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The $2000 Average

Lesson 12 from: Senior Photography

Kirk Voclain

The $2000 Average

Lesson 12 from: Senior Photography

Kirk Voclain

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Lesson Info

12. The $2000 Average

Next Lesson: Day 1 Wrap-Up

Lesson Info

The $2000 Average

What does it take to get a $2000 order? All right, so here's some of the steps that I think you should go through to pull this off. Step one. Collect $ deposit up front. Now, that may seem silly, but like I said earlier, if you can collect $1000 order of front, then they're gonna money Spend is money for gotten about. It is entirely possible. You're gonna get a $2000 order. Okay, Stop selling packages. Now. You could already begin to see with my system. Why? I say stop selling packages is because if if you had had a $500 package that included on lumber 14 into a pretends and 35 or seven and I just took the huge this huge sale away from myself, why not just let him tell me what they want and then price it accordingly? Plus, by having a specific package, you get people locked into this concept off. This is how much this thing is gonna cost me. And that's not what I want. I want him to think in terms of minimums, this is the least it's gonna cost me it's probably gonna cost me more. That ...

makes sense. So that's the second key. And then offer a print discounts for orders made within the first week. Let's face it, the most powerful moment off a sale is as quickly as possible. Okay? And that's usually about a weaker within a week. Of the actual photography, people are the most excited. At that moment. I'll use me as an example. Ah, buddy of mine took my wedding pictures. Okay? It was my boss at the camera store at the time. And he literally here car 26 years ago handed me the negatives. Do whatever you want with him. It was six or seven years after we were married, before I ever made an album. And I held the negatives. Why? Why? Because it's just every day that goes by. It was last in less and less fluff. It was less and less excitement about the whole thing. Same thing with senior pictures. If you if you allow them to order, take the pictures and look are in six months, your order is gonna be way less than if you could force him the order right now. So the quicker you can get a man the ordering, the higher your number is gonna go. So that's the reason I offer a print discount If you order within the first week isn't really a discount. Yes, but it's what I want to sell the thing for Makes sense, Okay. And take fewer images, pre touch everything all right? What I mean by pre touch is you're going to see me again. Do this on the last day. Anything and everything that can be done to an image. I do it if I feel like this hair is out of place. I fix it. If the bags underneath eyes are distracting, I fix it. If I get the skin needs softening as it knees removing Ah, shirt is bulging funny anything and everything that can be done. I do it anything because I want the image to be absolutely as perfect as possible. I do not want the senior coming in, and then I show him the picture. And then I say not just trust may just trust me. See this little bald right here? I'm gonna get rid of that for you. Just trust me. And you see those three days it's you got. I'm gonna get rid of that, too. Don't worry about that. Don't even think about the pretend you don't see it. It doesn't work. When I first started doing this, the average I gotta think it had to be at least $400 at least $400. It went up just by free touching just by simply having every image perfect as it can be. And that's the first time they see it. If I had to add at least $400 to my bottom line per senior and when I say take fewer images, remember, only shoot six shots and each outfit. So imagine if I'm shooting, you know, 3 400 shots of a senior, and then you had to pre touch all of that. There's no way they're buying all that. So you wasting your time and then thus your only choice is to say, Well, I'm I like this one, and, well, I like this one, and I like this one. So I'm a retouched those and then show him all the pictures we have a little sale session on. I'm explained to them that if you want this, it's gonna look like this. It happened. And if anybody in the Internet Worrell is doing that, I think that's wonderful. But if you really honest with yourself, which one do they buy? They buy the one that's already been retouched. They go. Well, I just love that one. Well, you know what? Can we say this about five times tomorrow? How many people, If you catch yourself doing this, you got seen all set up and you're about to take the baby and everything is perfect and you take the picture and you go like this. Click click. Ask yourself. What was the second click for? Well, what did you do over? That's good in case the 1st 1 don't come out that bull. The's cameras air awesome, whereas the 1st 1 never come out. The 1st 1 always comes out. You get a little screen on the back of the camera showing you that a game out. What is the second click for? Why do it? You? You. You're working your camera more than it needs to be worked. You're creating more retouching for yourself. You have to do more editing. It's a complete waste of time. Here's a radical idea. Pushed the button one time. That's it. Just shoot six pictures and make every one of them perfect. If you do that kind of stuff all together, you're gonna find that you average shoots up excessively. In my case, $ dry. It prove me wrong. I'm okay with that. Cool. All right. So I figured we do a little bit of a review. Okay, So this is some of the stuff we talked about advertising. What is it? It's communication through the mob. From your thoughts, you communicating your thoughts into the minds of your customer. That's what advertising is. Just remember the red circle. When you think about advertising, imagine trying to sell a red circle. The two circles have to match the two circles match. It creates a sale, the most powerful of all advertising out there. Especially when it comes to high school. Senior portrait is word of mouth advertising. Do whatever type of advertising you do that promotes that in your business. Every time you do like billboards, it's gonna promote word of mouth advertising where you know where some advertising. It's just boom in the moment. I don't do in the moment advertising I do. All the advertising I do is advertising that's gonna continue to promote word of mouth marketing on a limited budget. Try to find ways. Do little tricks do little things to get the seniors to market for you to get for them to show your stuff. If you do that, then someone is actually, in fact, paying you to advertise while Accord versus packages. For me, Allah court