I'm Nicole Begley, a zoological animal trainer turned pet and family photographer. Back in 2010, I embarked on my own adventure in photography, transforming a bootstrapping startup into a thriving six figure business by 2012. Since then, my mission has been to empower photographers like you, sharing the knowledge and strategies that have helped me help thousands of photographers build their own profitable businesses. I believe that achieving two to $3,000 sales is your fastest route to six figure businesses, that any technically proficient photographer can consistently hit four figure sales.
And no matter if you want photography to be your full time passion or a part time pursuit, profitability is possible. If you're a portrait photographer aspiring to craft a business that aligns perfectly with the life you envision, then you're in exactly the right place. With over 350,000 downloads. Welcome to the Freedom Focus Photography podcast. Welcome to the Freedom focused Photography podcast. I'm your host, Nicole Begley, and I'm really excited for this segment today.
This is what I hope to be. A new regular segment in which I bring on one of my freedom focused formula students, and we do a pricing review that you guys get to listen to, because my superpower, if you don't really know, is looking at someone's pricing, making a couple little tweaks, and helping them earn a lot more money. In today's episode, this is Michaela from BMac photography.
She's based in San Diego, California. She was on episode 243, in which she was talking about how she hosts gallery wall contests with a business partner for a really fun and unique way to market her business. So go back and listen to that if you'd like, but you definitely want to listen to this episode, too, because in this episode, this pricing review, she came to me with a pretty good sales average.
She was already averaging about $1,700 for sale. She had almost every single client buying an album, but they weren't buying artwork, too. She really wanted to sell artwork as well. Even though she does love the albums, she wanted to have clients buy all of it, right? Isn't that always the goal? So we looked at her pricing, and then we made, really, one tweak. Just about everything else pretty much stayed the same, but that one tweak almost doubled her next sale.
So take a listen, and I hope that you find this conversation helpful. So, yeah. So what's happening? Let's chat. Pricing? Yeah, sounds good. Yeah. So I looked at my, like, average sale for this first this year because I kind of changed my pricing for the new year, and average sale is, like, just over $1,700 okay. And was it before you changed your pricing? It was like 1200. And that's with.
So I do a session fee that's 199. And then that. It doesn't go towards product or anything. It just is what it is. So that's, like, with the session fee, too. Okay. And then how is your pricing, like, on the back end? Are they collections? Are they a la carte? I just do a la carte. Okay. I started with collections, and I just didn't really love. Yep. Yeah.
I just didn't really love them. And then I just feel like people would just choose one and then, like, not get anything else or just choose, like, you know. Yeah. So, um. Yeah, I've been doing a la carte, but. Okay. Yeah. And then what are people generally buying? The most popular thing is an album. Okay. And what do you want them? Some people will add on, like, an acrylic block or a metal print, but usually it's just like, one other thing.
Yep. And then digital files come with the album. Okay. Like a 25 image album. So they get the digital files. So I feel like that's why a lot of people do that. And I love albums, and that's what I like selling. So, I mean, I'm glad people are buying that, but I would like them to buy more things. All right, sounds good. I know you're in San Diego.
Do people. It's wall space and. Objection. I know that San Diego houses can be small, but usually they. Not generally. I feel like people are pretty, like, open to it. Okay, cool. Do you have your pricing I could look at, or is it a website or is it a PDF? I have a PDF. Okay. Yeah. Pop it in the chat. Okay. Hey, we'll go to the barn when I'm done with this call.
Daughter just got home. We just got back. We took our dog sheep herding for the second time. Oh, that's fun. And he loves it. It's so cool to see him. What kind of dog is he? Um, he's a mix, but we think he's like a. He looks like australian Kelpie pity mix. Okay. Gotcha. So if he has Kelpie in him, that's probably why he's so good at hurting, but, yeah, it's so fun.
That's awesome. Yeah. My gosh, my dog. I mean, she's a terrier mix. She was just barking them. You wouldn't hurt anything, would you? Kill it. Kill anything little. All right, I sent the product guide. Let me know if you got it. Okay. Did you email me or did you put it in the chat. I just put it in the chat. It is not there. Do you have it to everyone, or is it on a different.
