Point/ Unit Package Pricing Systems

[j_blaisdell]

<p>I have been searching extensively for information about point/unit pricing, especially for senior portraits, but have had no luck in finding anything.<br>

I've never been a fan of creating packages that stick people with certain sizes. Not everyone needs an 11x14, 2 5x7's and a couple sheets of wallets. I am looking at attempting to have a point system so that clients can create their own packages, and yet save money instead of buying everything al a carte.<br>

For instance: if a 4x6 were 2 points, or units, you could buy 10 4x6's, at 2 units a pop, and that would put you at 20 points, and from there you see where you fit into the point ranges and fiddle with how to create your own package from there.<br>

<br />Has/Does anyone done/do this type of pricing? If not, what kind of incentives do you do for al a carte to upsell and get bigger orders?</p>

 

[eric merrill]

<p>What about pricing the prints individually, and then giving discounts once you've reached a certain level of purchase? That seems a lot simpler from a consumer standpoint. If I were buying prints, I wouldn't say, "I want a package with 40 points. Now what I can buy?" I'd figure out what prints I want, and then want to know how much that's going to cost. Converting to points sounds like exchanging points at Chuck E Cheese for a cheesy prize.</p>

<p>Eric</p>

[976photo]

<p>What about per sheet? The most common sizes are usually wallets, 4x6, 5x7, and 8x10. So you could charge per 8x10 sheet.</p>

<p>8 wallets = 1 sheet<br>

3 4x6 = 1 sheet<br>

2 5x7 = 1 sheet<br>

1 8x10 = 1 sheet</p>

<p>Then they could mix and match how many sheets they want. I've seen places that do just that, and have seperate pricing for any enlargements over 8x10</p>

[wes_d1]

<p>Hey J,</p>

<p>For our senior portraits we just do a basic ala carte pricing. However, a big national company that does Church Directories uses the point system you are speaking of. We started doing these pictorial church directories last year and we were hesitant to use the point system. I will say it outsells pricing units themselves by about 40%.</p>

<p>Basically, you assign points to each sheet you want to sell. The secret is you can assign 2 points to things like 2-5x7s or 8 wallets. The most efficient way to do it is have all of your sheet combinations and assign the point value to each. People will pick out what they want then add up their points and say each point is worth 20 dollars they get their total at the end. </p>

<p>Obviously its a tricky way to do sales because people just start adding sheets up and it doesn't seem like as much money because you are just adding points up. </p>

<p>We've never tried it with senior pictures as we don't really sit with each person as they place their senior order so i think it would be more confusing. But if you plan on doing studio sales you will definately notice an increase in sales. Or - like we do if you are doing any type of at the scene ordering. </p>

<p>The way the national company tricks people is by assigning two points to 2-5x7s, 4-4x5s and 8 wallets. They also have price breaks the more points you have - however, I think that is too confusing. 1-5 points is $30, 6-10 is $27.50, 11-20 is $22.00, 21-25 is $21.50...etc... </p>