what do you tell someone....

[danchez]

when they tell you, "you are just a bit out of their price range."

[Stephen]

Justify your prices. If you are good at selling then they will pay your rate.

[Tsladaritz]

YOu are not paying for a print, you are paying for a custom service. A personalized shooting and viewing time just for you the customer.

Or..if I don't really care for their attitude, "I hope you can find someone that meets your price needs". ;-/

[carrbowl]

I hope you find someone that will be happy with in your price range.

[rhoffart]

That's an easy one ...

pop some popcorn and watch some of these ...

YouTube - the price objection

[LadyShutterBug]

if their price range is reasonable, things can be negotiable. everything's give and take.

i tell them i appreciate their honesty, and ask them to please share their budget numbers with me so i can see if there's anything i can do for them.

sometimes they're not that far off, and i don't mind tweaking to meet their guidelines.

sometimes i'm way out of their price range... and well... i'm not the photographer for everyone.

[danchez]

some good stuff here, thanks.

[LouDog]

maybe ask what their budget is and see if you can work up a package for that budget...maybe they dont want/need some of the stuff you are offering.

[rhoffart]

also in selling, always offer three options

YouTube - Sales Training Moment #3 - How to Use Pricing Options to Sell More (VictorAntonio.com)

[reader0428]

Originally Posted by LadyShutterBug

if their price range is reasonable, things can be negotiable. everything's give and take.

i tell them i appreciate their honesty, and ask them to please share their budget numbers with me so i can see if there's anything i can do for them.

sometimes they're not that far off, and i don't mind tweaking to meet their guidelines.

sometimes i'm way out of their price range... and well... i'm not the photographer for everyone.

EXACTLY what I was going to say. I'd rather give away 2-3 prints and gain a new customer than turn away the business, if I get a good vibe from the prospect and don't get the sense they're wanting everything for nothing. And rather than offer a "discount", if it were me, I would offer additional prints once they meet the sale total I wanted to get from the session. That way you don't lose profitability since prints are a fairly low-cost item.

[bryanlindsey]

Depends how much you want the job. If you could take-it-or-leave-it, then bye. If it's a hot couple at a swanky location, then let's talk.

[HotHolly]

This is also a great reason why things should be done in person, if at all possible. It's easier to get a read on someone when they are in front of you. And if the client knows you are sincerely trying to help them, they give the numbers. I tell them that if they can share their price range with me, I can see if we have anything that works, and if not - I can recommend them to another photog in their range with a good reputation.

[brad]

Originally Posted by HotHolly

This is also a great reason why things should be done in person, if at all possible. It's easier to get a read on someone when they are in front of you. And if the client knows you are sincerely trying to help them, they give the numbers. I tell them that if they can share their price range with me, I can see if we have anything that works, and if not - I can recommend them to another photog in their range with a good reputation.

Yup.. this is exactly what I was going to recommend.

Unless its a wedding, then I go into detail of how many hours I will spend on their wedding, a general idea of my hard costs, then walk them through the math to show them that I'll make about $4 an hour.... oh wait, that was my old wedding prices...

[danchez]

Originally Posted by LouDog

maybe ask what their budget is and see if you can work up a package for that budget...maybe they dont want/need some of the stuff you are offering.

I know for sure this is not the case, I don't offer packages. ha ha ha. It's all à la carte.

[w9ctm]

Dan,
If you want to shoot them, then you can find (manufacture) a package/pricing structure/special discount that fits their needs/price range. It is simply whether you want the work or not. If they are close to what you charge, find a reason to NOT turn down the work. It is not always about the price. Sometimes people want to feel like they were in control of things to some extent.

For example; After my truck was T-Boned, the other guys insurance company wanted to settle with me for my leg injury. Since the claims guy was a D**K to me, I refused to settle for what he offered (which was way more than I figured I'd get), simply because he was a D**K. So I made him come up to my price (although he said he absolutley would not budge one penny...), in order to settle. I only asked for $100.00 more, and only cause he was a D**K to me and was adamant about the non-negotiable offer.
I'm not suggesting you were rude to them in any manner, but sometimes people need to feel like they were able to negotiate a better price. Then, they are happier about the transaction and have a better experience.

I hope that makes sense....