“My clients don’t ask for albums, so don’t I sell many.” Sure…that’s understandable. But, why put all the responsibility on your clients to do the leg work?

Imagine you go to a nice restaurant. You have a wonderful meal. As you are leaving a server passes by with the most amazingly looking dish.  You ask the hostess about the delicacy that just passed by. She informs you that it was the special appetizer for the evening. Spoiler alert – your server didn’t mention the specials.

You might wonder, “What else did I miss?” The reality is you couldn’t have ordered something you didn’t know existed and you were happy with your dining experience. But in a flash, that’s all changed and now you feel…frustration, regret…and left out.

Don’t let this happen to your clients. You are the expert. It is your job as the professional to share with your potential customers everything that is available to them – from engagement sessions to sign-in books and custom-designed wedding albums. If you don’t place album samples in their hands, and you don’t mention all the different types of photography you offer, how can you expect them to know all that is available? 

Conquering the Conversation

Now, we are not suggesting that you show them every leather color available under the sun but show them something! Showing a beautifully handcrafted leather album is an EASY conversation starter.

The goal of this conversation is to find out more about what the customers are looking for, what they like, what they are expecting, and what they are unaware of in regards to professional wedding albums.

Take some time to listen. Below are some assumptions or objections – that your customers may have. Listed below are simple suggestions on how to set them on the right track.

• Couples may not realize that they can get an album simply because their friends, sisters, hairdressers, and coworkers only received digital files from their photographer, and that just must be the way things are.

Make albums your differentiator. Take the time to select beautiful professional products that are unavailable to consumers so that your clients can have printed photographs and amazing keepsakes!

• Clients may think that there is only one option for an album. They’ve seen their parents’ wedding album from 1975 and it doesn’t suit their tastes.

Having fresh contemporary samples will have your brides desiring albums that match the style of their wedding details.

• Customers may feel that albums are an additional investment. They might not be able to manage the cost after paying for the wedding reception and honeymoon.

Placing albums in collections that are purchased before the wedding and offering payment plans to chunk out the costs makes the process of decision-making easier. After the wedding they don’t need to pull out their credit card, they just need to select their images, so the album design can begin.

• The “albums” they’ve seen are unimpressive. Clients have seen DIY consumer books of their friends’ vacations, birthday parties, and, celebrations. They have a preconceived idea of what to expect quality-wise, and nobody’s excited.

Have samples to show in person and have them online. Beautiful images of albums on your website and social media help to tell a story. Product detail helps to emphasize the quality. Placing a thick page leather-bound album in someone’s hands is a sensory experience. It’s like getting into a luxury car. There is no comparison to entry-level consumer products.

Be the Guide with Album Samples

It’s easy to understand where some of the disconnect is between what your client assumes and what is available from a professional photographer who provides full service – not only digital but beautiful wedding albums.  

Showing samples and listening to client reactions can help you connect what you offer with what your clients didn’t realize that they wanted and didn’t know to ask for.

At Zookbinder we offer a generous 50% off studio samples. Learn more about getting your sample album here: STUDIO SAMPLES 50% OFF