I Don't Believe In It
I believe that "friends and family support you no matter what." Sometimes I'll get the occasional request for discounts (not so much these days, thankfully, but that mindset still exists). As if knowing me personally somehow entitles them to devalue me and my work and essentially, cheat me out of money. This makes absolutely zero sense to me. If you're my friend or family, you should be encouraging and supporting me any way that you can so I can continue pursuing what I love. Luckily for me, the majority of my family members are small business owners and believe in fully supporting their friends and family as well. Shoot, I even exercise this belief with other friends when hiring their services or purchasing products from their small business. Some will say something like, "That's $45 but $35 for you!" I respond, "Thank you! And while I appreciate your offer, I am going to pay the true price because I support and value you. So here's $45."
Discounts Don't Pay My Bills
I do have a little something that I do for friends and family but that's something you'll find out once you book 😉 Other than that, I still have bills to pay. The equipment I use is not cheap and was a huge investment, all so I can bring you the best quality images for your investment in my services. I still need to eat, put gas in my car, pay for my utilities. If I'm giving out discounts, that's going to affect my ability to live and pay my bills.
"Value" Defined
Value can be defined in a number of ways. Some may find value in a "good deal," like with getting a discount. Others might find value in quantity, like how many photos they can get for the price they pay. And others find value as quality, such as the greatness of the work they receive.
Getting something for a deal or "discount" isn't everyone's definition of "value." Some call that "cheap" and it turns them away. Other's might see that even though they get fewer images, they see the uniqueness of each image and admire the storytelling and that's valuable to them.
You need to find how you define value and how you want to portray yourself and your work.
How I Define Value For My Business
I've said it before and I'll say it again, I do not simply show up and click a button. I put a lot of work into the sessions that I offer. I see your money as an investment in me and I respect that, and therefore invest a lot of myself in preparing for each and every one of your sessions.
Here's what goes into my prep before a session:
🗣 I take the time to get to know you through email, IG messaging, or text. If you're on social media and add me, I'll add you back and interact with your content. I want to get a feel of who you are and how you like to express yourself. It's important to me that you are able to be yourself during our session and I want to capture you wholly as yourselves.
💡 I put together a inspiration board on my phone with poses and prompts that I think will make you look and feel your best. I want those natural and genuine smiles and am heading into your session fully prepared! I want to make sure that I have a variety of poses to return back to you more unique photos, not just the same photos from different angles.
💃 I style your session for you. I use an online personal styler that I absolutely love, but I'm also here for you via email or text to go over any options. My door is always open to discuss any questions, comments, or concerns about your outfits or your session. I'm very big on communication so I make myself available to you.
🥳 It is one of the most important aspects of my sessions to create a fun and relaxed atmosphere that allows you to be your true self and have fun in front of the lens. I'll start out with a little bit of dialogue so we can get to know each other. I'll tease out any information about you so I'm armed with material to make you laugh later when you're feeling stiff and awkward. You must feel comfortable in front of the camera for me to do what I do, and I put a lot of energy into creating this atmosphere for you.
🙌🏼 I aim to have you leave the session feeling excited about your photos and feeling great about yourself. Self-confidence is something that I love pumping into my clients so they can leave our session and head back into the world feeling a little bit better about themselves. I'm not just taking pictures and saying "see ya later," I'm instilling confidence in you that you can take with you after the fact, which will hopefully grow and blossom in your everyday life.
👩🏼💻 I have a quick turnaround time. The timeframe differs depending on the session but I know that when I get photos done, I want them back ASAP. So I do my best to give you the same service too!
I Invest So Much Of Myself Into Your Session, So Why Would I Discount That?
You are investing in me just as much as I am investing in you. That is where I find the value in my service and in my work. Plus I've noticed that whenever someone has given a friend a "discount" or done something for free, that friend never gets the same treatment that all of the other paying clients do.
So now I ask, what do you think about the "Friends & Family Discount"?