prising allows me to sell easier. To me, it's absolutely easier. It does not limit you, and it allows for much higher average down the line, Um, to prevent buyer's remorse, make sure customers know as much information as possible up front as much information as you can give them. And, of course, we talked about just a few seconds ago what it takes to pull off a $2000 average. That is what we did today. So with all that said, I bet by now somebody has got a question. Normally, I would be looking to go over this, but we did it. We didn't go. Any other marketing question that you guys may have about what I did while they're instant is ALS, as always, Okay, Uh, let's go this way. For some reason, we special with seniors. I have been shot kids, that's board wire, but weddings. But for senior, for some reason I have dessert kind of a block and say is almost as I asking us to give me a homework like what would be my first like and said, Now support. You have to do this is a fake Facebook Or should I stop some teenagers in the more What should I do to start like Look, I need to start is I need to start a This be is like, almost as I have no idea what I am doing. Just police I would start e would start playing with the concept of what I said. As far as the Facebook thing, I would try that. Okay, I would try to do the models wanted thing. I would try to, you know, market. I would try to get somebody somebody high school senior in my studio that is a 17 year old literally graduating this year, senior, I if I was you, honestly, I would do this senior exactly the way you do. You brew to our stuff. Minus one thing Big. I closed. Okay, I'm serious. Do the same pose do the same. The wet hair, you know, say that the last cause you can't do that first. You know, I would all that crazy stuff that you do with those models that I've seen that you send me a link to your website. I would do that, but I would do it with blue jeans and T shirts or sweaters and all the things that a high school senior does do the same kind of post through the same kind of, like do all of that kind of stuff when they're overweight. Do would still do it. Still do it. And you're gonna have people that will spend money with you, okay? And then they're going to show their stuff. You need to get away from the mindset because we talked about that earlier. You need to get away from the mindset of you know, I don't like doing guys and I don't like, you know, yes, because these people are not models, but your objective. And that's your homework. You want homework? I want you to take ugly people and make him look like those models that you did. You can do it. I know you can, but that's the concept that your mentality OK, even if you have to do some free sessions because you start showing that stuff and regular people go, he can make me look like that. Buddy. You could saw you could write the check, but that's gonna have to come from you first. You first. We're gonna have to pull that off. That's that's it. That's my homework assignment for you. This is an interesting question from Stephanie Marie. Photography assed faras Birth defects, acne and birthmarks Go. Do you always discuss this with your clients? Do you just assume they hate their acne and edit that away with anything that isn't normal or regular goes away? For example, Agni name one high school senior that goes wolf my acne. No, because it's not normal and regular. It's today. You have acne. Tomorrow you don't. The next day you got nervous. You picked it up. He ate fried chicken, knew not to eat fried chicken and you got Agni chocolate. Did it to me. I knew we would do it right. Okay, so that is not normal. And regular. It goes away. Okay, but a mole. I don't know what this mole is. Something they hate love could care less. And that is the exact terminology Isla I will use. I will take. I have a mirror that I use in the studio on tables and things like that to put throw light back up in the face. And it's a plexiglass buried. Get plexiglass mirrors anywhere. I will take that mirror and I will hold it up to them. Okay? And I will say, and I'll touch them on the things. You see that? Yeah. Love it. Hate it. Could care less. Hate it. So if I made that go away, you loving me? I probably hate it. Love. It could care less. I could care less. Okay, So if it's in some images and not in some images, You loving me? Yeah, that's OK. OK, payday, love. It could care less. Love it. Ok, thanks. That because I love it too. I mean, I was just thinking to myself what? I was looking at you that Whoa! I mean it. It makes you and I would have been oh, so upset. If in fact, you'd have asked me to get rid of it. So I do want to make sure the oh, thank you, Thank you. That's awesome. Thank you. That's perfect. So birth defect. I mean I mean, like, you know, let's say they got there was Where's a guy I did a few years ago and he literally had this big brown birth defect across his face. And he's like, Dude, it's me. It's who I am that's like me walking. I think this is literally what I told him. I was like, Dude, I love I love that because it's like me walking into a studio and going Can you do something like this right here? Because I hate my hair. No, it would look like a guy that's so awesome that you cool. You're comfortable with that thing. That's great. I'm not touching it. It's you. Then there are some people. But this See this thing? That's how my nose see how it cut, look, look, see? No problem. Make that go away and started to continue with that theme. This is my all time favorite. So in the course of shooting the breeze about the outfits and stuff and it telling me about this outfit down about that outfit. No way. What do you love about what these great love love about yourself? It's my allies. A lot of my blue eyes get in the photo shop in their green who grew up whole time. So Kirk's making those green eyes blue because absolutely, they think they got blue eyes. They don't have blue eyes when I'm done. Absolutely. I'm gonna disappoint there. And another one is, you know, Yeah. I love my hand here. So I just love my hair. That's why I love the most about myself. And they will tell you, Jack, that will tell you exactly what they love about themselves and exploited If they got the big Longs loving, we'll see Big head like in Louisiana. Get the big hair. By the way, the eighties eighties will photographer, heaven, hair spray, big hair, hurricanes could blow and it just didn't move, Jack. Anyway, that's beside good. How many of us braces? Okay, there are a ton of companies out there that you can use your just simply upload image. This is my new thing for this year. I'm gonna just mocked Obama test it, see how it works. I'm marketing specifically the people with breaks. So you got braces, but you're