Double Your Wedding Sales
by Doug Box
If you're going to have a wedding business, you might as well make money. If you have to give up a Saturday and put your reputation on the line, it had better be profitable. So let's figure out a way to make weddings more profitable.
The answer is not raising prices. Pricing is important. You must price your work profitably. You must know your financial numbers. What is your percentage for cost of goods sold, operating expenses, fixed costs, and profit margin? Price your weddings considering all of the above percentages. Know what your profit margin is for every wedding.
Now lets figure out how to increase your average. There is not a quick answer or easy fix. It will take work, but it will be worth it.
1. Do your numbers!
How many weddings did you do last year? The year before?
What package or coverage did each bride and groom book?
What was the bride and groom's final order?
What was the re-order amount?
Parent album sales?
Engagement and bridal sales?
Accessory sales?
Make a chart to track your sales
2. Set your goals for next year! In all of your wedding categories. Keep up with your numbers, monthly. Be honest with yourself, if you get a '0' put it in there and use it in figuring your averages.
3. Define your mission statement for wedding photography! What do you want to accomplish? Change your attitude! What would that take? What do you want people to say about you and your wedding photography? How hard would you work at a wedding if your wedding average doubled or tripled? Remember this, goals are about money, your mission comes from your soul!
4. Upgrade your paper work! Use images. Do your brochures, price lists, business cards, etc. reflect the prices you charge or want to charge? Write a 'killer' sales letter. Use advanced sales techniques.
(See "Is your marketing working?" Fall 97 issue of PHOTOGRAPHIC SUCCESS NEWSLETTER)
5. Establish Prime Time Saturdays! Aren't there some Saturdays you are always booked for weddings? What if you did not offer your lower priced coverage's on those "Prime Time" weekends? Set your policies and stick with them. (don't be a weenie)
(See "Think Like a Business Person" Fall 97 issue of PHOTOGRAPHIC SUCCESS NEWSLETTER)
6. Develop "Plus Product" pricing strategy! Add products or services to up grade your packages or coverage's. Add new products or services.
Basic Service Upgrade Added service/product
• Engagement Session Love Story Portraits with Album Signature Frames
• Bridal Portraits Custom Framing Add Family members to Bridal Session
•Wedding Album Leather or Upgraded Album Multiple Albums
• Just Color Add Black & White 2nd photographer
• Parent album Up grade album for Parents Parent Collection-multi size
New services • At the Beauty Shop • Bridal Shower session • Bridal Shop Session • Groom's Portrait (like a pre- bridal portrait) • Romantic Portrait of bride to be to be given to groom for 'Her gift to the Groom'
7. Increase Reprint Sales! Buying deadlines (see 'Marketing Tip' page 1) Bonus Offers - for years I offered a Free 11x14, from any negative made at the wedding, to the bride and groom for every 20 reprints other people purchase from their album. (excluding parent albums) I don't feel this has ever cut into any sales to the bride and groom. I rarely sold 11x14's from wedding negatives to brides. However, it has encouraged brides to show the album around and encourage their friends and family to purchase prints. I explain it to the bride this way, "This is a win/win/win situation. The mother of the flower girl wins because she gets to purchase photographs of her daughter. I win because I get the opportunity to sell the prints. And you (the bride) wins with enlargements for your wall from your wedding. I always throw in, " Most brides end up with three to five 11x14's." (subtle sales suggestions!)
8. Additional Photography! Family members - before and at wedding. Family of Participants. Alternate Sales mediums - Web site, E-mail, Pre-sell, etc.
9. Establish Advanced Marketing habits! Sell benefits instead of features. Better networking with other wedding suppliers (see Marketing Tip Summer 97 issue of PHOTOGRAPHIC SUCCESS NEWSLETTER) Photographs to vendors. Displays. Letter writing campaign. We have developed a series of letters we send to brides, grooms and their families. Write scripts for phone calls. This is so important! Pre-qualify your brides. Add Large packages/coverage's, they can't buy what you don't have!
10. Do better Photography! Establish a style. Add natural lighting to your wedding images, add story telling style (see Add $350 to $900 income to your Weddings Summer 97 issue of PHOTOGRAPHIC SUCCESS NEWSLETTER), and add Twin Lighting to your wedding techniques, Drag shutter speed on group shots.
The 10 steps are not easy, they take work. The decision is up to you. Do you want to make additional income on your weddings? You can! Follow these steps and you can Double or even Triple your wedding averages and your profit!
This article is reprinted by permission of the author, Doug Box. To contact Doug, visit his web site www.SimplySelling.com or email him at dougbox@mac.com. You can also write Doug Box at 2504 County Rd 235, Caldwell, TX 77836