If you ask a wedding photographer in the digital age if selling prints are valuable to their business, you may hear an array of conflicting answers. Though giving prints to clients used to be standard for photographers, advancements in technology has made it more difficult to convince clients to purchase prints in addition to digital services.
Here at ShootDotEdit, we understand the importance of growing your business. We allow you to outsource photo editing to save you time for other parts of your business, such as sales! Understanding how to sell prints to your clients will not only increase the profit for your business, but it will also allow you to reach future clients. Think of the friends and family that will see your prints in the bride and groom’s home! They will admire your work and know that they can call you if they need photography services. To determine if selling prints is worth it for your wedding photography business, here are some ways to help clients see the value in purchasing prints!
Educate Your Clients
You must provide insight to the bride and groom about the benefits of purchasing prints. It is necessary for you to discuss prints the first time you meet with your clients, so they are continuously hearing about them throughout their relationship with you. Most of them have little knowledge about photography, nor will they understand the true benefits of purchasing prints from the wedding day. When you sit down for your first meeting, explain why prints, canvases, and wall art is a must-have! They are a physical representation of the most important day of their lives.
Related: 4 Tips to Price and Sell Your Prints
When the newlyweds move into their new home together, they will have your beautiful prints to hang on the walls to remind them of that special day. As friends and family visit their home, the images will tell their love story for all to enjoy. And when your clients have children, they can show them the images and it will feel like they are reliving the special day. Your clients ultimately make the final decision, but you can influence their choices. By continuously dripping the idea of having canvases and wall art within their home, it will make it easier for them to realize that this is an item they want to purchase.
Help Clients Visualize Prints
There is a big difference between telling your clients about prints and showing examples of prints that they can buy from you. To start, be sure to decorate your office with prints from past weddings so that your clients will see first-hand what their images could look like! For your samples, choose some of your favorite images from past weddings that represent your ideal client. Print them out and display them in an attractive way that makes your clients feel like they need something similar in their home!
Related: Top 5 Tips for In-Person Sales
In addition to your sample prints, use Preveal to give couples an idea of what wall art would look like in their home! Once they see how beautiful a 20×30 print would look above their couch in the living room, every time they walk by that space, they are going to visualize that print. Taking the time to ensure that your clients can visualize a piece of art is essential to the process of selling prints.
Show Clients the Value of Prints
What if your clients spend their money on digital files, but do not purchase any prints or albums? Years from now, those images could be lost or altered, depending on the advancements in technology. Explain to your clients that once they make the purchase, prints are available to view for years to come – and they do not require any additional effort to keep them! Be understanding when the clients tell you that they want to share their images on social media. Also, let them know that there is nothing like the feeling they will have showing off their prints in their home to friends and family.
Before convincing clients that they need to purchase prints from their wedding day, YOU need to believe that this is valuable. The more confidence you have in selling prints, the more your clients will trust your opinions. Remember that you are providing your clients with stylized and unique prints that they cannot find anywhere else. Make sure you believe that so your clients can too!
The most important part of selling prints to clients is creating a trusting relationship that helps grow your business. For more tips and tricks to improving your business this year, download our updated guide, How to Grow Your Wedding Photography Business: 2015 Edition!
