Lessons

Lesson Info

Running a Design Consultation

next, we're going to do a design consultation with our, uh, a wonderful friend. So it's good. Invite Alex and Alex up here. And then just when you sit down, make sure you can see the TV here. Don't look at the computer screen. Yes, Theo album that include your album that's included with the package. Does that include a picture cover or is that like That's a great question. So it's really up to you. One of my good friends, Susan Stripling. She has one price for all of her albums, and the classic can choose whatever she wants. And how she does that is she basis her price on the most expensive option. Got it? And then it's easy. Then you like. Choose whatever you want. I don't care what you want, right? Another tire for I know a similar thing is that if you book um or expensive package, then you're per image prices lower, right? So if he broke my medium package extra images or $50 if you book my high package extra images of $ so another thing to play with right? Um and that's that's reall...

y my goal is to kind of give you guys a framework to think about and how to make it your own right? So just take this framework and and make it your own. And when it's your own and you believe in it, then you can confidence. So Alex and Alex, we have an awesome surprise. So our friend at Miller's is gifting you an album just like this one with a would cover right? And we want to make this is realistic as possible. So you were in during how we price albums and you know how we, uh, allow our clients to get bigger albums and stuff? So, um, we're going to show you in an album, right? And then later I'll give you how many pages that and, um, Kristy and Jason there albums, extra images or $ each. Some photographers. There's $25 each. So I want you just to pick a number in your head. You don't have to share with anybody. And when we get done, whatever you would have spent on this album, I'd like to just to donate to a charity of your choice. Oh, all right. So from it, can we switch back to the computer. So So from a workflow standpoint, what I've done is I've exported for the Web, and I've re brought those spreads into the same project. And I've tagged them with the heart here so I can hit play and under filter. I only want to show the favorites that I've chosen a song and let's increase this to two seconds and, yeah, I got emotional. I didn't even shoot them right? So here's Here's the album And so I put this image on the cover because I just thought that it expressed everything from the shoot. It just summed, You guys up in one, you're relaxed, you're holding each other. Um, I love this spread because it has that sense of movement, right? We create that, that love of being together and being playful with each other, right? And then I wanted also show you know where you guys were at where you love being, no showing your love for each other. It's beautiful who it's like in our own whole favorite places. I thought this was a great intimate Siri's that really showed your guys his love for each other. Yeah, we both talked to Christie about our eyes asked us what our favorite thing about each other. We both said that's beautiful. She definitely captured them with dogs. And I thought this really captured You talked about Alex being like sunshine in the room. Uh oh. And also this safety. And here's the real sunshine, right with your sunshine. Right. And there's my favourite one because I have a safety. I felt that exactly it was you being safe. I love this is a great, like, just, you know, bringing everything down emotionally from the height and then a nice closing last one was also a great symbol of have a great what a great symbol of how you've giving yourself to that safety. And you you allowed that him to provide that for you to be able to receive that from him. It was awesome. Beautiful last picture. Yeah. Yeah. So, uh, so your album included the 1st 20 images. Okay. And this album has 25 extra images. All right, So you can either, uh, we can take some images out, or you can take it as is, and then it would be, you know, the price in your head to donate to charity So do you want take some images out or you want to go ahead and get it? As you guys are the artist. So let's, uh that's great. And we'll get it, as is I'm gonna actually. So if you want to get as is that's awesome, I'm gonna duplicate this. So we have a copy. We have a backup copy, right? So But let's go ahead and go through. And let's say you wanted to remove some images, right? And so this is where things get really powerful from a technical standpoint from photographers how easy it is. So choose one of these images and just say, You don't like that. You want to move that image. It's hard. I just don't want to get top right top. Right. Okay. So the top, right. Let's go ahead and remove that. I don't have to redesign. Okay, now we'll go. That all these Great. So now let's say it. The beating, they say, Oh, we want to remove some images. So all of these Good. How about any of these do when you remove any of these bottom right? The bottom. Right. Okay, so it's good. And remove the bottom right. And then what I might do is I might say, you know what? Let's go and move this image over so it's bigger. And then now that flows much better. I think those air great as they're wonderful. All those perfection right there. Right? We want to keep all of those. Yeah, and I think we need to keep all of