There are certain types of customers that I tend to avoid at all costs. This may mean less income, but trust me, the stress is not worth your time and money. At first, it’s scary to turn down a job because you don’t like a client, but believe me when I say that you’re better off turning down the following jobs.
After working with quite a few clients, I have developed a classification system. Some “bad” clients I’ve worked with twice, just to prove to myself there shouldn’t be a next time. The production process was stressful enough as it was. However, if a client puts extra stress on your work, you will be completely helpless, if not paralyzed. I know for a fact that there was a time when I wanted to quit my job. Once, I even did. But that is a story for another time.
Can we do it cheaper?
Customers trying to cut back whenever possible will stress you the most. They don’t really see the value in your work and are there because you’re the one with a camera that can take pictures. They may say that you don’t need an assistant and that they can do the editing themselves, and that there is someone who can do it for even less. Such customers are usually not willing to pay your full price.
While there is always negotiation at work, it is never one-sided. If the client’s budget doesn’t allow for what you’ve quoted, you can offer to do less work for less money. Negotiating should be mutually beneficial so that the customer understands that by paying less, they are missing out on some of your services.
I’ve also applied this to my pricing strategy in the sense of charging in the thousands, not hundreds. Even for private shoots, you can easily filter out clients who are there for the photo shoot and those who are there for the work you do. If you quote a client $400, they will negotiate between $50-100, however, if you say the job costs $1,000, they’re more likely to agree or not. What difference does $50 make when you pay the premium? This way you can make less shots, but those shots will be a much more enjoyable experience, you will make more money and less stress.
The scope of work is too much for the time they spend with you
Every time a new job comes to me, I suggest a timeline for it. The production time is divided into three phases: pre-production, filming, and post-production. It all takes time and customers need to understand that nothing happens overnight. One important thing I learned the hard way was that if I pushed the deadline too close, I would get stressed for the duration of the project. Sure, as a photographer, you’re panic-buying and possibly the last to find out about the job, but even then, there’s nothing stopping you from charging extra for the job. last minute service. After all, you are not an ambulance or a fire brigade, and emergency services are not included in the basic package price. If I knew that work was coming in at the last minute and I would lose sleep over it, I would happily charge the client overtime and explain that it would be beyond the norm.
That said, there are unrealistic expectations the client has, and if it seems like a job you’re not sure about, and the client isn’t willing to negotiate, you can simply say no. There’s no harm in saying “fully booked”.
But, This Photographer Can Do X
It’s easy, just go to the photographer and say, why did you come to me? I’m not them, and we obviously have different ways of doing business. No, but really, why would you come to me if you’re obviously looking for something that I don’t. There’s nothing wrong with saying that you’re, again, fully booked and maybe the photographer they’re talking about can do it.
However, do not confuse this with a mood board. Inspiration does not belong in this category. It is simply a reference or a guide for you. No copying required.
If the customer for one reason or another seems like someone you just can’t get along with
This is highly subjective and I can’t give such and such red marks, but I can say that there have been cases where it didn’t feel right. Seems like the person I’m working with doesn’t really understand me, their background is problematic and their way of doing business is pretty outdated. I couldn’t imagine working with that person, and after reading stories on the internet of others who had stood up against them, I decided not to proceed.
Finally, another type of client I would turn down is someone who offers a job that is beyond my reach. This meant that they hadn’t really considered what I was doing and had simply hired me as the cameraman. There’s nothing wrong with being hired as a guy with a camera in your field, but if an event organizer asks a photographer to take portraits, they obviously don’t know why. Ask this particular person. Work simply isn’t in your alley. It is best to decline and give this job to someone proficient.
Stop thinking
There are the biggest red flags in clients that I have seen. These are usually enough for me to stop trying to educate clients and just move them on. There is a client for everyone. It just so happens that those particular ones are not for me. As a freelance artist, you are sometimes seen as someone who is available and loves what you do to the point of being willing to kill someone for the chance to work. The truth is, it’s quite the opposite. The world’s best photographers are booked months in advance, and their prices make it very clear that customers should be grateful that the photographer will be working with them. Raise your self-worth and quickly turn down a bad customer!
