If you want people to come looking for what’s desirable, not what’s cheapest, build your studio on high-end values.

I recently visited an Audi dealership, not to buy a new car, but to learn how Audi sell their beautiful vehicles. Predictably I left desiring something I'd never considered before, and sold on Audi.

My intention was to test drive the Audi Q5, but the salesperson suggested that the Q7 might be more comfortable for my height, so out in a Q7 we went. But not just any Q7, a Q7 Premium Plus with sport options! It was more amazing than I can describe … about feeling and touch and sound and handling…  

The salesperson was quiet and mostly just answered my questions. He made sure I felt the leather, adjusted the seat properly, and configured the mirrors so that I felt safe and comfortable— which I was. His call to action was even more subtle. He said if I was interested in Audi, to allow enough time to receive my car. They’re in high demand and Audi limits production—which makes resale values good.

(Can you feel my desire grow? I’m so not into having something everyone else has!)

So much of our conversation was about brand … and so little about price. Consider how you choose a bottle of wine, a car, a purse, or even a restaurant for dinner. How much does brand contribute to your choice of a Coach purse, a Hermès tie or belt—or for that matter dinner tonight at Pizza Hut? Brands set expectations and help buyers feel good about their purchases.

So does Queensberry sell the most expensive albums? I don’t know, and it seems irrelevant. But the brand “Queensberry” does set expectations. When a bride buys a Queensberry she lets everyone know (I’m amazed how often people highlight the “Q”).

On the negative side many photographers assume we’re so high-priced that they don’t even bother to check us out. Which is a shame, because like the good people at Audi, or Armani, we aim to offer something special across as broad a price range as possible, from affordable, like our Q-Books and Flushmounts, to exclusive, like Duo and Musée.

You should do the same, because here’s the funny thing about selling albums in these strange times. You’re not just selling albums, you’re selling your services … for a premium … the brand premium you need to build a long and profitable business in photography. Your albums are not just a profit source, or silent salesmen, but — like your car, your website, and the way you present yourself — evidence of your market standing. You’re not just any photographer, you’re like that Audi salesman — confident about the value of what you’re offering, confident that there are customers out there who feel the same, and unconcerned that your car is twice the price of your competitor’s down the road.

Unfortunately many wedding and portrait photographers buy and sell based upon conflicting values. They want to sell something unique and high-end, but they buy from huge labs and album companies that supply the same thing to tens of thousands of other studios. They trim every dollar of cost they can from the albums they buy — and then struggle to convince their clients they're "exclusive" and worth the money. No wonder prospects often leave feeling they’ve visited yet another studio with the same imagery, the same products, the same sales pitch… 

You can’t be the Audi salesman if you’re selling Hyundais. Hyundais are excellent vehicles but the Hyundai brand sets different expectations. Not necessarily about quality, but certainly about price and exclusivity.

So is it really expensive to offer Queensberry? No. We do offer more choice, and higher-priced options that most people don't, but compare apples with apples, and service with service, and we’re very competitive. And to get started all you need to invest in is the cost of a display sample, which we share with you. Three samples are even better — the good, better, best principle that so many high-end brands use. Invest in those albums, feature them on your website, and bring them out for people to touch and feel.

Then build them into the offers you make to clients, charge fair (not cheap) prices, think like an Audi salesman, and you’re well on the way to success as a mid- to high-end photographer.

Please email us if you'd like to speak to one of the team about the issues I've raised here.

Greg

PS Your brand is not what you say it is, but what your customers say. Brand is earned reputation, and the big pay-off for building a studio based on high-end values is that your clients, like the customers of all high-end brands, are much more likely to come looking for what’s desirable, not what’s cheapest.