Wait, hold on. Yeah, it says, sent from you to everyone. That's weird. It looks like it's very weird on my end. It looks like it went through. That's right. Sure. You can just open it, share your screen. Okay. I'll make you co host, and then you can do that. Okay, go ahead. Great. Give me a moment. I'm always slowing this. No worries, no worries. All good. That's okay.
There we go. All right. Love it. I looks familiar to you? It does, it does. So you just want me to scroll through? Yep. Perfect. Okay. Guarantee. All right. Perfect. And albums first. That's what you want to sell? I love it. Okay. Folio boxes. No one's ever bought a folio box. How do you feel about them? Um, I like them. I mean, I think they're awesome. Like, especially if people don't really.
Cause some people are like, I don't really like photo albums. Okay. Yeah. But, yeah, I've just. I haven't been offering. I've been offering this only for a couple months, but, yeah, I just feel like no one is super about this option. Yeah, I've never found that. My people love polio boxes. I like them. I don't, like, love them. So, yeah, they've been hit or miss on my, like, sometimes I have them on my price list, sometimes I don't.
So if you like them, leave them. I would say if you don't love them, then just take them off. But, um. Yeah, I mean, I do. I would love. Someone got one. But, yeah. All right, we leave them for now. We'll talk about that maybe one day. Um. Okay. Metal prints. Yep. And these I just added, and I just did kind of like a very simple, like, you can get this or you can get this, but obviously, like, I could customize it, but I just didn't want it to be, like, too overwhelming.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. I did the framed prints, and then I have just, like, smaller stuff. And then, like, the. Just these prints you can't get unless you spend a certain amount. I recognize those photos. Yeah. Hound vision. I love it. You can't get those unless you do other stuff. You said the prints? Yeah. Like, you have to spend, like, $6.95 or more to get these. Just, like, standalone prints.
Yep. And then I have the high res files. Okay. And then I have, like, a. Like, a bonus schedule for, like, our Zoom call or in person sale. Like, if you do this, then you get some bonuses. So that's kind of my go back down to that bonus schedule. Sure. How has that been received? Pretty well. I mean, I feel like if people, I feel like sometimes that's what people buy.
People need or not need, but they, if they get an album, like, then it might entice them to get wall art because they get like a discount off of it. But I haven't sold, besides the album and getting a discount off waller. I haven't sold any of the other, or haven't. No one's taken advantage of any of the other, like, bonus stuff because most people aren't just buying, like, prints.
Yeah. Or. Yeah, I would almost. All right, so we have a couple options here. Okay. We can kind of build our prices around like an album being your signature piece and then, like, everything goes from there. Or like, build it around the artwork first and then adding the album on. Do you have a preference of, like, which way you feel better about, like, the messaging of what you offer?
Like, would you rather, like, talk about the albums all the time or the artwork all the time? That's hard. Probably that the goal is to sell both. Right. But, like, we kind of need to pick a lane to kind of start at. It's like, this is what I do well. I feel like as it is right now, I talk about albums a lot with people and that's what I'm selling.
Happy about that. But then it's not going to wall art, so maybe I should change that to. Not necessarily. Not necessarily. All right, let's hold. Let's put a pin in that for a second. When you go back up to your albums, to that page. Okay. How many images are you usually showing? Generally not more than 50. Okay. Acrylic cover and photo cover. All right. So I'm thinking, are people buying?
Did you raise these prices recently? Yes. And I added, I used to just have one album, which was like a photo cover, and now I have the acrylic. And so that's like the higher end, I guess. And that's. I've sold like one of those, but yeah, I recently added that. Okay. I love it. All right, so generally. Well, let's back up to, for a second. 1700 is your average sale, or it was.
And what, what's your goal? Like, what would you like your average sale to be? I feel like 2500 would make me happy. Okay. All right. So we have some options. We can raise the signature album price and it's just like, hmm, we get this. Or I'm thinking, do they find. So if they get this, with 25 albums, they're getting 25 digitals. Do they feel like they're leaving these other digitals on the table?
Like, how much of a. Like, oh, man, I wish there was more there. Do you think there is? Right? Um. Or are they like, oh, we cut it down. I have the ones I love. We're good. I feel like some people sometimes feel like, oh, man. Like, they don't want to cut it down that far, but I'm. And I. I'm always like, well, you don't have to, you know, just get the 25.
