Have you ever lost prospective customers because they said you were too expensive?  I have.  In fact, this used to happen more than I’d like to admit.  But here’s the ironic part: I lost the most customers when my prices were at their lowest.

I started my business and charged $1,000 for my services.  At present, clients are spending (on average) $10,000 for my services and my calendar is full for the year.

So how did this happen?

After a few years of struggling with my prices, I soon understood that I needed to sell the BENEFITS of my services, not my SERVICES.  You see, services are duplicatable (I photograph weddings…so do 100,000 other people), but personalized benefits are not.

Benefits are the things that my clients experience as a result of working with me.  Because I’ve worked hard at showcasing my uniqueness, my clients know booking my services is about the photography they receive, but—also, and importantly—about the benefits.  Things like:

• Working with a boutique luxury wedding photography studio with tailored attention to clients
• Personalized gifts from my studio
• Being featured on my social media networks
• A decade of international experience
• …and more

Marketing efforts should focus less on your style of photography (it’s duplicatable), your prices, or the technical aspects of your craft (the competition may be better).

Prospective clients aren’t comparing services on price alone any more.  They are choosing a business because the benefits they receive are tailored for what they value.

I’m writing this post as a photographer, but the same principles can be applied to any business.  So show off your benefits with confidence because your services are just a small part of booking your dream customer.