Many businesses are resorting to words like SALE, or DUE TO THE RECESSION.  Using these words only instills fear, causing people not to buy.

Instead, why not changes things slightly and make it easier on your clients to purchase your services at the same price you’ve always sold them for?  For example, we sell our wedding photography services through an A La Carte System.  To protect the studio from a one hour booking on the busiest day of the year, we’ve always had a minimum purchase requirement.  We have now removed our minimum purchase requirement.  This makes it possible for our clients to reserve our services without the purchase of a wedding album.  While we are not getting as much per booking as we used to, we are still booking.  People still need 6 hours of coverage, and they still need their images delivered to them in one form or another.

Right now, volume is king.  Do what needs to be done to help your clients book your services.  Giving yourself the opportunity to sell a wedding album at a later date is better than not booking a client at all.  More than likely, when you do book a wedding the event will still be a few months off.  Book the wedding, and then once a month send out a news letter to your future weddings discussing the importance of purchasing a wedding album, a bridal session, or an engagement session.  Let your clients know that the purchase of their wedding album after their wedding is an option.

Once you have completed a wedding, and if your clients have not purchased a wedding album, then you still need to continue to periodically send reminders that a wedding album is still an option.

Times are changing.  Change with them.  See what works for you.

Is your studio changing with the times?  If so, leave a comment as to what you’re trying aned what’s working for you.

By Aric C. Hoek, owner and creator of Ten Houston Wedding Photographers