those. How about any of these? You want to remove any of these? I think the bottom for the four, the bottom left the bottom left. Okay, so let's move. Removed the bottom left, and then let's go ahead and make this one bigger. You know what I might do with this one? Let's go ahead and make this one a vertical, and then bring this over, and then these two could be bigger. And we'll put her on top because for 17 years and my wife is always number. What? All right, good. Okay. So Okay. So that's good. Yeah. So tomorrow I'm gonna retouched days, and I'm gonna send him off to the printer. And in 2 to 3 weeks, you'll have your album. Okay, so we ended up with 22 extra images, so that's X number of dollars. So that's X amount of dollars. So do you want to pay with a check or credit card? I will crack. Okay, so you do a great card, and then you're done, right? And then if you want to, you can Hey, do we want to do some wall art, then weaken movinto wall art and then we can move into Prince. Right? But then we'll stop there with albums, right? So the kids did I seem like a sales person or do I seem like a friend? Yeah, right. I'm consulting. I'm helping them get their perfect album wedding. Would you typically at that after they talk about the album that they want? Do you automatically say? And did you want one for your parents? Or, like, what is your typical? So exactly So so one of the things that we want to do. Um, And when you go to a restaurant, when the waitress comes up, does she take your appetizer, cocktail dinner and dessert order all at the same time? Right? One by one. So we want to do this in stages. So great we have your main album, click a button, write it down. So Made album is done. Okay, great. So you've decided you're main album? Would you like to get two smaller duplicates or two duplicates for your parents? If you want to do that, it would be $ and I can give you exact duplicates. Or if you want to do $1500 I can give you two smaller albums that are exact exactly the same. That's the key. After you ask the question, you have to shut up. Stop talking. That's the key. Stop talking. Ask him if they want one and they need to stop talking and either they will or they won't. Right. And then, if you want to. In the demo, we showed funny designer Alcides, Gallery designer so you can pre design a couple of wall choices. And then, after they decided their album and say, Okay, I designed these couple of wall art choices. Let's take a look at those and see if you want any wall art. We can take your favorite images and put on those right, and then maybe Grandma wants five by seven and eight by tens. So we're just We're building upon that when you do her image pricing. What if they say? Well, my friend got this huge wedding album. I want something bigger. How do you price larger albums? Well, the same amount of images. So you're talking about the physical dimensions of the album larger, and so it costs you more money, right? Correct. So if you do this correctly, it won't matter. Okay, Right. Because if you do this correctly, you're going to start averaging $2,503,000 per wedding. So in extra $100 on the cost, that wedding album isn't gonna matter. Okay? You just say, right? Yeah. That's why Susan Stripling loves doing that is you. Your base price of your album is your most expensive option from a cost standpoint, so they can get whatever they want. It doesn't matter. Also, if you've had those conversations with, um on the lead out, they would have shared that with you. Well, before you got to this point. So you've got a year to plan that, and so have I. So if you start the process early, then you're covered. Any other questions? I said it coming on on to what you did before you. If you want this album on this album? Always finish on what you want them to buy, because the reason why is, and I'll give you guys a secret for any spouse is their boyfriends. To give them a choice but toe, have them choose your choice the majority of the time. William just sat up straight. So human nature nine times out of 10 people will choose the second choice, and you can increase that percentage by putting just in the question. So if you want to eat Thai, But you know your wife likes Chinese, you can say, Honey, do you wanna go get Chinese tonight? Or you just want to get the Thai restaurant down the road? And it's human nature to say the second choice, and if you put just it makes it like seem like the easier choice. So do you want to make some? Do you want to remove some images, or do you just want to get it as is? And they chose it as is because that's the easier choice, right? And then they're done. So that's that's That's the only semi tricky thing that will teach you. But yeah, thank you very much. So I'm gonna go ahead and order that Miller's is one of our direct partners. So I'm gonna click a button, put the order through, and many book manufacturers take two or three weeks, But within a week, you should have your album. We're gonna have an album party. What's your favorite cover? Material? Color. What color would you like? Purple? OK, purple. And do you like leathers or cloth? Just wait. Okay, Great. So we get a purple cloth on that with, and we're gonna do the would cover for you because I think it's very like natural, and it matches that, like, out in the woods. All right. Thank you so much. Okay, great. You guys, we built an iceberg, and we've built the power of print becoming a storyteller How