In this short video, I’m going to answer another question that I’m asked a lot.
Should I offer online proofing or have viewings with real proofs?
I have a strong opinion on this one…because the method we used actually helped build our business…Fast!
Watch the video and I’ll explain.
As always…feel free to leave me a comment or question below.
Scott
Leave A Comment Below:
14 Responses to “Another Photography Business Tip: Online Proofing Vs Physical Proofs”
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Hey Scott, thanks again for sharing more of your ideas with us. I just wanted to comment on this because it is something I feel strongly about. Maybe it's because I have been living in a country for 7 years where customer service is not first priority, but I believe a company that can go the extra step, above and beyond the call of duty will be a successful company. It seems in this day and age, big, impersonal companies are taking over. Let's keep it intimate, let's make our clients feel special….. because they are. Thanks again!
I couldn't agree more. Everyone wants to know how to compete with the big guys like Walmart.
The short answer is to offer better customer care and build a relationship with your clients.
Focus on giving the best service possible and the money will come.
Scott
Scott
Thanks for sharing your thoughts about online proofing, it's a great idea to have them physically come into the studio to see the larger sizes we offer. It's something about seeing something in person that really makes a statement! Your videos are always so informative! Thanks Again!
Another thing to remember, most customers monitors are not calibrated so the online photos usually will not look as good as a print they can hold in their hands.
That's right!
We don't want people looking at our images on a monitor that the color's off.
This is another reason to have them come in for the viewing.
Good Point
Scott
I love the information you share with us all. I've learned a lot from you so far and am looking forward to starting my own photography business. I find myself constantly at photos, thinking…I could've made that look so much better. I am the wife of a firefighter and even they have taken a hard hit with the economy what it is, so it's time for me to go back to work. I'm also a mother of two and every year pay for pictures with hair standing up or quirky smiles, yet feel reluctantly obligated to purchase them anyway. I'll make it there soon. I'm currently wrapping up my last quarter at school for web design and have realized that photography is what I'm passionate about. I want to enjoy going to work everyday as if I weren't paid at all. Web design and the HTML and Javascript coding are not my calling. I'm praying that I might be the winner of your newest contest. I've never been lucky like that, but it never hurts to try. Thanks again for sharing your knowledge with us. Most people keep there secrets to themselves as opposed to "helping a mother out." Thanks again. You're the best.
Scott,
I want start by saying how much I appreciate your blog. Just having someone re-affirm the tactics I feel most strongly about is refreshing. Big business on face is appealing to everyone. The truth is if people look a little farther the “good business practice” mask falls off. Very few business can back the good practice they off up.
Realizing clients are the people that put food on our tables. That looking at them as a sale not as customer is bad business. Not good. A happy customer is a future customer.
With the digital age, mass multimedia marketing I am always amazed at the services my clients will inquire about. High Quality work from a person they deal with face to face. At that point they know your face they will come back.
Your advice has given me more confidence, and helped me offer more services to my clients. Thank you for that.
j.j. Brown
Scott,
Thanks so much for the quidance you have given me thus far in my adventure towards creating my own photography business. I am also a big believer of face to face interaction and building that relationship with your client is SO important. If someone is confortable with you they are more likely to purchase addional photos, specials, etc. as well as refer you onto others they know. And THAT is the key to business success. You can’t do that via the internet…
Hey Scott, I just watched your video and I also have strong opions on proofing online,,, they take forever to purchase them and half the time don’t take the bigger packages because they (if and when they DO decide to purchase) want to nickle and dime you to death. I have learned the hard way to sit down with them after a session and have them view the images right then and there because they are still excited about the shoot and are not thinking about the money as they do later online. I take the time to go through images with them and discuss whether they might like to put any of them on a digital background or crop any of them, then I let them go through them on their own and I leave the room after giving them my price sheet and what ever SALES I may be running. This way I get my setting fee up front and 1/2 of the paymenyt for the images the day I do the work. Then I put them online for their friends to see them and buy them if they want. This just works for me. I am still waiting for a lady to email the images she wants and payment from two weeks ago. So go figure. Just a thought
Scott, I am location photographer, which means that I need to take my 16×20 wall canvas with me to where-ever I am meeting the client to view the proofs. I also try to take it with me to show it when I take the images, if the weather is good.
