carnegie). If you haven't read this, it will open the window on client / prospect relations.

I put this to the test all the time. I book weddings without showing a sample and without showing a pricelist. After about 1/2 hour of getting to know them, talking very little about photography, but a whole lot about them and their wedding, I simply say, "How do you feel about having us do your wedding photography?" They will usually be having so much fun, that they say something like, "That would be great, but how much will it cost?" That's a "close", a done deal. I assume from then on that it's just a matter of details, signing papers and making deposits, and I talk and act like I'm now their photographer. It works like a charm.

And it's really not about the money. People can afford anything if they really want it. They say over the phone about how much things cost and that they have just a few hundred for photographs. I just don't hear it, because I know it's just the way people talk when they don't know what else to say. I'm amazed at how many people will say, "Oh, you take payments?" Of course we take payments! The financial end of the photography is simply finding out what level of payments they can afford and then figuring out a payment plan. They usually book 6 to 12 months in advance, so there is plenty of time to pay off 3-5 thousand before the wedding date.

Actually, I reject more clients than clients reject me. I can usually tell within the first 15 minutes if they are going to be problem clients, and quickly come up with reasons why it probably wouldn't work out. Why tie your hands by taking a job you know you won't enjoy? Either the right people will come along, or I'll have a free weekend - either way I'm a winner!

I hope this has helped someone get a better handle on wedding booking. It's really just the first step in developing a relationship that will hopefully last for many years.