← Book More Photography Clients Podcast | Photography Business, Photography Leads, Marketing
Book More Photography Clients Podcast | Photography Business, Photography Leads, Marketing
8 Subtle Ways to Improve Your Client Experience
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Welcome to the Book More Clients Photography Podcast. You can stop spending hours on Google and YouTube because you just found your number one resource for growing a profitable and sustainable photography business. Hi, I'm Brooke Jefferson. I'm a believer wife, mama to two and Oklahoma family photographer. I left the classroom in 2018 to pursue my photography career full time. Now I'm here to help you do the same. In this podcast we're covering the most asked about topics including pricing, marketing, client experience, and all things systems and workflows. You won't find any fluff or BS here. Just tried and true strategy. Are you ready? Grab your kids some snacks and charge those camera batteries. It's time to jump in. Foreign welcome back to the podcast. I'm so glad you're here. If you're new here, welcome. And if you've been here for a while, thank you. Thank you for pressing Play every week for the last seven years. I cannot believe that it's truly been that long since I created this podcast and have been creating content creating for photographers just like you so that you can book more clients. So I just wanted to say thank you. I could not be more grateful for your support. I have been spending the entire month of April revisiting some of the most popular episodes on the show. The ones that you've shared with a friend, the ones that you have DM'd me about, and the ones that made you take action in your business. And and today's topic is one of my all time favorites. We're talking all about subtle ways to elevate your client experience as a photographer. This is not about overhauling your entire business or spending a bunch of money. This is about taking small, intentional actions that make your clients feel like they made the absolute best decision in hiring you. Client experience is what turns that one time client into a loyal one who's going to send everyone they know your way. So if you're ready, let's get into the eight subtle ways to improve your client experience. The very first thing and remember I want to give you the backbone to this entire episode. Remember that these are small subtle ways, meaning that they're not big flashy things, they are free things to do for the most part. There's maybe one of them where it's not necessarily free, but it's also going to be really low cost for you. So these are subtle ways, things that really there's no excuse not to do. And this is accessible for any photographer in any niche. So the very first way is to send a confirmation email after they Book with next steps. This moment after they book is what makes or breaks you. And it, and it truly does, because you can be really good at getting a lead to convert into a client. But how good are you at taking that client and giving them an amazing client experience that results in referrals and future bookings from that same person? Think about the last time that you purchased something, whether it was a course, some kind of service, something at a little higher of a price point. So we're not talking your morning coffee. We're talking something that in your mind was definitely an investment. There's this little voice that creeps in right after you purchase something, and that little voice starts making you question, did I make the right decision? Is this worth it? What, what happens now? And that is called buyer's remorse. And your clients feel this every time they book a session with you, even if it's like super subtle to them. They might think it for two seconds or they might be really excited at first. And then something happens later on to where then they start having buyer's remorse. And so this is a real thing and we want to combat that and reassure them as quickly as possible. So the very first thing that I do after someone books a session with me is they get an automated confirmation email that outlines exactly what happens next. So they're getting a step by step what they can expect from me, when they're going to hear from me, and then what they need to do on their end. So what is that next step that I need them to take? And so for me, that is filling out their client questionnaire. So it sounds super simple sending this confirmation email, but this email really does something powerful. It is a way to, for you to immediately reassure them that they made the right decision. It says professional, I have a process and you are in good hands. So no more silence after booking, because that's where doubt lives, that's where buyer's remorse lives. I want you to fill that silence and give them the confidence and the reassurance that they need after they book with you. So get this into your workflow and your process as soon as possible. Number two, I want you to anticipate your clients questions before they ever ask them. This might be the thing that I'm most proud of in my personal client process. And it's this idea of anticipating what their questions are going to be before they even have a chance to ask me those questions. So every single client that you work with, they have the same fears and, and the same worries going into working with you. Am I going to look good? What do I wear? What if my kids won't cooperate? What if the weather is bad? What if I look awkward in front of the camera? They are all thinking