I usually capture about 50 poses and try to get it down to 15 – 20 really good ones before I manipulate them for color, cropping etc. I have done the printing of the proofs and I have shown the proofs on the web. But the most successful way that I have shown the proof is via my computer. I put the images on a thumb stick after I have “fixed” them and then run the images through my lap top to see how they look when presented. The customer’s love my computers color and the fact that I can enlarge any area if they wish to see more detail.
When I am preparing the images I could crop them to a 5×7 (like I would if I was going to make paper proofs), but it isn’t necessary. I keep the memory stick with me always.
I agree with the lady above that says she steps away for a little while while spouses discuss finances etc. I just haven’t figured out how to stay in the bathroom for an extended period of time, since I am in their home.
I also use bartering…I needed a log splitter for a day and she needed pictures. I also have exchanged pictures for apples, apple butter and canned pickles. Hey, we do what we have to.
After trading for over $400.00 of pictures she called me today and said that she got Christmas money and would like to BUY extra Christmas cards. I think I have her business. (I have also doubled the price of my cards and some of the portraits and no one has blinked an eye about the price).
Thanks for all your words of wisdom, Scott.
Wishing you and yours a Very Merry Christmas!
Suzanne Kish http://www.suzannekish.com
The Pet & Family Photographer
Hi Suzanne,
You make a great point.
The point I’m trying to make is that you’re still sitting down with the client Face to Face. The relationship is being created rather than sending them to a website to view the pictures whenever. Great Job!
I still feel that if actual proofs were sold or included, you would receive more business from others. Remember, our proofs are a 4×6 or 4×5 business card that’s being shown to others. These could be potential clients.
Imagine having 10 clients that viewed their pictures online or on a laptop. They each buy some standard enlargements. (8×10′s,11×14 & 20×30) That would be great and you would make some money.
Now, if they still viewed them with you but part of the package was to include a full set of proofs. You still received the purchase and now have 10 clients that have proofs with your business name, website, blog, phone number and of course your copyright on the back.
Let’s take a step further. Let’s say a year later one of those 10 clients happens to show the proofs to a co worker,(because there in her purse) and wants to know where she had them done. That’s right…all your contact information’s on the back. They visit your website or give you a call and set up an appointment.
I know there’s a lot of different ways to promote a photography business, but I can only say what’s worked for us.
I hope this helps!
Scott
All great points!
As a photography marketing coach, I encourage the photographers I work with to test, test and test some more until you find what works for you. Take what other photographers are doing and try it yourself, then try something else to see if that beats what you are currently doing. Or integrate a bunch of ideas to create your own unique style.
The important aspect of our business is the relationships we build with our clients. Whether you project on the big screen or show them proofs or something in between like using the computer, it’s really important to sit with them and find out what they like and want so you can give more of WHAT they want to them. They will then become your best advertisements.
All great points here. I’ve coached many photographers about how to build those relationships and they all use different “showing” methods. Even if you don’t exclusively use the proof system like Scott has mentioned, consider throwing in a few extras (the “mores” that they want) as he said so they can have them in their purses or wallets and when they do whip them out to show their friends, your contact information is on the back.
It is a free advertising method and does not hurt what you are currently doing, but in fact you are giving the client more value, something they were not expecting. They’ll chat you up even more to their inner circle after that. In a day when most businesses are tightening up, you can stand out by adding value to your client’s order and experience which will inevitably bring in more clients.
Great discussion!
Audrey
Hi Everyone!
I agree that face to face proofing does add a more personal touch to your business. I photograph mostly weddings but have been getting more into studio work. Some of my wedding clients do not live locally and in that case I do use online proofing. I use Photoreflect. When I meet with them initally, I explain that what they see on the screen is just a proof and that any final print they get will be color corrected and such. Even when I do face to face proofing, I still post the proofs to the site for friends and family to order. I ideally face to face proofing is the best but sometimes online proofing is needed.
I agree, physical proofs are better and safer, a friend of mine that is also trying to get his business going asked me for some help and wanted to post proofs online for a home school group that he was taking pictures for. Because I already had a website and was able to create a hidden page for him I set it up for him, 149 kids, total pain in the neck. Anyway we posted them and unfortuantly out of 149 kids and he posted 3 picture per kid, he only had 27 orders. He also found that some were trying to right click and copy them from the web page. After going through that, I would never do online proofing for the initial order, maybe for extra orders, also agree with the comment about non calibrated monitors, I have seen my web page on some screens and it looks terrible if the monitor is out of wack
Thanks Scott for your input and direction,
Lee