Ever have a friend or an old client that maybe you photographed at the beginning of your career and you gave them a super good deal? This has happened to everyone right? Then after you established your portfolio a year or so later, they come back and were like “I need a session for (insert whatever price).” Then you’re like oh.. about that. This can be super awkward but we have you covered here at BP4U. We took this copy and paste email from our 75 Hard To Write Emails for Photographers. I love how it gives them some options without being rude.
This email is in response to a friend who contacts you asking for a free or discounted photo package. This is tricky because it can feel like an insult, but you don’t want to tarnish a friendship or lose out on future business.
Send them this calm, cool response instead of the furious reply you may have in your head about paying your bills and feeding your children… Even if you don’t get the client now, your kind and helpful response will really payoff in the long run.
Subject: [Re: Their Subject]
Hi [Friend’s Name],
I’m glad you thought of me for your photos! There was totally a time – early in my photography career – when I offered [super discounted/free] sessions to build my portfolio, but that time has officially passed.
I fully appreciate the importance of having photos, though, so I brainstormed a couple ideas for you! First, you could schedule a mini session with me, which is [length] minutes long and costs $[amount], which is $[difference] less than my regular session. Another option is to go ahead and schedule a regular session, but to pay installments leading up to the shoot instead of having to pay for everything at once (which I know can be a burden).
If neither of these work for you, I can try to point you in the direction of photographers who are still in that “building their resume” period and see if they have any discount specials or free packages.
Talk soon,
[Your Name]
Do you have a situation that has happened that you didn’t know how to respond to? We would love to hear about it in the comments and help you out! While you’re at it, go ahead and check out our 75 Hard To Write Emails for Photographers. Use code 75HARD at checkout, to get 30% off! Woot!
This is one of my favorite products and I really wish I would have had it when I was first starting out. It would have saved me so much time blankly staring at my computer wondering what are the right words to say!
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