Over the past few months, we at Zookbinders have spent a lot of time talking to brides to find out how they want their professional photographer to service them. Our findings were quite interesting:

• They’re overwhelmed by the number of images presented to them.
• Having to choose 100 or so images for their album from over 1000 images is daunting – they’d like to see the photographer help streamline the process and recommend about 100 for their album.
• They’re frustrated by how long the process takes to get their album.
• They feel there are too many choices in albums.
• Even brides who only bought their images rarely make albums because the process is quite difficult and time consuming.

Of course not every bride feels this way, but our surveys show a substantial majority of brides with these feelings. These issues have a direct result in what we see on our production floor. The average wedding album we create (based on the date stamped on the cover) was photographed nine months earlier! This shows how long the process can take. However, our surveys show that brides would prefer to get their album within weeks rather than months.

So what can you do to help and prosper from this information? We know some brides themselves can slow the process. But, if you are proactive and help the process along, you can be assured a smoother process, quicker delivery of your album(s), a larger order and happier clients. Here are some specific actions you can take:

• Show fewer images. You are the expert, edit out all that you don’t need and show only the best images.
• Pre-select. Choose the images you’d recommend for their album. She can still see or get them all but help her move the album process along. (Isn’t it nice when a waiter suggests a bottle of wine so that you don’t have to look at a wine list with hundreds of bottles?)
• Pre-design. Show your clients what their album could look like. This will speed up the process and enable you to deliver their album in two to three months after their wedding.
• Streamline your album choices. Just like having too many images, brides can be overwhelmed by having too many album choices- select the best options based on their tastes and budget.
• Upsell. Once you’ve designed their album and they are thoroughly amazed, remember to give them a few options for adding gift albums to their order. PhotoBooks and Soft Cover Press Books make wonderful and affordable replica options, and what parent wouldn’t be thrilled with their own copy of their child’s wedding album just a couple months after the big day!
• Educate. Explain the process up front. Show how you make the album design-bind-deliver process quick and easy and how difficult it will be if they just buy the disk.

Brides are overwhelmed with all of the choices in wedding photography and designing their album. Help them out by taking control – they’ll be happier, you’ll finish your clients’ albums quicker and you’ll be the hero for providing such a great service! Bet you never thought underwhelming your clients could be such a good thing.

Mark Zucker, Founder and CEO