You can get more. And, like, this is how much it is. But I feel like a lot of people just don't. They're kind of like 25. It is. What if you had. What if you had another bonus? Like, skip, go back to that bonus page again for a second. Purple war. What if you had. And you would start with this, got rid of all these extra bonuses, and instead just said, hey, if you do an album and you do go back up to one of your wall pieces.
Anyone? Sure. Yeah. Metal. Metal prints. Okay, perfect. Yeah. And then any. If you do an album and a wall piece, like a frame print, metal print or acrylic print, then you get all the digital files as a bonus. So then they don't have to leave those 25 on the table, but they are already getting the. What I say. So would I change it so that they don't get any digitals with the album?
Because right now they get all. You still could. You still could. But they would get those other 25. Or it could be album. Or it could be your album gets upgraded and you get all your images in the album and all your digital files. Explain. I'm so sorry. Explain. No, that's okay. No, that's okay. One more time. It could be that either if you get a wall piece and an album, that either, then your album still has 25, but you get all 50.
Like, you get your whole gallery of high res files. Or to make it really easy and a. Hell, yes. Which maybe we raise the price of it a little bit or raise the price of something else a little bit, is if you do a wall piece and an album, instead of 25 images, your album can include all the images and you'll get all the digital files. Okay. I do like that.
I feel like all the images is making me a little bit stressed, like, with the editing. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So maybe, like, ten additional. Like, I could just do. Yeah, like you can do. Yeah. Because sometimes, too, I don't always show like, I show between, like, 40 and 50, too, so. Okay. But, yeah. Okay. So that would be. I feel like that would be enticing. Mm hmm. Yeah, that makes sense.
I feel like that's like a no brainer. If you. If they are interested in more digital or more images in general, then just get this wall art. Okay. So that would take you. If they did the lower album and, like, the lowest wall piece, that would take you to a $2,400 sale, plus your session fee be 2600. Yeah, that'd be pretty good. So, yeah, so you could just do that really?
Without even changing any pricing. The other option just to try and talk through it is, yeah, please give me all the options. Yeah. Is you could start with, oh, man, I feel like if a lot of people already buying albums, though, I don't know that I would mess with that. That's pretty much what, like, everybody buys. No, that's great. It just, like, makes the most sense. And that's how I shoot, is I don't really shoot for just, like, the one, like, hero photo.
I shoot a bunch. Yeah, yeah. And. Yeah. What they want. But then it's like, they just stop at the album. Yeah. Well, you can then. Yeah, I would change your messaging a little bit and, like, have it at, like, the very beginning here. Go back up the very top, like, the intro kind of area before your. Any items. Okay. Okay, perfect. So you have the guarantee. And then I would say, like, you know, something about, like, for those that want it all, you know.
You know that albums, you know, or something about, like, almost every client of mine gets an album. Because, xYz, this is why albums are amazing. However, like, albums shouldn't get all the glory. I want you to have something beautiful on your wall that you see every single day and makes you smile. So when you do an album and a wall piece, then you're going to get, you know, your choice of ten additional free images in your album, which really is like, a $500 value.
Right. Because it's $50 per extra image. So you can even say that you're like. And you could even be like. It's like getting your wall art for free. That could be your fun little thing. Like, hey, do you want your wall art for free? So true. Yeah, I feel like that's super enticing. Yeah, because that will shift them, too, from the, like, you know, because, again, this is a luxury experience.
It's a splurge. So they come in it into with the psychology of, like, all right, I'm already doing this. I should be responsible. Yeah. Okay. Maybe I want all these things, but, like, oh, I should try to, like, keep a handle on it. I'll just get the album because I get so many images and. Yeah, I wish I did artwork, but I'm being responsible to then, like, oh, well, but if I get the artwork, then it's basically, like, saves $500 of extra images up here so they're able to rationalize it.
Yeah, for sure. Yeah, absolutely. So. And then. So then you do this and say, like, it starts working like gangbusters. I think that it would. And then you start to get, like, oh, man, I feel like I'm giving away too much. Then you just start to raise that album price a little bit and raise your artwork and. But you keep the bones of that because I think that'll work really well.
