Be the Cream

How do you build value when you don't discount?

 "Value is a customer's perception of relative price (the cost to own and use) and performance (quality) of a product."

~Boundless Marketing

Every decision you make for your business shouts which side of the fence you are on concerning value. 

It takes commitment and a deep, quality decision to stay on the road of being a boutique business which charges more, but your clients must see the value in your product.

Without you pointing it out in every conversation, every marketing piece and every sample, your message may get lost and your client will visit the amateur down the street in order to get a lower price. 

Can they see the difference between you and others?

With discount coupons such as Groupon along with the influx of the pop up photographers splitting off pieces of the "pie," validating your pricing through a high value experience and gap-building products are critical to success.

Remember the saying, "Cream always rises to the top." 

Be the cream!

Click here to read an article about "4 ways to boost sales without discounting."

Our motto...see what all other shoot and burn photographers are doing and run, run, run the other way! You cannot compete with them on their playing field, but you can compete when you offer such a high value that the buying public sees the difference!

How do we message value at our studio? Here are 5 areas:

Our marketing: We make sure any piece that goes out of the studio is of the highest standard. Designed well, printed well and worded well, these pieces speak for us when we are not present. 

When we post on social media, we make sure the message of value is enhanced through beautiful imagery and well written posts.

Our blog adds to the marketing mix by including emotional stories or short informational pieces that mirrors our value message PLUS a blog positions you as the expert in your field...another value enhancement.

Our products: We take the utmost care to deliver the finest products to each client. We continue to do research to find the best papers, processes and products so that we are ahead of the curve and feel settled that we are offering the best money can buy.

In addition, we schedule online meetings with a colleague who is a musuem curator. We are learning, from him, how to market and  position our work as art, using correct terminology and methods of delivery as an art collector would expect.

Our work is ART and is VALUABLE! 

Our experience: When a client walks through our doors, they are treated like royalty. Our facility is beautiful, our samples are framed in beautiful mouldings and the ambiance is the BEST we can produce. 

We have a welcome snack tray out for each client with an assortment of sweet, salty and gluten free snack items along with nice chocolates and chiled drinks (and fresh flowers when we can).

We also have a beverage refrigerator and a coffee station set up so our guests can help themselves to other drinks. 

We are the hosts and they are our guests.

Our respect for our pieces: We treat each wall portrait as an art piece, delivering each with a Certificate of Authenticity and our signature as well as a registration number. With certain products, we include white gloves as part of the delivery. 

Our packaging is well branded, beautiful and consistent with each order.

Our interactions: We make sure that we send hand-written notes of thanks after each sale as well as appropriate notes randomly to wish a Happy Birthday or to celebrate an event in their lives. 

We make sure our commentary is value laden on social media as we interact with our clients. We continue to build on our relationships by commenting on their posts or messaging them just to say hello or check on them.

Our marketing: We make sure any piece that goes out of the studio is of the highest standard. Designed well, printed well and worded well, these pieces speak for us when we are not present. 

When we post on social media, we make sure the message of value is enhanced through beautiful imagery and well written posts.

Our blog adds to the marketing mix by including emotional stories or short informational pieces that mirrors our value message PLUS a blog positions you as the expert in your field...another value enhancement.

Our products: We take the utmost care to deliver the finest products to each client. We continue to do research to find the best papers, processes and products so that we are ahead of the curve and feel settled that we are offering the best money can buy.

In addition, we schedule online meetings with a colleague who is a musuem curator. We are learning, from him, how to market and  position our work as art, using correct terminology and methods of delivery as an art collector would expect.

Our work is ART and is VALUABLE! 

Our experience: When a client walks through our doors, they are treated like royalty. Our facility is beautiful, our samples are framed in beautiful mouldings and the ambiance is the BEST we can produce. 

We have a welcome snack tray out for each client with an assortment of sweet, salty and gluten free snack items along with nice chocolates and chiled drinks (and fresh flowers when we can).

We also have a beverage refrigerator and a coffee station set up so our guests can help themselves to other drinks. 

We are the hosts and they are our guests.

Our respect for our pieces: We treat each wall portrait as an art piece, delivering each with a Certificate of Authenticity and our signature as well as a registration number. With certain products, we include white gloves as part of the delivery. 

Our packaging is well branded, beautiful and consistent with each order.

Our interactions: We make sure that we send hand-written notes of thanks after each sale as well as appropriate notes randomly to wish a Happy Birthday or to celebrate an event in their lives. 

We make sure our commentary is value laden on social media as we interact with our clients. We continue to build on our relationships by commenting on their posts or messaging them just to say hello or check on them.

Continue to build value in every aspect of your business...be the cream and you will rise to the top!