How to stop doing freebies?

EyeBlinks · 22-11-2012 04:55PM

How to stop doing Freebies ?

1. Say no thank you

Problem : You don't get the work

Solution : Put the time you would have spent doing the Freebie into getting paid work ... problem solved

DaireQuinlan · 22-11-2012 04:58PM

pearljamfan wrote: »

lol, i admit to having a moan now and then, but seriously im trying to work out what i can do differently so i can make some money!! Eyeblinks do u not think ive tried everything that i can think of ,thats why im pissed off , i dont have a job with a paper, or live in the city, i cant drop everything to take pics at a protest, ..i have to get work where it suits me.

(emphasis mine)

This might just be your problem though, Either it's a job or it's not a job. If you're just taking jobs where it suits you then maybe you're going to have to settle on being a hobbyist who occasionally gets paid work ?

angeleyes · 22-11-2012 05:05PM

Gosh guys - we came on here for a bitch and a moan - its ok to rant now and again. There is really no need for you two to have a go at anyone.

There are plenty of people out there doing freebies just to show people what they are capable of doing - it happens in other areas of work too.

EyeBlinks · 22-11-2012 05:11PM

Having a go ? ... go away outta that ... some very practical advice there :rolleyes:

pearljamfan · 22-11-2012 05:15PM

DaireQuinlan wrote: »

(emphasis mine)

This might just be your problem though, Either it's a job or it's not a job. If you're just taking jobs where it suits you then maybe you're going to have to settle on being a hobbyist who occasionally gets paid work ?

well true, but its not like im getting offered those kind of things either, i can arrange my life if i get a job for sure. ah sure ill rant to myself :P sorry for dragging the thread away from freebie work problems!

angeleyes · 22-11-2012 05:18PM

EyeBlinks wrote: »

Having a go ? ... go away outta that ... some very practical advice there :rolleyes:

In your opinion only.

Not at all pearljamfan - everyone's experience is different and if we can't have a rant now and again we'd go mad!

EyeBlinks · 22-11-2012 05:21PM

angeleyes wrote: »

In your opinion only.

Well you asked a question and you got some answers ... maybe not the answers you wanted true :P

angeleyes · 22-11-2012 05:24PM

EyeBlinks wrote: »

Well you asked a question and you got some answers ... maybe not the answers you wanted true :P

Yes from other boardies.

EyeBlinks · 22-11-2012 05:26PM

Glad you got the answers you were looking for and hope it brings you loads of paid work

angeleyes · 22-11-2012 05:28PM

Yep 2013 is going to be amazing!

EyeBlinks · 22-11-2012 05:30PM

angeleyes wrote: »

Yep 2013 is going to be amazing!

Well that'll match your photos then, well done

angeleyes · 22-11-2012 05:35PM

EyeBlinks wrote: »

Well that'll match your photos then, well done

Thanks

dan dan · 22-11-2012 05:38PM

An old time photographer in my village, turned up at all occasions with his camera.
All next week ,his resulting work,was displayed in a local shop window. You could buy them there. Actually lots were bought to get them out of public view.
You would like a snap? Of course go down to Daly`s shop. they will take orders for reprints.

Reoil · 22-11-2012 05:55PM

Why not simply ask the person who is organising the other paid photographer to give you the gig next time?
Maybe they know each other and it has nothing to do with your photography?

angeleyes · 22-11-2012 06:21PM

In my case I did Reoil, but I was told that the other guy "he always did it before". What do you say to that?

Effects · 22-11-2012 06:27PM

Ask if they might consider you for the job and that you think you can do it better.

DaireQuinlan · 22-11-2012 06:28PM

angeleyes wrote: »

In my case I did Reoil, but I was told that the other guy "he always did it before". What do you say to that?

Yank out your IPad / Laptop / portfolio and demonstrate right there that you provide a superior product ? Normally at a higher price but y'know, if they're accustomed to paying this then maybe you can do him a favour and match his price ? Keep on badgering him until he relents ? SELL yourself

EyeBlinks · 22-11-2012 06:32PM

angeleyes wrote: »

In my case I did Reoil, but I was told that the other guy "he always did it before". What do you say to that?

Flick those angel eyes at him

angeleyes · 22-11-2012 06:38PM

EyeBlinks wrote: »

Flick those angel eyes at him

love it !

and it gave me a laugh thanks EyeBlinks

Borderfox · 22-11-2012 07:41PM

If you make it easy to sell your work it becomes easier to stop doing freebies, I stick all the work I want to sell up onto Zenfolio and of any of the local stuff I shoot (free) I provide low res shots for the local paper and then direct anybody else onto the pay site. Might be an option to look into.

Reoil · 22-11-2012 09:51PM

angeleyes wrote: »

In my case I did Reoil, but I was told that the other guy "he always did it before". What do you say to that?

"I'll do them better and €10 cheaper."

Ballyman · 22-11-2012 10:17PM

Reoil wrote: »

"I'll do them better and €10 cheaper."

No.

Do it better and for the same price.

Doing it cheaper only means the next person will do the same to get the work over you and then the next one will do it even cheaper again and the circle will continue until you have a thread here again from people complaining that they are sick of doing freebies.

If you want to work and get paid then never do anything for free, EVER. Free has absolutely no value and never will.

Reoil · 22-11-2012 10:35PM

Ballyman wrote: »

No.

Do it better and for the same price.

No, because then then they'll go with what they know.
They need an incentive to change.

Ballyman · 22-11-2012 10:43PM

Reoil wrote: »

No, because then then they'll go with what they know.

Some will, some wont. They ones that wont go with you then are not your customer. Get over it and move on. Not everyone is my customer. This is why five star hotels exist alongside youth hostels. The youth hosteller is never going to pay 5* prices and vice versa.

Reoil wrote: »

They need an incentive to change.

The incentive is "BETTER" for the same price. Or how about BETTER for the same price plus you will also write a few words for a release to the local press?? Or maybe provide some text for upload to Facebook or maybe ANYTHING but cheaper prices???

Cheaper is a race to the bottom and a repeat of "Dear Boards. I'm sick of doing freebies"

sineadw · 22-11-2012 10:53PM

A friend of mine was looking into getting dental work done. She got a price of 600 off one guy and twice that off another. She went with the dearer option, as she reasoned that anyone doing it so cheap couldn't be any good.

People are weird about money. You underprice yourself and you undervalue your work.

dirtyghettokid · 22-11-2012 11:07PM

some people don't know the value of certain types of work.
i remember a lady i did a few design jobs for. i gave her my hourly rate from the get go, before i started the job. she kept making changes, and at the end there was 19 hours labour. gave her the invoice and her mouth dropped on the floor. i'll never forget the face on her! they think design, or photography is just like waving a magic wand .. ah sure it's only a few clicks of a button! but the point is, they can't do it themselves. i'd definitely stick to your guns price wise. never ever any point in doing freebies or cheap labour unless you want to.
if they don't want to pay my rate/price whatever.. then they aren't someone i want as a client!

Borderfox · 23-11-2012 01:43AM

I remember hearing a wedding photographer from the US say that when she started every third wedding she got she increased her price by $300

thebaz · 23-11-2012 02:26AM

sineadw wrote: »

You underprice yourself and you undervalue your work.

so true , learnt this the hard way very recently

CabanSail · 23-11-2012 06:43AM

Maybe you are concentrating too much on the Photography and not enough on your sales technique.

Don't drop your price ... offer them something extra.

Remember ... The sale begins when the customer says No.

How to stop doing freebies?

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