questions just like these. They may not tell you these questions, but I promise you that they are thinking them. And so with those questions, I have created something to combat every single one of them to answer that question, for them to. To have a plan in place to relieve their stress and worries. And that's what I want you to do as well. So some of the things that I provide my clients is they get a style guide, I give outfit recommendations, I give them my actual phone number so that they can text me photos of their outfits as they start that planning process. And this allows me to give them quicker feedback. And then I also walk my clients through what the session is going to actually think, feel like. This allows my clients to know that I am in control, which allows them to show up to their session feeling relaxed, excited, and knowing that they can trust me. And you can see this in their final gallery. So I can tell, looking through people's portfolios, whether or not their clients trusted them, whether or not they felt relaxed. This actually shows up in your work, and I can point it out a mile away. And once you start doing these things, you'll be able to the difference in your portfolio as well. So I want you to think about the top five questions or fears or objections that you get from clients before their session. And then I want you to go build something that answers that specific question or helps put them at ease before they ever even have to ask you about it. So think about what those things are in your own business, and then create a way to answer their questions and provide them a resource before they ever ask you. Number three is all about a backup plan for weather. This might seem like something super small, but I promise you it does not seem small to your clients. Those of us that primarily shoot outdoor sessions, that causes a lot of weather anxiety. And so you need to know how to have a weather policy and communicate that to your clients, because they are going to obsessively check the forecast, maybe even a week out. I've had people message me a week out, and I'm like, girlfriend, this is Oklahoma. The weather changes hourly. So we have to not worry about what the weather's predicting and just wait until the day comes. But then I can reassure them, hey, here is what's going to happen if there is bad weather. So get ahead of it. Before their session, communicate what your Weather policy is, and make sure it's clear that tell them what happens if it rains. Tell them what happens if it's too windy. Tell them what the backup plan is if you have one, or tell them what weather actually is going to result in a reschedule. So just because it's cloudy, it doesn't mean you're going to reschedule. And you can give them peace of mind by explaining, actually, it's really cool when it is cloudy because it's going to give you a softer light or whatever it is, whatever your opinion is on particular weather. So keep that in the back of your mind and go create this plan. Because when you communicate this proactively, you're removing an entire category of their anxiety from their plate. They don't have to wander, they don't have to stress about it. They don't have to email you or text you in a panic just because they're looking at the weather forecast and there's a 30% chance of rain. You already told them you already handled it, and they know that no matter what happens, they know what the next step is going to be. Number four, during your session, I want you to start showing some of the photos you're taking right there on your camera. So this is something that I started doing a long, long time ago, and I will never stop doing this now. Sometimes we get so caught up in sessions that I. I honestly, I just forget. But the cool thing is a lot of those sessions where I am forgetting, it's when I'm bringing my daughter or someone to come film behind the scenes. And so I send them all the behind the scenes that we capture. I will post it and tag them or I will send it directly to that client. And that kind of serves as this as well because it's giving them a sneak peek into what things looked like. But somewhere in your session, flip your camera around and show your clients two or three of the images you've captured so far that you're really excited about. This is a huge transformation, and it will allow your clients to again, like, have the stress roll off of them. It will help them trust you, it will help them relax, and it will show up in those final images. Most people don't feel comfortable in front of a camera. They feel awkward, they feel like they look weird. They're convinced that they're not photogenic. And then when you show them a photo where they look absolutely stunning, so something shifts in their brain and they begin to really show off in front of the camera. Their shoulders drop they start to laugh, you start seeing more real and natural moments and they just start kind of being themselves. And that's when you're going to get the best images. So this is how you can build trust in real time. You can say, look, I know what I'm doing, look how I'm directing you and look how amazing you look. I've got you. And you're going to notice a completely different energy. So try this out at your next session, especially with those clients that seem really reluctant and nervous at the beginning. Okay, number five, once a session is over, then what? This is what every client wants to know. They're on cloud nine after your session, especially if you're doing the prior step that we