not getting them off to the end of the year. I'm taking him off. No charge. Okay, So, literally, it's a company retouch dot com. Go check him out. And what you upload the image, right? And boom, they enhance the thing. And I guarantee it back to you in 24 hours. And it's like cheap five books is cheap, man. And so I tested that. That was one of the models I did in last month that I've put the before and after it's had braces and the braces were gone and people were like that. So there you go. OK, go ahead. And Nancy, 23 says, How does he get a print proof to a client before a week to get them toe order? Maybe within a week to get them to order you? Have you had that special pricing within a week? Oh, wait. Okay, I get it. I'm sorry for the confusion. The week does not start until they pick up their proofs. Thanks for asking that, by the way, because customers sometimes get that gets that confused too. and they got it confused so much at one time that that's part of our repertoire that we go through with them at the end. This kind of this thing, I just did. What? Y'all I kind of do that. Except it's a whole lot less winded. I do that with the customer. I sit there with the order book and I flipped through every page of the order book and I explained old Now, let me tell you what this is. And let me tell you, let me show you what that that's a cluster and I go through the whole thing. And when I go over the part right here, that says Order within one week I said, Listen, let me explain to you about one week. One week is actually starts the day you pick up your proof. I get this, okay? Because we're going on a cruise next week and she's going on that, so we probably won't be out. Pick those up about two weeks. Oh, no problem. Because you wake those story until you pick him up. Oh, okay. Thanks, Karkh. Perfect verification. That's great. A follow up question from Karen. I understand to have them order within a week once they have this proof books. But what if they're out of town or sick? Like, how do you deal with that? No. Reasonable. Come on. Would you want Would you want Karen somebody? Okay. What would you want if you was sick? When you want the people to go? I'm sorry. What did she have? What happened? Appendix. Really? Your dog ate your appendix crazy. When you believe that I'm a doggy, My appendix one feels so painful. Yes, of course you can order. No, in fact, taken extra week. You know, that's just reasonable. You gotta be reading my God, be real. And you have to be really good. This is a great question from quality photo from Jackson, Mississippi. And what marketing schemes have failed over the years for some of your best failures? And, for instance, what about putting an ad in the school yearbook or my at the school yearbook? I don't know if it works. It don't work because all that all it my objective with the school yearbook ad is this. Most of the time they come in threes. So this is what I see. Understand what I see. I see $6000 walk into my studio and ask me for a favor. And the favor is and I'm gonna try and they say, Would you like to buy an ad? Now, let me translate. If you spend $ will spend 6000. That's the translation. It's not said, but that's what's being said. Okay? And I will take them and I'll go Ho. Oh, you know, selling ads. Awesome. Look, I want to show you awesome. Cool. By the way, you all could help me. Right now I got a problem because I'm thinking I got this new thing. I've been trying to think about his new background and I want to show you. Can I show it to you to see if I need some senior in? Are you saying you're high school here? You actually graduate this year, next year? This year they're awesome. I got this crazy idea and I need a high school senior. I gotta ask you let me show you the studio. Just the studio. That's why do? Yeah, I got all these pipes like this, and this one is. And look, this background right here, you think seniors like that you like you want You don't like it? It's awesome role that you like. What? You like that? Then Look Oh, okay. What I did by the way that I did the black dress. Come see Clear from standing here for a second. Straight something. This is crazy. I know that. I know you. I know. I know. Taking hair, hair. I mean, like like no. Like, Yeah, like that. Okay, now what click we're using OMG, I love that. You see what I'm doing? Totally. Would you I want O on ad. That's right. Yeah, I'll take a full page. This is the reaction, by the way. You mean from the top to the bottom left? Yeah, the whole page with the hope it Okay. Okay. Thank you. Mr Karp. You missed car again. I'm the good guy. I'm giving 100 bucks of 200 bucks or 300 bucks on what it is, but then they're going to give me money, and so I could care less whether not the ad really works. You know, that's the point. One failure, quick that I thought I was walking through a trade show somewhere and I thought this crazy thing was really, really cool. Rubber stamped photo, rubber stamps. I loved this. This kind of sounds cool. Doesn't like a rubber stamp, but you put someone's picture on it. I thought me and that would be cool. Goodbye. Have the address, but their picture on the address. It failed men. Nobody wanted the thing. It was how it was expensive. So I don't know if that answers his question. Really? Everything I've ever done really does produce something it just don't always produce. Like you want got stuck in the thing. And as long as you're learning from that continually, that's the key. Alright, How about is going to come from Karen who asked, Do you offer bonuses? And if you buy so much, you get this sort of that predetermined bonuses. If so, what products? Yeah, I mean, it's always little things. We actually talk about that a little bit earlier. It's always these little crazy things. You find it trade shows and all these little products like, you know, you know, like a dog tag or or, you know, accordion. While it I get all these from H and H like cell phone covers The thing about cell phone covers. I'm I thought this would be the greatest thing since sliced bread. And it was my daughter who goes She's got this face. What? This is also man, she goes, who wants their face on their own Phone that And it's just kind of pretentious, don't you think? Hello? Yes, this is may. I don't know, but the mom dicking about parents. Moms love it. So are they gonna want to buy this? So don't cares with this sells for Because you bought it this much stuff where you do this, Then you get one of these. So, yeah, I got all kinds of little things like that that I have bonuses spend this much. You get one of those cell phone covers? IPad covers purses. Albums were so albums works all day. How, actually, do the albums that all kinds of different things like that. So yes,

