Above and below the line

Interesting conversation with a commercial photographer this evening, we were having a general purpose discussion about “tyre kickers” – those studio enquiries where they want a quote, perhaps want to hire some gear, really aren’t clear on their project, and would be interested in hiring a quality shooter but we need to see the numbers first and take them to the boss… Like a half-hearted used car buyer, they’re kicking the tyres but aren’t really buying! Oh what is a commercial shooter to do, when they feel like they’re competing with termites who shoot for free/cheap, hollowing out the walls of their customer base right before their eyes but keep you busy generating quote after pointless quote…

We’ve all rambled through this topic ad nauseum – I wrote about it back in 2011!! And we could even argue semantics around the subtle differences between “free” and “cheap”, perhaps a topic for another ramble on another day (IMHO, either charge your real/reasonable rate or do it for free – anywhere in between simply confuses the market, your customer and yourself!). I still make reference to the excellent post by UK photographer Tony Sleep, which has my favourite quote in it:

“No budget” is a euphemism for “we think photographers are mugs”.

Gold – he goes on to talk about trying on the same line at your fave restuarant – we can’t pay you for this meal, but we’ll be sure to tell all our friends and there’s definitely going to be paid future bookings if you can help us out this time around… Yeah, right – and the police are on their way, crazy food thief! But I digress…

The conversation got me thinking about WHY photographers feel threatened by the explosive growth of the “I’ve got a camera so I can shoot your fashion spread for free” crowd – I personally believe it’s because the comparison baseline is often the same, from the perspective of the client. Yes, controversial as it sounds, I am actually suggesting that, on face value, many clients cannot tell the real differences between a newbie and a seasoned veteran, except for the price!! Whoa, hear me out…

I have a background in business, and startups. I also have very large enterprise experience (one of 6000+ employees!). Both are extreme perspectives, when it comes to being a customer/client – why does any customer pick one service provider over another, when it comes to comparing them (and it always comes down to a comparison, always…)? I believe it’s all about the “value line”, and what exists below it, and what value sits above it – but more importantly, how those values are communicated to help the decision making process!

Below the line

Below the line features are basically everything that everyone has in common – it’s that “at first glance” evaluation. These are the things that, if poorly defined or not clarified, will immediately lead to a price comparison with little further investigation, because it’s quick and easy. Questions like:

• Has a camera?
• Has done a shoot before?
• Has a portfolio?
• Will give us all the images?
• Has provided a quote that looks like it covers everything?

None of these things accurately describe any of the value or quality differentiators between the two – they are quick and easy to compare, and if one has a lower price than the other then they will get picked. But it’s also very similar to comparing a Mercedes and a Kia and saying they’re both cars and therefore the cheapest will be the best option – that might be true if you only want to get from A to B and don’t care how, but is a useless comparison if what you actually need is a something different or better.

Above the line

This is the key part of the equation that so many photographers are terrible at highlighting, and clients have no idea they should be looking for when comparing quotes. Above the line items are the value differentiators, the “features” that separate one shooter from another. If I buy a Mercedes, am I simply buying a car? No, it’s much more than that, and perhaps I don’t need a Mercedes – so how do I get above the Kia and not get distracted by the pretty Mercedes? Well, it’s about breaking down the “features” for the client, so they can make an informed assessment. This leads us to some of the questions that pro shooters should be prompting their clients to ask of any quote:

• Is the equipment professional level, both camera and lighting?
• Do they know how to use all the equipment?
• Is the studio a professional facility?
• Have they shot our actual specific requirements before?
• Does the portfolio contain images that would represent the final result we actually want?
• Do they have a history of “getting it done”, particularly on tight deadlines?
• Have they worked with agencies before, and understand the shoot process so that it is efficient?
• Are they accredited, or can show that the quality of their work and their skills have been independently verified?
• Do they have references, testimonials, or other indications that our project is safe in their hands?
• Do they operate professionally, with properly established business credentials?
• etc, etc, etc

These could go on forever – basically, commercial professionals should be comfortable pointing out all the reasons why a client will get what they pay for – and cheap is often cheap for a reason!! Value items above the line help a photographer raise the line in the customers mind, so that the customer starts automatically eliminating the amateurs with cameras because they aren’t strong on all of the important things that take a shoot beyond snapshots and into the realm of amazing.

These kinds of discussions are helpful for the shooter as well – you can judge by the customer’s questions whether they know what they want, have realistic expectations and will make a good customer!! It makes it much easier to say no, when it becomes obvious that your tyres are being kicked and the project sounded much better at the start than it does now!

Keep in mind that some customers actually only want below the line features – many people want to buy a Kia, and are happy with it. So the working professional needs to understand who their target market is, so that the discussion about values is relevant and strikes a chord (don’t try to sell the client a Mercedes if your price makes them buy a Kia instead of the Toyota you could have actually provided easily!!!)

Summary

Of course, these are general purpose observations (along with some bad car analogies!) – there are always going to be exceptions, like smart clients who understand value or know what to look for when they compare photographer portfolios. The challenge is for working commercial professionals to not assume the client has the experience, time, or willingness to make those comparisons, if the easy decision is on price. It’s up to the photographer to make it easy for the customer to see why they should be picked over the newbie with a kit lens.

I’ve rambled long enough, I hope this is something just to get you thinking – and next time, I might ramble about effective ways I’ve seen successful shooters unlock the power of their existing client base, and combine it with a couple of strategic competition wins, for market and world domination!! We might even talk about ways to combat the old “I lost the gig to the 14yo son of the marketing director’s cousin who owns an entry level DSLR and said he’d do it for free” problem!

If you have the time, check out the above links for my previous post and the Tony Sleep approach, they are still relevant in today’s market!