By Guest Blogger Bernie Griffiths

With so many different photography products out in the marketplace, it can be very hard to know what products you should sell.

Which ones are right for YOU?

When I talk about products I mean albums, wall art, print boxes, USB cases, etc,etc.

The majority of your clients don’t really have any idea of what they want, at least until they have seen their photographs.  They may have some idea of what they think they want, but the reality is, they generally don’t know what is available.

When a potential client asks, “What do you charge for a 8×10?”, or “How much are all the digital files?”, they aren’t really asking what you charge for an 8×10″, or how cheap your digital files are, but more likely they are telling you that they need more information about your products.

So when asked that question you can introduce them to your product range, and discuss their benefits.  Some clients will want a lot of small prints, some will want framed wall prints, some will want canvas, some will want digital files.

PRODUCTS THAT SELL

I remember when my studio used to do bucket loads of weddings and I had about 10 different album covers on offer.  I grew tired of spending so much time in selecting an album cover with couples so I approached my supplier and asked what album cover they sold the most.  I was surprised when they told me it was black, but I changed all my samples to black, and you guessed it, everyone chose it.

I did the same for my frames, and again everyone brought black frames.  Alternative colours were available for anyone who asked (which they rarely did) but I offered them at a more expensive price, which always led the customers happily back to black.

The first step for a photographer choosing products for their business is to know what products are out there in the marketplace.

The second is to ask a lot of questions of the suppliers about those products so that they are best able to match their client’s needs.

Choose products that are in demand, but add your own branding touches like wrapping your own personalised ribbon around them or having your logo embossed in a prominent place.  Keep in mind that your products should suit your positioning in the marketplace.

Choose your products to suit your sales and to maximise your profit and introduce new products regularly and see what your customers like.  Select products that your customer like and buy, rather than what you like.

For more info on products and pricing contact Bernie…..info@aswpp.com.au or http://www.berniegriffiths.com.