The #1 Thing You’re Missing

How much should I charge?
Am I priced right?
Do you think I am too expensive?

These are all questions that I read on a daily basis within various photography groups on Facebook, and I am darn sure those questions go far beyond Facebook too.

Photography these days seems like a dog eat dog world where only the strongest will survive.  I am not going to lie, it’s crazy out there and well, that craziness is what I hope to help you navigate through and ultimately find success.

Pricing strategy is no easy task.  How much to charge.  Packages or a La Carte?  The list goes on but I have news for you – there is one thing in particular that might be missing from your pricing that can help you make a ton more money.

Confidence.

In fact, it’s the one common trait within each of those questions about pricing – they all show a lack of confidence.

It’s OK, I’ve been there…it’s totally normal to question your decisions, your work etc… the key is to overcome those thoughts and pierce your way onward and upward!

The examples above are only related to pricing however that isn’t the only place you might lack confidence in your photography business.

Do you lack confidence in your work?  Do you feel that your work isn’t worth the prices on your pricing sheet?

If so, let’s work on that…because you are shooting yourself (pun intended) in the foot before even leaving the starting line.

It starts with you.  You need to believe in yourself and believe that you ARE worth it.  This is easier said than done of course but once you focus on making the mental change you will be so much more confident and ultimately be booking more clients while making more money.

Here are some ways that I’ve found helpful to becoming more confident in your work & pricing

• Let market supply and demand help guide you to your “worth” and then adjust with natural price increases.
  • If you are booking every single inquiry, your prices are too low.  If you are losing every inquiry your prices might be a bit high.  Listen to the market to help guide you.  Once you start booking, start raising the prices every 5 weddings or 10 sessions etc…
  • This approach will help you increase your prices in a much more calculated and organic manner which will help boost your confidence while being less disruptive to past clients.
• Focus on “little wins” within each shoot as you are progressing rather than dwell on a single major goal.
  • We all have goals and dreams, but make sure to celebrate the little victories along the way.  Continued progression is the key here…
• Compare yourself to where you’ve come from and not to your competition.  If you aren’t seeing any progression, work smarter and not harder to improve.
  • Use others as motivation to improve and nothing more.  Feeling sorry for yourself never will bring any good to your business, or your confidence.
• Do not “barter” with a client on pricing. Ever.
  • Nothing can damage your confidence about your work more than a potential client bartering with you like you’re at the swap meet.  Stay firm and hold your ground.  If they really want to work with you but don’t have the budget, then perhaps give a custom package in which you decrease scope of work, but do not just slash prices!

Next time you are feeling down or in a funk I want you to remember this quote and the 4 notes above to stay focused and lift you up!

“It’s not who you are that holds you back it’s who you think you’re not”
– author unknown

In addition to the above points, surrounding yourself by good people in a good community is a huge help.  If you haven’t already done so, I’d encourage you to join (it’s totally free) our Cole’s Classmate Photo School Facebook group which is freakin’ awesome and full of good energy and great discussion each day.

Want some more good reads to further your business?  This is one of my favorite posts on Cole’s Classroom….the advice is HUGE so go give it a read 🙂

Now lets get out there and make it a great week!
Cole