Advice often doesn't sound nice. We all started with friends' wedding. Me too, and it was free, plus I top up some stuff as gift, and like many others, that 'friend' from close friend become an ordinary friend who never contact again unless bump into during unrelated occasions. Some people lost that 'friend'. And it was after shooting professionally for 6 years later that I again took in friends as customers selectively, and it went well, because they knew my price and quality right from the start and also only for friends who don't really care about budget, and after shooting I usually throw in non-photography related wedding gifts. Do I need their business? Not really. Do they really die die wanna hire me? Not really too. It is with these kind of neutral situation that things are easier to work out. Because talk about money always hurt feelings, whether you know it or not or if people show it.
Recently I saw this quote from Ali Baba's Jack Ma, China's top rags-to-riches billionaire:
'When Selling to close friends and family, no matter how much you're selling to them, they will always feel you're earning their money, no matter how cheap you sell to them, they still wouldn't appreciate it.'
There will always be people who do not care about your Costs, Time, Effort, they rather let other people cheat them, allowing others to earn, then supporting someone they know. Cause in their heart, they will always be thinking, 'How much did he earn from me?' instead of "How much did he SAVE/MAKE for me?"
This is a classic example of a poor person's mentality!
How did the rich people become rich? One of the main reason is because they are willing to SUPPORT their associates business, taking care of one another's interests thus naturally they get back more.
Your Friends will in turn support you, thus the circle of wealth continues to grow and grow!
Simple Logic, you will start to get rich once you understand it.
Jack Ma on Sales: 'When doing Sales, the first people who will trust you will be Strangers, Friends will be shielding against you, fair-weather friends will distance from you. Family will look down upon you.'
The day you finally succeed, paying the bill for every get-together dinner, entertainment, you will realised: Everyone else is present except the Strangers.
Do you get the meaning of this?
We need to treat our dear Strangers better! And even more so to Friends who know what you are doing and yet still SUPPORT you!
Let us treat STRANGERS who buys from us better from today. They are your BEST customers!
If you really want to do it, I say do for free.