we price and communicate. And if we build that iceberg correctly, then selling bigger and better albums is really easy. And you get to be a consultant instead of a sales person. And if we focus on our clients were really giving them what they want. They really want their story in print for the future generations. That's what they want. They just don't know how to ask for it, and they don't know the process. But we as professionals, we do know the process. All right, so to reiterate, right, we have slide show we talked through. The album is an artist, all right, We present the pricing system we present the as is price, right? So I've designed it has 45 images. The 1st 20 were included, so this would be X number of dollars. So, you know, if if in her head she chose $50 or if that's our price, would be 12 50 for the album, would you like to remove any images or get it? Or just get it? As is, which gets this year point? It's the greatest question ever, and I just It's so good to use with your spouse. It works all the time. I think my wife is watching, so I think my days are numbered. Stop talking and wait for an answer. So when you ask the question, would you like to remove any images or just get it? As is? If you keep talking, that means you're not confident in your question, and you're not confident in your pricing. You're not confident in your product. So you ask the question. Then you stop talking and you wait for them to talk and they will tell you what they want. And then all you have to do is do what they want, right? And so if they say we have, we want to move some images that's a little bit more than we want to invest. Awesome. I threw in a but of extra images. So there's a There's a bunch that we can remove that. So let's get to go back through page by page and just remove the images you don't want. And most of the time they won't get down to the minimum right. And so we're just helping them do what they want, and we're giving them what they want. Which is there Personal story in an album? Forever. All right, we help make them changes if needed. Right? Make sure we get commitment before moving on. We don't try to sell him wall art or ask if they want Prince for Grandma until they've decided their album. But once they've decided their album, we take that That's done. They decided they're getting it that stuff. Okay, now let's talk about some wall Are you Wanna get smaller? Now, let's talk about some prints for your grandma. Right? Since you've got a huge album, I'm gonna give you 58 by tens, right? For Grandma and your favorite aunt that you told me about because those air they're awesome. I love Grandma's. So let's choose those. Ask for any Wallert or loose prints. We take payment and we're done. And then you congratulate them to give him a big hug and be like, Dude, you're gonna love it. You're gonna get your album, like, two or three weeks. It's gonna be freaking amazing, and they leave excited. You're excited when you talk about their album, you can deliver their album. All of their friends are going to see it. And they're gonna book you for their next wedding because you made it awesome. Album. All right, so we role played that design consultation with Alex and Alex. Thank you very much. Right. So But if I'm gonna leave you with three things today, if you could only remember three things from today remember how important print is not only for us, but for our kids and our grandkids, and will do this for our clients. Do it for yourselves. Print your own stories so that they're around for later generations. Shoot is a storyteller because everybody has their own story, whether they're CEO company or they're homeless person on the street where they're your best friend. Everybody has this unique story that, as photographers were one of the few people in the world that are able to reveal these stories and have successful design consultations. So, uh, like Jim said, before, there's a bunch of free digital downloads, we have the story of story How to be Be a storyteller free e book by still motion, Um, with their muse course, which is great. You're gonna love that one. Jim Shooting for the Scene by Jerry Jones 30 minutes from his Ice Society videos. You can actually watch him shoot the photos that we showed here, which is really cool. And then you get really mad at him for being so good. Better album sales tips by G. Messana e book All right. Steve wrote up a great basically a template to get started for client discovery. All right, how to ask the questions? What questions asked? A perfect place to get started our storytelling workflow that you can print out and stick above your desk. The force you to have a good workflow. And then the story told, Tell her homework sheet. So if you replay the broadcasting, take notes. So if you'd like to know more about me and my company, you can follow us on Instagram, where you can see beautiful images by all of these top photographers in the world inspire you to go out and create better stories. Um, and then you can also see us on Facebook. We have a free trial of the software. Funny designer dot com so you can go in design an album Run the design Consul still in trial mode and then when your clients by a giant beautiful album in the software pay for itself. So I want to thank all of you for being awesome audience. Thank everybody in TV land on Thank you for creative life for hosting A really appreciate it great great time, but it's, you know