← This Can't Be That Hard
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- [00:00]
Annami Tonkin
Everybody's favorite marketing strategy is word of mouth, right? If we could just build a business where all we needed to do was serve a handful of people and then those people would turn around and tell their people, and then those people would hire us and turn around and tell their people. That's the ideal, right? That would be such an easy and honestly very joyful way to run a business. But I have never talked to a photographer who had put together a referral program where they gift someone with some sort of product or even cash. Like, if you give someone an Amazon or a Visa gift card every time that they refer a new client to you, chances are good that you don't have all that many takers. It is a an uphill battle to get people who are not natural sharers to share your information. And for the people who are natural connectors and sharers, you really don't have to incentivize them. If they're happy with the service that you've provided for them, they're going to talk about it whether you ask them to or not. So how do we become more intentional about growing our referral network, growing the people who are sharing the work that we do and telling their friends and family? Like, you have to work with this one photographer. The answer is everything that we're talking about today in my conversation with Natasha Sewell and that comes down to client experience. Now, before you go saying, you know what, Anime, I give my clients a great experience. They love working with me. They give me five stars on Google. I don't have an issue with client experience. I want to ask you, would you like more referral business? Would you like to get more people calling you and saying, where do I sign? You know, my friend so and so told me that I have to work with you. If the answer is yes, I would like that, then I want you to listen today and I want you to listen with a notebook. Because Natasha is an expert. She has brought so many great ideas for fun, free ways that you can add pixie dust basically to each and every stage of your client experience from before someone ever reaches out to you, all the way till after your session has happened and they are eagerly waiting for their images and beyond. Natasha is a photographer based in D.C. but honestly, you're going to hear all about that in a few minutes. So I'm going to cue the music and dive right in.
- [02:42]
Podcast Intro
Welcome to this Can't Be that Hard.
- [02:44]
Annami Tonkin
My name is Annami Tonkin and I help photographers run profitable, sustainable businesses that they love. Each week on the podcast I cover simple, actionable strategies and systems that photographers at every level of experience can use to earn more money in a more sustainable way. Running a photography business doesn't have to be that hard. You can do it, and I can show you how. Hey, Natasha. Welcome to this Can't Be that Hard. It is so great to have you on the show and it is lovely to see your face. How have you been?
- [03:16]
Natasha Sewell
I am great and I am so thrilled to be here. Thank you so much for having me.
- [03:20]
Annami Tonkin
Oh, gosh, it is my pleasure. And you're here. Here to talk about one of my number one favorite topics of all time, which is client experience. Yes. I feel like this is the unsung hero of making. It's like the. The grease in the wheels of one's photography business that everybody's like, I give a great client experience, and. And there's just so many ways that we can all constantly be improving this. So I'm excited for some of the fresh takes that you've got on this because I'm always looking for my own improvements as well. But let me start off by having you just kind of introduce yourself and giving everybody a little bit about your backstory.
- [04:00]
Natasha Sewell
Sure. I am Natasha Sewell of NPS Photography. I opened my business in 2013 in rural North Carolina, and I moved my business actually to the D.C. area in 2022 full time. Although I made a slow transition start in 2020, which was not the time to be moving a business. And I thrive on referrals and raving client reviews, and that is how I was easily able to transition my business.
- [04:33]
Annami Tonkin
Yeah.
- [04:33]
Natasha Sewell
And so I am thrilled to talk about client experience and how my client experience has served my business well.
- [04:39]
Annami Tonkin
Yeah, yeah. You know, I mean, I feel like referrals and repeat clients are that, you know, thing that everybody says, oh, I just, I want to build my business organically. I want to have good referrals. Word of mouth is the way that I want to market my business. And that's all fine and good, but really the way that we get there is by wowing our clients, like the people who come to us. We have to give them that client experience that's worth talking about, that's worth sharing with their people, where they feel confident that when they refer you, they are going to hear positive things back from their friends and family instead of like, oh, yeah, well, actually, that didn't make sense.