just talked about. So now they're constantly looking at their phone or they're refreshing their inbox every 20 minutes, thinking that you're gonna just like magically send gallery over without telling them. And so what they feel on their end, in between the end of their session and gallery delivery is silence. That's literally what they hear and what they feel. Editing takes time. We know that as photographers, but do your clients, they don't always know what's happening on your end. And so when you can break that silence on their end, it's just going to completely get rid of any anxiety and or regret that they might start feeling. So I send what I'm going to call a here's what happens after your session email or your gallery is being edited update. It's a simple email that goes out the very next day after their session and it's me thanking them for an amazing session. It's me telling them, hey, here's what's happening. I'm busy, you know, in my editing cave working on your images and here's how long it's going to take. But also you're going to get some sneak peeks to go along. So be looking for that. This is going to again, give them confidence, not give them anxiety. And again, it's me saying, I've still got you. Just because your session has happened doesn't mean I forgot about you and now I'm not going to communicate with you. It says, hey, your waiting period doesn't have to feel like silence. It's me giving you this small touch point so that you know I've got it handled and your gallery is coming. Do it and see what happens. That's all I'm going to say. Just trust me on this one. Number six. So we're going back to the session on this one. This one's kind of a little out of order, but this is just how my brain was. I want you to start bringing details or props or whatever you want to call it that they didn't think of or maybe they're going to forget by accident. So you can wow your clients simply by coming prepared. Bring those details that they did not think of, but they wish they would have. And so think of a blanket for family sessions, a hair tie or brush for when the wind picks up, maybe something to drink, maybe some small dry snacks for kids, things that aren't going to stain their mouth or get them dirty. Maybe it's a prop for a senior. For example, let's say your senior play soccer. Maybe they forgot the soccer ball, but maybe you have a spare one at your house that you could bring for photos. Anything like that is a great example. These are tiny things. They literally cost almost nothing. But when a mom is frantically trying to smooth her daughter's hair in between shots, and you reach into your bag and you hand her a brush that she didn't bring with her, she will never forget that. And just so you all know and don't get the ick, I don't mean a brush that all your clients use. I mean those, like, little mini ones that cost, like, maybe two bucks from Walmart. And then after a client, like, the client gets to keep it and you go refill your bag for the next one. You know what I mean? So things like that, these are little moments that they're gonna think to themselves, oh, wow, she thought of that. She was way ahead of the game. That's what people will remember. That's what they're going to think of when they're writing a review for you. That's what they're going to go tell their co worker about. It's little things like this that will result in a referral. I've said this for years, but taking pretty photos is just not enough anymore. You've really got to show up and give an excellent client experience. You have to be a human, and you have to be a really good one in order to get people to come back to you again and again. So think about what little details you can bring along with you or keep in the back of your car at all times so that you never forget to do this for your clients. Number seven. This is my favorite one. I know this is a little bit controversial, but I'm excited to dig into this one. So we talked about filling the silence after their session is over, right? By telling them what Happens next, how long your editing turnaround time is. And I mentioned something about a sneak peek. I highly, highly recommend that within 24 to 48 hours of their session, that you send 1, 2, or 3 of your absolute favorite images completely edited, send it to them, and watch what happens. Right? You're not giving away the whole gallery. You're just giving them a sample of what is to come. And when I do this, the response is always the same. My clients lose their minds and are super, super grateful. They're texting me back with emojis. Sometimes they're crying already. They're sharing it on social media. They are reaching out to their best friend. The excitement is immediate and it is evident. But here's the business reason that this matters. That excitement keeps them engaged during that editing wait. Because instead of wondering, is it going to be today? Is it going to be today? While this is taking forever, they're able to get really excited, have some of those tangible photos right then and there. So it feels like they got something immediately. And then when their full gallery arrives, you get to watch that excitement happen all over again. Right? Because you went from one, two, or three images to now they're looking at a full gallery, and so they are super excited. And a sneak peek only costs you your time, and it doesn't even take an extraordinary amount of time. It makes your clients feel like they're the only people you're thinking about right now. And that is super special to