Okay, so if they were to buy, like, more than one piece of artwork, let's say, like, let's say they were already interested or something. Yeah. Or if they bought, like, one of them. I have, like, a three piece framed thing. Like, do you think I should make it so that they get more files when they do that? Or when they spend, like, you know what I mean? If they're buying a super large piece or multiple pieces versus, um.
I I don't want to make it confusing. Okay. So I would kind of keep it the same. I do have a multi walled, like, discount, so, like, 15%, which it could be just ten. You don't have to do 15 of. If they purchase three or more wall pieces, then there is the same. Okay. And I would do that in addition to the bonus of the book. Okay. But I would have that just as, like, a little aside, somewhere where you have on the photos page, like, on the wall art pages, and instead have a whole page right after the guarantee of, like, hey, you want to want your wallet for free.
Yeah. You know, or do you want to. Do you want a $500 discount, or do you want to save $500, or do you want to. I don't know, somehow. Yeah, that's play with that messaging a little bit to make it, like, really sexy and awesome. Yeah, I like that. And, like, eye catching. So they read it. I know. That's the other thing is, like, it could be dog math.
You can make it really fun and be like. And, you know, they had the girl math and, like, dog math, you know, like. Yeah. You know, when you do x and y, you get extra ten images in your album and the high res files, which is worth $500. So dogmath says you're basically getting your artwork for free. Love it. Love it. Yes. Yeah. I feel like that would help.
Yeah. Um, the other issue I've been running into is, like, so many people right now that are booking with me are, like, moving out of California, like, very soon, and sometimes they don't even know, like, where they're moving to or, like, where they're going to be. And so, like, like, I have a sales session on Thursday with a super nice couple, and they're going to be moving to Chicago end of June or beginning of June, and, like, because I always ask, like, what they're interested in getting.
And she said, like, an album and a probably, like, a three piece, maybe, like, the framed prince. Yeah. Which I'm, like, stoked about, but I'm just worried that because I had someone else who, like, her house is getting renovated. Like, everything renovated, and she, like, wants to do a gallery wall or wanted to. Yeah. And says she will, but it's like, I just feel like it's so hard, like, once you lose somebody or don't, you know?
Do you have any recommendations? So what I tried for this other woman who was doing the renovation, which, like, my husband and I talked about it a lot, and I was, like, convinced it was going to work, is, like, I kind of mocked up some gallery wall possibilities, and then her, like, what the price would be, but then I said, if you purchase it today, you get 20% off of, you know, whatever, but that it would just be, like, a product credit.
So, like, if. Because she was like, well, I don't know. You know, I don't know what sizes I'm gonna want. I don't know which walls. I don't like all this stuff. And I'm like, that's totally fine. If you buy today, you basically get an extra $500 to spend. Right. And then you'd be like, save as a credit, like, a gift certificate, essentially, for when she would be ready to design.
Exactly. But she wasn't. Yeah. It, like, was not computing in her head. I just don't know, like, what size. And I'm like, that's fine, you know, you don't need to know size. Like, you don't need to know anything because you don't have to decide. But anyways, she. She just got an album, which is fine, but, well, definitely follow up with her follow up earther once she's missing. But another thing I'll do, though, too, which I actually did this.
So it's a client that I had here that was moving to Colorado, um, and like, they ordered their artwork and it was packed away, like, it shipped to them in Colorado, but they were still in an apartment, weren't even in their house yet. So, like, it was shipped to them and ended up sitting around for, like, six months before she finally unpacked it and sent it to me.
Um, yeah, but I basically asked them, like, well, is there a piece of furniture? Because you design the artwork to the furniture, usually. So, like, do you have an anchor piece of furniture that, you know, is going in the new house? Because you can size the artwork to that. It's not necessarily sized to the wall. Um, you know, it's sized to your bed or your couch or, like, a, you know, cupboard type thing.
Yeah. So that's. That's worked for me, um, a bit. And then, you know, the other option is, like, what you tried to do. Uh, definitely. And then one more can be, like, as a last ditch. If those other two aren't working, I would let them, like, ask them, like, when do you expect to be in and kind of settled? Can I follow up with you then? And, you know, if you'd like to do it, then I would be happy to give you whatever.
