That's some great advice Travis! I'm most definitely going to pick up the phone before I hit the reply button from now on.

Last year we had our starting price of $3000 on our website. It was nice because our consultation to close ratio was 95%. So far for 2010 we have been experimenting with NOT having any pricing information on our website. It's been working out quite well! Although our consultation to close ratio has lowered to about 75% our total number of bookings are higher. We have gotten WAY more inquiries, and yes a lot of them are on shoestring budgets and are crossing their fingers that we are going to be in their price range, but I think it's been good because it has given us the chance to educate a lot of brides who otherwise would have been too sticker shocked to even pick up the phone or fill out our e-mail form... many of them have been able to see the value in our product and have booked.

There are two kinds of phone calls. There are those that start with "How much?" and then there are those that start with "Please tell me you have my date available!!!" You are ALWAYS going to get the "price is most important factor" brides, it's just a question if you want the opportunity to educate them that "you get what you pay for" or not. Like Travis, I pre-qualify my brides by giving them an idea of "what most brides tend to spend with us", but usually follow that up with a quick little spiel about how we would love to give them a complete breakdown of our pricing and "incentives" in a consultation at our studio. It seems to be going pretty well. I think eventually we will end up going back to having a starting price on our website as we are almost full for 2010.

There are many differences between the various markets we all in this forum serve but one thing seems common and that is that far too many clients make price the first consideration. I think, this is, in part, due to the fact that far too many people think that a moving picture on a TV set is television, especially if it's them in the picture, and make no value judgement about what we all consider quality.

A second reason is that as video producers we're far too low down the decision timeline. Why photographers are so high and we so low is beyond me and don't even ask me about the brides who put a chocolate fountain, harpist and flowers from Hawaii ahead of us - when in all probability they're on a diet, tone deaf and allergic to pollen.

We've recently tried to do something about it and whilst it's too soon to judge the effectiveness we've got editorial in a bride mag, editorial on the bride mag's website and local press editorial too. The idea is DVD wedding invitations. OK, I know the fact that we have an on-camera teleprompter from our corporate days helps but otherwise I reckon it's a couple of hours work, and 40 DVDs - and we have our own duplicator.

If the extra work is the downside, on the upside it means the client decides to buy us much earlier and as far as the work's concerned, it happens well in advance of the wedding and can be easily fitted in with other stuff. We're looking at other ideas - we've already added a 3D Video section (vows, promises and exchange of rings) with playback at the reception without wearing daft glasses either! (though of course 3d doesn't advance the timeline) - if anyone's interested I'll post them here once we've launched.

Hi Philip

I have always been impressed with your advice and marketing skills and innovative ideas but for some reason I never bothered to click on your website.

I have now and wow!! if I was a bride I would be impressed!! The other companies wouldn't stand a chance!!!

If one takes all the extras you provide that normal videographer's dont, then yours must be the best deal in the UK!! Your marketing skills are excellent and yes, we do seem to be low down in the "pecking order" and it's about time that changed. The Invitations are a way to make things like that happen and only for a small cost.

Keep up the good work!! BTW: Is that your pic on your website (not Nikki!!) with the white hair??? I thought I was the only wedding videographer in that age group???

Chris

Chris, there are three grey haired people pictured on the website.

One is a charming lady Vicar who rose in my estimation when she asked a stills photographer (pink shirt, high price and high self-opinion) to leave the church because he was intruding on the ceremony.

The second is Canon Ted Crofton of Eccles parish church, part of whose excellent homily is to remind couples that people have been standing on the same spot, making the same vows as they just have, for over 800 years.

I'm not them and I've been grey for years!

Hi Philip

Good one there!! The lady Vicar now rates high with me too!!

I was actually referring to the two pics on the features pdf file..the lady on the right must be Nikki and I just assumed that the guy on the right with the fig rig is you???

It's just nice to know that the industry still has some of us oldies left !!

Chris

Sorry didn't mean to be coy. Yes the old bugger is me!

I'm a big believer in having the prices on the site. If a potential client loves my video work and knows that my prices are within their budget, they have already qualified me as a vendor that'd potentially like to do business. As a result, my booking rate is about 85%.