Hand our a price menu at a Bridal fair?

[tukaniray]

April,

Don't let it discourage you ... you are doing a great job. Someone will bite and then you will start to rain in the calls. Keep it up.

When I was first jumping into Freelance Graphics Design a few years back it to me a while to get anything ... then I started getting some calls.

Same with Quince's and Weddings ... just keep moving.

Good luck with getting your first booking ... it will come.

-Ray-

[abril1127]

Thanks,
The market is flooded, there were 15 photogs at the bridal fair alone.
This one is unique because it's the only bridal fair here (maybe one in the summer but that's it) I think it looses it's appeal if there are a lot over the summer...but Dallas is a big area. I wish you luck!

[J Eddington]

Originally Posted by abril1127

9 consultations - 5 actually showed up - 1 hot check - 0 solid bookings
What the heck am I doing wrong here?

WOW, I think you did good. (I know you think, you stink)
But let's look. Out of 496 contacts you got 9 Consultations. WHOOT WHOOT. At least one booked, even if the check did bounce.
I would follow up with the consultations that did not show. AND with the ones that did. You may still get them.
Thanks for meeting with me to the ones that did come and so sorry you missed your consultations to the ones who did not show.

OH and the hot check? Did you contact them? Was it a freak thing or ???

[ronocnikral]

i agree with janice. it all depends on the market over there, where you are in the market (price point) etc. We book about 65% of the people that walk in our doors to meet with us. we always ask for the sale. at our price point, most people want to talk about it first, but we still ask. if they aren't going to sign, I ask what their timeline is, if they are looking at other photogs etc (i don't ask whom they are looking at). it's only fair, they eat up my time, i should at least be able to ask some questions on where they are in the process of booking a photog.

don't get discouraged, persistence is what it is all about.

[abril1127]

Thanks ya'll for being so glass half full! LOL
The check has not bounced yet but only because I have not tried to cash it yet. She asked me not to cash it until x date then called crying saying her dad won't spend that, then called wanting an engagement session until she can get her dad to agree to it, oh and don't cash until later x date. So ya that's my one possible booking. I'm thinking I should run not walk away from it!

[abril1127]

Another update
I've since had a total 16 consultations and I've booked 2 with another 3 very probable bookings. I am perfecting my consultation with all this practice and seems like I'm starting to say the right things. I've also added some incentives.
I'm continuing my email marketing about every 10 days. The clicks are still small in numbers but I've been told that my emails is what has brought them in.
I really thought that most brides were going to book within 1 month after the show but It appears that is not entirely accurate. The brides that I have followed up with have still not booked anyone. So don't get discouraged if it doesn't happen right away. :)
Anyway hope this helps you guys who are looking to do their first bridal show.

[ronocnikral]

glad it is working out for you. the trick is persistence. wait until you get a bride a couple years from now b/c you were at the bridal show now. they're weird creatures, brides. i don't try to understand them...;)

[abril1127]

Ok last update from a year later. Glad this post is helping ya'll.
I ended up doing 26 consultations. I booked 6 of those. 1 of which ended up canceling because they "ran out of money". (which taught me my retainer was too low) So I photographed 5 weddings, all from the bridal fair. They all went with my middle package which had 7hrs, bridal & engagement, CD of images & 10x10 album. They ALL ended up being long Catholic ceremonies. Which is fine but leads me to think I needed to come up with a different packaging to attract other types of weddings.
I'm not sure why I couldn't book the other 20 brides, 90% of them led me to believe they were going to book with me and didn't. I did try following up with them several times but never did get a good answer other than waiting on ....money/fiance/parents/venue/date.
The brides I did get were so AWESOME. I really liked them all. Very appreciative of me and my craft.

[BenE]

I'm not sure why I couldn't book the other 20 brides,

?? Is that a tongue-in-cheek comment, or did you really expect to book 100% of those who contacted you? 5 out of 26 prospects seems better than average, in my opinion. I assume there were other photographers at the fair, but even if not, that is a good %.

So... congratulations.

[Howard Barlow]

Originally Posted by BenE

I'm not sure why I couldn't book the other 20 brides,

5 out of 26 prospects seems better than average, in my opinion. I assume there were other photographers at the fair, but even if not, that is a good %.

Not dissing April, at all, but I agree with her. The conversion should have been higher, if they were serious brides to begin with. When we were doing weddings, we booked 70%± of those who shopped with us. And, we were one of the two highest price studios around.

Sorry, Ben, but a 20% conversion rate is an indicator something is out of whack. That is an unacceptable rate.

[abril1127]

Howard,
I'd be curious to know how long ago that was? Was it before the digital photographer boom? There were 13 photographers just at the bridal fair alone.
I really don't know if that is good or bad numbers. To me, I felt like I could do better. I had a friend in the show and he booked 14 weddings from it. Not sure how many he interviewed with.

[BenE]

Originally Posted by abril1127

Howard,

I really don't know if that is good or bad numbers. To me, I felt like I could do better. I had a friend in the show and he booked 14 weddings from it. Not sure how many he interviewed with.

My experience with bridal fairs, or any other type of "fair" is there are a lot of price shoppers.

In my opinion, the number of weddings booked is not as important as the quality that you booked. If you booked 5 and they were in your mid range (whatever that might be), that is much better than booking 50% (13 brides) and those be the lowest on you price schedule.

As for your friend, perhaps some of those were booked because of price , and since there were that many photographers at the fair, who knows what prices they had or how much they made.

A photographer who has lower prices might book twice the number weddings as you, but you will end up making more money, and spending less time, and having fewer headaches.

[Howard Barlow]

Originally Posted by abril1127

Howard,
I'd be curious to know how long ago that was? Was it before the digital photographer boom? There were 13 photographers just at the bridal fair alone.
I really don't know if that is good or bad numbers. To me, I felt like I could do better. I had a friend in the show and he booked 14 weddings from it. Not sure how many he interviewed with.

Well, April, I guess I spoke too soon, considering you were talking about a bridal show. Forget what I said.

I shot weddings on film from '78 till '04, I think was my last. However, we did do bridal shows, occasionally, the first 10 years, or so. One or two produced well, but most were not worth the cheap gas to get there. We, my wife and I, decided 80-90% of the attendees were there for ideas. They simply wanted to look through everyones' albums for ideas.

My numbers were for those who called or came in the studio. After the first, I don't know, 6-8 years, maybe, we did not market for weddings. 90% were WOM. We, literally, worked through families, sororities, churches, etc., as friends of a group were getting married. Most years, we worked a denomination, almost exclusively. A year of Catholics, a year of Baptists, etc., as we wound through groups.

We varied between 25-40 a year.

I do think if anyone's conversion rate is below 50%, after a face to face, or phone conversation, not email/text, they need to take a good look at their operation. Of course, the market has changed considerably with the advent of digital. New factors and variables, that for the most part were unkown to film, are at play.

So, after all that, 5 out of 26 may be quite on target for a bridal show.