"My market just won't suport that...

[MLeeK]

My market just won't support that...and why that statement is BS

When you make excuses about the market, you absolve yourself of responsibility. You accept an inevitability that isn’t there. You accept that the market only wants one thing and it ain’t the thing you’ve got to offer. The fact is the market only knows what it is currently being offered. So offer it something new and accept the responsibility that convincing them of the value is your responsibility to communicate, not the market’s responsibility to infer.

Todd Reichman's post was short, sweet and very to the point. It sums up EVERYTHING he says every day on that blog. So let's discuss it.

I believe it wholeheartedly and I get REALLY sick of the excuse that "I can't charge more, everyone else here is ___________"

 

[panblue]

Psychobabble, Zen capitalism. I need a coffee if i'm to click the link...

 

[runnah]

I think the guy and you are talking about two different aspects if the market no?

 

[panblue]

(...slurppp..) ... two things.. first 'the market' is not only aware of that which is current, but also references everything that went before and makes comparisons. Second, the philosophy of catering for the individual..maybe in a limited way offering bespoke services, but not as a 'field theory' for exponential growth. No-one does that and makes massive profits. Policy always compromises individuality. Pharma is sold over the counter by the x milligram, airlines allow x kilo baggage, cameras are manufactured to do a,b,c but not e,f.

 

[Todd_Reichman]

Psychobabble and Zen capitalism helped me build a photography business that pays the bills quite nicely.

I don't know that we're talking about different aspects of the market at all runnah. Maybe I'm missing your point - care to expand on it?

- trr

 

[panblue]

Psychobabble and Zen capitalism helped me build a photography business that pays the bills quite nicely.


- trr

You should blog about that.

 

[Todd_Reichman]

Been blogging about it for 2 years or so. Lots of back articles. Any particular aspect you'd like me to address? I'm happy to take requests.

- trr

 

[MLeeK]

YOU are the only YOU and only YOU can produce YOUR images. You are not in competition with anyone other than yourself. If you are comparing yourself to all of the others, then you aren't valuing you work for what it truly is.
Some of it is just plain salesmanship.
It's also more. It's about BELIEVING that you ARE the only one producing your work and pricing, marketing and selling it accordingly.

It's like the kids and designer jeans. They aren't anything different than jeans found in Sears or any other department store. BUT they'll pay double or triple the price for a pair that says something specific on the label. EVEN MORE if it has holes in it!
I, personally prefer my Levi's and Sears jeans with no holes in them and I am pretty happy paying less than half, but that doesn't mean Abercrombie, Hollister and AE are going out of business any time soon. They've created the NEED in their customers to have their product.
Why are we any different?

 

[Todd_Reichman]

(...slurppp..) ... two things.. first 'the market' is not only aware of that which is current, but also references everything that went before and makes comparisons. Second, the philosophy of catering for the individual..maybe in a limited way offering bespoke services, but not as a 'field theory' for exponential growth. No-one does that and makes massive profits. Policy always compromises individuality. Pharma is sold over the counter by the x milligram, airlines allow x kilo baggage, cameras are manufactured to do a,b,c but not e,f.

Well, I don't know many photographers making "massive profits" - I do know quite a few making a decent, sustainable living behind the camera. I can't really think of many aspects of photography that can really be effectively commoditized to sell to a large market, but I do know that instead of aiming for high volume you can change a premium for your service and making a large profit on each job rather than a small profit to a large audience.

- trr

 

[Helen B]

This is creepy.

 

[runnah]

I was thinking more along the lines off adjusting prices to what your operating market will bare.

 

[Todd_Reichman]

I was thinking more along the lines off adjusting prices to what your operating market will bare.

Aha, that makes sense. Then again I was trying to dispel the idea that there is a price that the market will bear in the first place. I think photographers artificially limit what the market will pay by virtue of aiming too low.

- trr