We believe successful wedding and portrait photographers need to love two things — taking photos and making sales! So we love to see our clients running promotions, and we like to help with them if we can.

You can run successful promos for any number of reasons, for example a Winter Sale, an offer to past clients or to book new ones. Or to promote a good cause, your new products, or your new website.

The point is they're YOUR promotions. We're just here to help if we can, generally with 15% additional discount on all Queensberry sales related to them. That's on top of the normal Tier and Companion discount.

To offer support we need to know what you're proposing to do, and how it involves our products and services. Which is why we ask you about what you're offering.

1. We have no fixed opinions about the discounts, add-ons, freebies or special terms you may offer. Yes, we’re offering you 15% but we’re not necessarily expecting you to match that. But the purpose of any promotion is to increase sales — directly or indirectly — not reduce profits! As wholesalers 15% is a big deal for us — and an equal saving on your costs of course — but it may not be much incentive to your retail clients without input from you. More on this subject from Ian below!

2. We also ask which Queensberry products you want to promote, and for the timing of your promotion. That’s not to be awkward, just so we have an idea what we’re letting ourselves in for. Our production team needs to plan ahead and cope with any extra demands. Brief promotions (eg 1-5 days) allow us to work with more studios. There may also be administration involved, e.g. setting up any necessary discount codes in Workspace.

How to think about discounts, freebies and grabaseat

The point of special offers (discounts) is to generate business that doesn’t otherwise exist. Otherwise you’re just giving money away.

Here’s how I think about it (tell me if you disagree).

— If we offer you 15%, as we are, and you don’t pass it on, it’ll look good in your bank account in theory, but do nothing for your sales.

— If we offer you 15%, and you adjust your price by your normal percentage, your customer, like you, will pay 15% less — a bit better, but not terribly exciting in the days of “buy one get one free”.

— If we offer you 15%, but you offer your customers 30% or more — to make a sale that wouldn’t otherwise exist — you’ll earn less, but something is better than nothing! All discounts come at a price, but it might be a price worth paying if, as intended, it creates sales that wouldn't otherwise exist. 

— If we’re only offering you 15%, why should you offer 30% or more? To be clear I’m not saying you should — it’s up to you! But 15% is a real stretch for us, especially with Tier and Companion discount on top, and retail margins are generally much higher, so maybe with more room to move.

— When it comes to future bookings it’s worth remembering that you’re the biggest expense in your business, since at the heart of it what you’re selling is your time. And in difficult times making fewer dollars per hour might be a better thing to do than waste it completely. A bit like Air New Zealand flying an empty seat to Sydney instead if putting it on grabaseat for what they can get.

— Finally, not everything is about discounts. Add-ons and freebies have the advantage that there’s a difference between the perceived value and what they cost you. Extra files or complementary image editing might cost you little if anything. A frame might cost you $150 but be on your price list for far more. Things to think about!

— Cheers, Ian