I’ve been wearing eyeglasses for about 25 years and need new glasses, again :-( . Over the past 12 years or so, my average cost has been about $360 per pair of prescription glasses, (averaged from seven pairs purchased from five different stores).
Sure, had I chose super-fancy designer frames, the cost would have been higher; had I gone with the free frames, the cost would’ve been lower. My sister used to work for the largest eyeglass retail chain in the country. She said their giveaway frames cost less than $2 each.
Some eyeglass stores (aka. “optical stores” or “vision stores”) frequently have a two-for-one sale. So, if a pair of glasses cost me, on average, about $360, then a two-for-one sale means that I should be able to get two pairs for (about) $360, right?
Wrong:
I chose two pairs of glasses (my usual middle-of-the-road frames). The clerk tallied up the price: $1856. (What?!?)
Then he factored in the two-for-one sale (cheaper pair was “free”): $917.
After asking if I had insurance (no), he said that since I’m a good customer, he’d give me free anti-reflection coatings and an extra discount on the lenses. Final price for the two pairs of glasses: $756 (or $378 per pair). The price per pair of glasses was the same as my average cost. Surprise!
So what happened to the two-for-one discount? (Quick check at another optical store in the same plaza showed that one pair of glasses, with similar frames, was $410.)
Photographers, here’s the deal:
When you price your photography services, the prices have to be “real”. If you purposely price high, with the expectation that you’ll let the client talk you down, then your prices will have no credibility. Your clients will always expect a discount and they may expect a bigger discount the next time.
Most clients do not want to negotiate. They don’t have the time or interest. The customer just wants to know the real price without any games. Artificially high prices will also scare away many customers.
Remember that the customer is not the enemy. Customers are your business partner: they keep you in business. Help them buy from you. Make it easy for them to do business with you. Silly discount offers or any other type of “number-juggling” are not necessary. Your customers might need glasses but they aren’t blind.
Your prices and your photography act as filters. Your prices can filter out the customers you don’t need; your photography can filter in the customers you want.