Class Materials

bonus material with purchase

PS Actions.zip
Senior Portrait Retouching Walkthrough.mov

Ratings and Reviews

a Creativelive Student
 

Enjoyed the course from start to finish especially all the marketing, advertising opportunities and pricing ideas. My wife and I spent Labor Day re-watching the marketing and pricing section and came away again with so many great ideas. Workflow and shooting the pics is more my responsibility of my business and his posing, lighting and workflow is awesome...In the beginning of the course I was disappointed in the actions as freebies but the more I got into the course and especially the last day with workflow, I broke down and used the Pro4um coupon from the swag bag and joined. That's what really made the actions more valuable because when you join the Pro4um, you get the entire setup for Kirk's workflow. The bridge setup, the scripts etc...I greatly appreciate what Kirk taught in this course and his passion for this line of business because it's helping WHP in every area from start to finish with our buisness!...Thanks Kirk and Thanks creativeLIVE for having Kirk do this Senior Photography course!

Leroy Tademydandp
 

If you want to take you photography to the next level you need to buy this course. Great content with an experienced passionate instructor who is also quite entertaining. Kirk's knowledge of marketing, cameras, and workflow are second to none. I urge you to do yourself and your photography a huge favor go to the top click the green button that says BUY! If you don't your missing out.

a Creativelive Student
 

His work is amazing and he has been a big font of inspiration for me... I wish I could be there to be part of it, live... :-)

Student Work

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