Photographers are always asking me how to get paid for their time. My advice would be to get more efficient.
Clients aren’t paying for the time you are spending (essentially). What they are paying for is the resulting value of the time spent. It really isn’t their concern how long something takes, only what the end result (be it a product, feeling, experience, etc) leaves them with. So how long it takes you is not a benefit to them and therefore not a marketing point. Time spent is a self-absorbed metric, and while we need to be conscious that it is the back end of our business and not the front.
So please don’t share one of those prettied-up images on Facebook talking about how people should hire a professional because they spend time editing or whatever. No one cares (nor should they). If all you are is how much time you spend (waste) getting there you’re marketing inefficiency instead of value. Market the result of your work. Now, if process informs value you’re welcome to explain how. But if you find yourself justifying price by talking about how much time you invest that’s a clear signal that you don’t know what value you’re providing and you’re trying to guilt the client into paying you. That’s weak.
What do you think?
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- trr
True. Less time spent editing = more time spent living.
I feel exactly the same when photographers start with ‘I have a family to feed, a mortgage to pay’ on forums.
It is interesting what happens in reverse though, if something is done very quickly clients can start to question the value. I had a good example recently for a web design job; I quoted 1 week because I knew I’d have a lot on but some other work got moved so I turned it around in a day. Rather than being pleased they got the work in a shorter timescale than quoted (usually I’d charge a rush service charge for that) instead the client started to challenge the price because ‘it only took me 1 day’.
Right on Todd, and yeah, those facebook whining images are so annoying. Though very occasionally I think clients CAN be guilted into paying you, but that’s not the kind of business I’d want to run, nor would it be good for referrals.
@Mark, I’ll admit, I’ve had times where I had a wedding edited and ready 2-3 days after the wedding, but I waited another few days to send them their gallery link. I always aim to deliver well ahead of schedule, but for the reason you experienced I never deliver super early.
True that Todd. I think having to wait a little is good (it builds anticipation), but I guess it doesn’t build actual value. I’m always shocked at my favorite Mexican restaurant when our order comes out 5 minutes after ordering, but it’s delicious regardless.
I agree. You shouldn’t have to justify price to any type of client. The work should speak for itself. Most clients don’t care about your process or that you just finished furnishing your new office and need to price your work accordingly to pay it off. My wife and I get close to some of our clients and questions come up on our process and how we do what we do. We decide when it’s appropriate to answer these questions, but it’s so far down the line that the price we charge has nothing to do with why we are discussing, it’s purely out of curiosity and interest.
Hear-hear! Price is set by supply and demand; to pretend otherwise in our glorious capitalist society is fool-hardy! As wedding photographers, we can influence both the supply and the demand. We increase demand by the improving the quality of our work (and message), we decrease supply by offering work (and message) that no one else does.