Jun 02 2010
Extra Profit For Commercial Portrait Photographers
In today’s economy you need to take advantage of every avenue available to increase profits when making sales to existing customers. I am not saying to increase your sale price because that could hurt business. I would be looking for products that fit with what you are selling .
For example if you are a web site designer you could still sell your design service but also sell a link building service to help get the site seen. You could also have available a live chat feature that they could use. Of course pick one that works and offers you a referral commission.
When I sell a large wall size print I want to get client referrals. As a portrait photographer located in San antonio I understand that my clients are busy people. If I sell a print and deliver it in a roll no one can see it. It may not get framed for a few 4-5 weeks which means I may miss out on the customers excitement about the new photo and referrals.
The best way to increase referrals is to have the photo mounted on foam core so it can be seen and handled easily. Why not go to the next step and provide a nice frame and deliver a mounted, ready to hang photo.I know a lot of photographers reading this are saying I see those frame sold at every photography trade show I go to and some professional photo labs even sell this service.
The difference in my wholesale frames and those seen at trade shows is the price. The frame services offering products to photographers sell the basic ready made frames for more than I can buy a semi custom made frame at a local frame shop. If you look at the prices a 20×24 frame and mounted print is usually around $110.00 to $160.00 each. Deduct the value of the mounted photo and the price is as high as retail at local stores .
I suggest finding a real wholesale supplier that sells good quality at true wholesale prices. This way you can mark up the frame and make a fair profit from the frame as well as mounting the photo. The company I recommend sells a solid wood, very ornate frame between $23.00 and $28.00 each. You can buy a dozen frames for way less than 3 that the photography trade show suppliers are selling. Purchase a low cost point driver and you can be finished in a few minutes. Simply drop the mounted print in place. Add a few points or staples using the point driver and cover the back with a paper dust cover. Mount the wire hander and deliver it to your client ready to hang.
Looking to find the best deal on Wholesale Wood Frames, Also visit my photography site about commercial portrait photography for your business photos.