them. And I'm just telling you, it just prevents so much. Hey, I'm just checking in. I was just curious how long it was going to be until we saw our gallery. So try sneak peeks if you don't already. And I want to give one extra tip here. It's okay if the sneak peeks you give are in one editing style, and then you end up editing their gallery differently. So now I send my sneak peeks with the disclaimer, hey, girl, here are some sneak peeks for you. I am loving these. I just wanted to let you know that, yes, you can save these, you can post these, you can do whatever you want with them. But I just wanted to let you know that sometimes in between the time I send you sneak peeks and the time you get your full gallery, sometimes they're not exactly going to match the final outcome or the final images in your gallery. But, you know, right now, I'm happy with these. And so here you go. And so obviously I say this a lot more eloquently, but this is just off the Top of my head. And I wanted to add it. I wanted to add it in here for you so that you can breathe a sigh of relief and you don't have to give them fully perfected images the first go around. Now that doesn't mean that you don't need to put in your full effort. That's not what I'm saying. I just want to give you permission that if you decide later on that you want to do something a little bit different and tweak them, you absolutely can. And especially if you've already communicated that to them, they don't care. Okay. All right. The last and final one, number eight, are handwritten thank you cards. This may sound and feel old fashioned because everything we do is online and digital now. Everyone is super busy and that is exactly why you should do this. Almost no one sends a handwritten thank you card anymore. Which means when your client opens their mo, their mailbox and they see this card with their name on it that you wrote something specific and personal and it's in your handwriting, it's going to stop them in their tracks. It's not just a thank you, it's something physical and tangible that they are holding that is evidence that you genuinely care about them, not just as a client, but as a person. And it's super, super important because I'm telling you, no one else does this. I send mine once a year, often around the holidays. So usually around Christmas is when I will send my handwritten thank you cards out. And I do this for several reasons, but one of them is because I think it's really cool that the clients I had the first half of the year feel remembered and like they matter to me and like I haven't forgotten them, even though it was six to nine months ago at that point when I had last seen them. And it just, it's just one token of my appreciation that I can do for them. This subtle action will make a lasting impact. So I want you to try this at some point, whether it's right after their session with you or whether it is once a year at a time of your choosing. I want you to try handwritten thank you cards. Let me recap the eight of these and then we have two more things I want to get into. So the eight subtle ways to improve your client experience were sending a confirmation email with next steps. Anticipating your client's questions before they ask. Coming up with a weather contingency plan, showing them the back of your camera during their session, telling them what happens after the session. So sending Them that little email bringing details that they didn't think of, sharing sneak peeks and giving handwritten thank you cards. Okay, before we wrap up, I want to tell you something because I'm super excited about this. I know I've talked about this in every episode this month, but I want to make sure that you don't miss out. In honor of 400 episodes on this podcast, I am putting my fully booked method program on sale for $400. If you've been on the fence about joining, this is your sign. This is literally the lowest this program has ever been and I probably will not do this again. It was kind of a fun one time thing. So here's my promise to you. This is what I really try to help you with so you can determine whether or not this is for you. When you go through the fully booked method and you truly do the work and you stay on it and you really utilize this coaching you're going to get, you will see a, you will double your bookings in 90 days. That's the goal. That's what we build toward. So you're gonna get 10 weeks of coaching with me directly, right? So not just a course you open and you do on your own, but you're going to not only get a course in curriculum, but you're going to get 10 weeks of coaching from me. Plus you get to keep everything that I'm teaching you for life. So you can revisit it quarterly, you can revisit when your business shifts. You can revisit this once a year. So the link is in the show notes or you can go to Brooke Jefferson.com fully booked, but go grab it. It's 400 for 400, right? We're celebrating 400 episodes and I would love for you to celebrate with me by investing in your business. So that is a wrap on today's episode. Thank you for being here. Thank you for listening. I'm more fired up than ever about this podcast and this community that I have built with you guys. I want you to keep showing up and keep pressing play week after week. So if you love today's episode, would you do me a favor and go leave a five star rating and review. It takes less than two minutes and it helps more photographers find this podcast. And, and that, my friend, is the whole point. I will see you on the next episode.