Like, if there was any sort of savings or, like, whatever, I would basically take the. I would be happy to give you the pricing as if you, like, bought it all together, you know, but it would just have to be with the caveat of my vendor. Might increase prices by then. So, you know, the prices might go up by then. But, like, if there was any sort of bonus schedule type thing, like, you would get some bonus digital files or, you know, like, if there was a credit towards it or whatever, that.
That would still be honored. Okay. But, yeah, sometimes people just can't. Can't comprehend those many decisions when they have, like, all this moving. I know, and I'm like, all these people, they're like, multiple people are booking because everyone's probably, like, mass exodus out of California, and they're all coming here. Yeah, I know. North Carolina is insane. Yeah, they're all just going, which, like, I get it. It's crazy here.
Expensive. But I'm like, dang it, you're moving. Like, that means that you're not gonna. You don't even know where you're gonna live, possibly. You don't know what your walls are gonna look like. You don't know all that. I'm like, dang it. Yeah. What can you do? Well, you can follow up with them, too, and do, like, a little housewarming, whatever, of, you know, like, yeah, you know, just kind of like, reach out to them and say, hey, you know, so glad you're there.
And you can even. You can even make it up and say, hey, my vendor is offering a sale. Whatever. And I thought of you guys, or let them know, like, if it's going to be around the holidays or something, like, reach out to them in advance and say, hey, just so you guys know, I am going to be offering, you know, around black, Black Friday or whatever special offer on some artwork.
So if you're getting more settled and you would like to grab something, just know that's coming up. Let me know if you want to kind of plan ahead of time. So, you know, do that then. Just like a reason why that, like, yeah, do it now. Yeah, why they should do it now. And. And you can make up whatever holiday. Like, hey, I'm having a Valentine's day. Yeah.
Mail for past clients. Make it up. Yeah. Yeah. Even if I'm not really just for them. Yeah, exactly. Vip. A vip sale. Yeah, you're the vip. Okay. That's smart. Yeah. Okay. That's. That's a good idea. Cool. All right, well, I think I'll try and implement that then. Yeah. Let me know how it goes. Keep me posted. Yeah, I will. For sure. Yeah, I'll let you know how the it goes on Thursday and hopefully they buy.
Yeah. Some stuff. I'm. Yeah, I guess maybe I could. Do you think for my Thursday one I should let them know or like, change it already? I mean, you don't have to change the whole thing there, but you could. I would definitely, like, let them know. Hey, you know, I know we talked about this or that. Just want to let you know that I have updated my pricing a little bit and I still have those bonuses if they work, but I have this super exciting thing I'm offering now.
Okay, cool. Yeah, we'll do that. Cool. Awesome. Yay. Well, keep me posted. I will. Okay. I hope you enjoyed that conversation. Now, I want to give you the kind of like, time to move that bus. Do you remember that show? I don't even remember what that show was called. Extreme makeover. That's what it was. What? Ty Pennington takes a minute for my brain to filter through these things that.
Who knows why I still remember them. Anyway, that's what we're going to do here now is our extreme makeover. We're going to move that bus. So I'm really happy to report that Michaela emailed me right after her next sales session, a couple of days after we did this part and this is her email. She said, I had my sales session today and they decided to purchase an album in three frame prints at 20% off and receive ten additional digital files for quote free.
Exactly what I wanted. Initially, they actually thought they were just going to get wall art and digital files, but with how many they wanted, the album made more sense. The total sale was are you ready for this? $3,834. With taxes and the session fee included. They'll actually order the wall prints once they move in June. So happy it worked. Thanks for your help. Now to implement with more clients.
Oh my gosh, you guys, nothing makes me happier than when I hear results like this. If you would like me to take a look at your pricing, well, come join us inside the freedom focus formula. This is, gosh, my life's work in photography education put together to help photographers at any level of their business earn more money, attract more clients, and just become more profitable. Whether you're just starting out or you're trying to move into that ultra luxe space, we have each level of the photography business kind of broken out in there and the best pricing strategies for each level.
So it's really a course that will grow with you. And yeah, I'd love to help you be more profitable. So go to freedomfocused formula.com and check it out. I will see you next week.