When I ask business owners if they’d like to make more money and work less, I rarely get “no” for an answer. The response I usually get it, “Tell me how.” After all, who doesn’t want to create a better product for their clients and get paid more for it?
The secret behind creating a luxury, boutique style brand isn’t classified information. In fact, it’s fairly obvious because most of us know what to expect when we walk into a high end retail location. If you don’t, take the time to walk into a luxury boutique clothing store or pretend you’re buying a car at a Porsche dealership. You’ll soon see that the methods behind a high end product are out there for all to see.
Before I make you take my word on it, or anything I say for that matter, I’m going to be very real with you. I’m a New York City wedding photographer and last year I photographed 20 client weddings, ranging from $6,821 to $18,482, with an average spending of $11,379.15 in an area where the average price paid for a photographer is $4,000 to $5,500. With my couples spending more than double the average wedding photography price, I know a thing or two about a luxury brand.
There are a lot of facets to a luxury brand, and you can learn more about all of them here. For now, here are three of my favorite ones.
1. Show Me the Wow
This is where the rubber meets the road. The start-to-finish experience you give your clients either holds your brand true to its word or calls its bluff. Your brand sets the expectations for your clients and you have to follow through with it 110%.
One way I keep up my brand image through my client experience is through client gifting. I want my clients to feel special and I want their decision to go with me to be validated throughout our time together. Better yet, I want to give them tangible items to share on social media and brag to their friends about, furthering my establishing my brand, its recognition, and reputation. I give them a “Hello” gift, “Goodbye” gift, and a “It’s Almost Your Wedding Day” gift. Go above and beyond for your clients in a way that superbly represents your brand mission and you won’t go wrong.
2. Don’t Blink
I remember when I first started charging for my work. I was 15 years old at the time and a realtor wanted headshots. So I set up my white backdrop (that I had no idea how to light, by the way) and got my exposure on my Canon 10D (I have my pretty 1DX Mark II now!) and promised the client that we would keep taking pictures until we got one she liked and thought she could use. All for $50. I remember cringing when I told her that’s what I would charge her.
Spouting off the number in your price list may not be the most natural thing in the world and that’s OK. However, that doesn’t excuse you from learning how to confidently give your pricing to your prospective clients. You must learn to state what you charge without hesitation. If you hesitate, they will too.
3. Who Are You?
You are the face of the company and you are what makes it unique. The best part about this is that you can simply build the luxury brand around who you are. It seems like a no-brainer but it’s amazing how many people I’ve seen attempt to create a business that’s the opposite of who they are. The best brands are an extension of the person running it.
Take Steve Jobs, for example. That man looked, dressed, and acted like everything we know the luxury brand Apple to be. He was simple and sleek and there was an intelligent sophistication about him. He gave off the aura of the iPhone. Could you imagine if he wore Free People clothing? Or if all of a sudden, he traded his black shirts and almost wireless glasses for plaid and thick frames? He wouldn’t be Apple anymore and there would be a huge disconnect with the brand. A luxury brand doesn’t have loose ends. Everything is strategically placed in a beautifully decorated and presented package.
More from Vanessa: Click here for my FREE e-book, 9 Secret Ways to Brand Your Business for more about this.
This isn’t to say that you need to script your life. In fact, it’s just the opposite, because authenticity is really what will shine when you’re aware of your own brand, and yourself. To quote Gary Vaynerchuk in his book Crush It, “watch me for two seconds and you know exactly who I am and what I stand for. Authenticity is key… I’m not putting on a performance when I do the show or my blog spots — I’m just being me.”
To sum it up, these three words perfectly describe the basis of luxury branding in a photography setting. Just be you. Start with you, end with you, and be true to you everywhere in between.
Learn more about how to create a luxury brand, and make your clients happy that they paid those extra few dollars to get you, check out Keys to High-End Weddings.
