Best Business Practices for Photographers [147]
Client: "We have varied needs for photos like this, as you can imagine. Do you offer a cost for purchasing the photographs outright or for unlimited use?"
Me: "As I mentioned, my work is licensed for use, and typically companies have logo changes, color/style changes, and changes in products in use, which would age the photography. So, from a value-to-use standpoint, licensing the images for an unlimited period of time isn't cost-effective, both from that standpoint and the standpoint of an overall cost.
"For example, use of a single image for a period of six months in a full-page trade magazine ad would run around $2,500. For use in tradeshow displays, a three-square-foot panel for one show ranges from $400 to $750, and a six-square-foot panel usable for 36 tradeshows would range from around $2,800 to $5,600. Continuing to add brochures, sales materials, websites, and such for one to five years can begin to add up.
"A few figures for your review, single image:
Unlimited non-exclusive use by your company in all print and electronic media formats, worldwide, for the term of Copyright: $25,000.
Unlimited non-exclusive use by your company in all print and electronic media formats, worldwide, for the life of the helicopter: $21,000.
Unlimited non-exclusive use by your company in all print and electronic media formats, worldwide, for 10 years: $17,000.
Unlimited non-exclusive use by your company in all print and electronic media formats, CONUS, for the term of Copyright: $22,400.
Unlimited non-exclusive use by your company in all print and electronic media formats, CONUS, for the life of the helicopter: $19,200.
Unlimited non-exclusive use by your company in all print and electronic media formats, CONUS, for 10 years: $14,600."
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NOTE
CONUS stands for Continental United States.
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These terms gave the client several options and allowed them to make their decision based upon a choice. I also made a point of outlining for the client just how broad a use they would have for the image. Further, I specified "non-exclusive" because my initial client wanted use of the image as well, and I expected other broad uses of the image. The illustration of the extensive scope of use could also serve to have the client pare down their use if they wanted five years, three years, or all company materials except paid advertising placements, and they didn't want to pay the proposed figures.
Teaching People
If every time you speak to a prospective client, you capitulate on demands, you deserve the bad deal you get. Recently, we had a client experience where we sent them an estimate with our standard limited rights package. First, they called wanting to limit reuse, with the stated objective that the subjects didn't want to end up on my website or as stock. Okay, I can work with that. Then they wanted a broader rights package, then they wanted 10 years' use, then unlimited use. Then, when we outlined the additional fees that would apply, they balked, wanting to pay the original fees for the broadest of uses. Then they opted for just a five-year package, but again wanted not to pay any additional fees. Then when we stuck to our guns, they started in with, "Is that the best you can do?" to which I responded, "Yes," and stopped talking. Then they tried the "We are expanding in DC, will need photography in the future, want to be able to use you, and want to know whether this is the best you can do for us." I thought to myself, "Did I just hear an echo?" "Yes, this is the best I can do. You've expanded the rights package, and as such, the fees increase—that's only fair." "Okay, fine," was her response, and the deal was done.
The Power of the Upsell
If you've ever been to a fast-food burger shop, you've heard the question, "Would you like some fries with that?" Everyone I know—certainly almost everyone in the civilized world— has been upsold on something, from fries to dessert at the end of a meal that