Stop defending your prices and start engaging with your clients - this isn't Game of Thrones
Recently I came across a post in a forum that asked how to manage a potential “backlash” from current clients on pricing, after the poster decided to raise price. Backlash is a pretty strong word to use, which is a tell that the poster felt anxiety in fielding questions and having to defend her increases. Here is a definition of “backlash” from Dictionary.com:
a sudden, forceful backward movement; recoil.
a strong or violent reaction, as to some social or political change:
It has a combative feel to it, a negative connotation. With a service as intimate and joy-producing as photography, we shouldn’t be doing anything with negative energy. Have you ever gone on a shoot after nothing has gone right in your day? We all feel that once in a while and maybe can’t help the few times where something negative spills over into our work. But our work is sacred and should be protected against negative influences, as it can be so sensitive to it. So when we establish these kinds of strong and forceful attitudes, or expect strong and forceful attitudes from others in response to things we are trying to do to remain successful and sustainable, we can close ourselves off from empathy and create an ‘us and them” situation between ourselves and our clients. I mean, if you see someone putting on a suit of armour, you know they are getting ready for combat and it can unintentionally skew the entire emotional approach.
What to do instead? Engage.
Stop combatting any potential backlash of raising prices (or anything else for that matter) - that's not where focus should be. There is nothing to defend, rather, we can engage with our former and current clients in our mutual success of a beautiful session with incredible results. For current clients, it is simply a presentation of new pricing that is needed for you continue to be able to offer the good work you do and that they’ve enjoyed. If you have now fallen beyond their desired spend, it’s their choice to stay or to go. For new leads, focus on finding wonderful clients that fall in love with you and your services. If you do that, price becomes secondary in working with you and they will feel that the price aligns with the amazing services promised/ rendered. It's a powerful mind-shift. When you are so focussed on the price to gain clients or worried about the loss of potential clients, or gearing up for a fight, it creates a barrier to what's most important - serving your clients. It's a myth that price is the only thing that matters to people, because you see examples everyday of scrapping a budget to get a thing they want. People will spend on what they want, so the key is to make them want you, not make them want to spend money. And in doing that, money gets spent. Does that make sense?
Don't think of it as a fight with or for money. Combat usually has a winner or loser, rarely a draw, and that’s not how you want to run business - with someone at a short end - them or you. Think of it as engaging clients in a love affair with you and your work. A different flavour altogether and can help you frame everything differently! No backlash or combat required.
Now, go, and get people to fall in love with you!
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