- [05:22]
Natasha Sewell
They were fine. Yeah, yeah. The pictures were okay. Oh, yeah, yeah. No, you. You really have to nurture those relationships and create a relationship and not just go into it, oh, you know, they'll like the pictures, we're done type thing, which, when you first start your business, I feel like that is what you're focused on, is giving your clients amazing images. Right. I mean, and we obviously want to continue doing that, but that's. It is an important piece. Yes. That's your focus when you start your business. That's. If I can give them beautiful photographs. Exactly. They'll just keep coming back. And if you're not nurturing those relationships all the way along past. You know, sometimes we ghost our clients almost after we're. We're finished working with them. And if you don't nurture those relationships afterwards, you're not going to get those repeat clients and you're not going to get those rave reviews. So it is. Those repeat clients are gold.
- [06:21]
Annami Tonkin
Absolutely. Absolutely it is. What's the phrase? Make. Make good friends, make new friends, but keep the old, keep the old.
- [06:29]
Natasha Sewell
Yeah, absolutely.
- [06:31]
Annami Tonkin
All right, well, great. So let's just kind of dive right in. Tell me about how this kind of first showed up in your business and you know when it first occurred to you.
- [06:42]
Natasha Sewell
Cause I do.
- [06:42]
Annami Tonkin
I agree with you. When we first start, we're so concerned with just checking the basic boxes. Like, I showed up on time. People got the stuff that they were supposed to get. They liked their photos. That's all good. But that's sort of like, if you aren't giving that amount of client experience, then you've got a bigger problem. Where were you or when was it that you were like, huh, I need to take this a step further.
- [07:09]
Natasha Sewell
So as my business started to grow, as there were a lot of moving parts, right. Because you're getting new clients in, you might be shooting some things that you don't particularly love shooting, but you're like, well, it's a paying client. I'm going to go ahead and do this. So I was finding that I wasn't necessarily prepping my clients enough. I had a family of seven show up in black and white buffalo check shirts with jeans. And I was like, oh. And it was like a fall outdoor session. This is when I shot outdoors. And I'm like, well, this is interesting, right? And I knew these people. I had seen the way they dress. This was not the normal way they dress. And so I was like, okay, not. Not helping people much with what they wear. Need to, like, you know, rein that in. Then there were the couple times where people would show up to the wrong location or the wrong time or things like that, because I would send them one confirmation.
- [08:06]
Annami Tonkin
Right.
- [08:06]
Natasha Sewell
You know, right after they booked. And there was no sort of follow up or reminders or anything like that. So I slowly started to tweak things in my client experience. This was before I had a CRM.
- [08:18]
Annami Tonkin
I was, that was literally my next question. I was like, so was this, this.
- [08:23]
Natasha Sewell
Was pre CRM because everything was okay, let me type out this email type of thing. Right. And so you're kind of. Even if you had it as a templated email, it still was. You were putting all the information in it. Right.
- [08:36]
Annami Tonkin
And having to remember to actually sit down and send it. Yeah.
- [08:39]
Natasha Sewell
Yes, all of those things. So starting early on, I realized I was, I was missing some things now. Some things I was doing really well was I have always sent a handwritten thank you note to my clients, which I know that they appreciate and with a print or something in it. Not that client experience is all about gifts because I do think that there's that misnomer that people think, well, client experience, I have to send them a big gift basket or not the case. But I was doing that well. But it was all the steps in between. And yes, I was getting repeat clients. I was in a fairly small area. People were very loyal and I so appreciated it. But I knew there were things missing. So this was early on. This was probably, I would say, I've been in business maybe a year and a half, two years when I really started diving into my client experience and making things change.
- [09:34]
Annami Tonkin
Amazing. So talk me through that process. When you were, when you decided, like, this is the thing that I'm focusing on. How did you, how did you start? Where did you, where did you start?
- [09:48]
Natasha Sewell
So the first thing I started doing was I did write down sort of my client process, like all the touch points I had or the very few touch points I had, I should really say. And then I kept just a note on my phone of all of the questions I was getting. Because we all get the same questions over and over and over again. And I knew when I'm constantly getting, what should we wear? That type of thing. Okay, I need to create something to help them with this. So that was sort of how I started. And then I narrowed it down from there. Okay, I need a touch point here, I need a touch point here. How can I best deliver this information to them so that a. They're actually going to look at it and read it? Because that's a big thing. You can create all the guides, all the pages on your website and people don't read anymore. So you have to do it in various ways to really make sure that people are, are paying attention. And, you know, you have to tell them many times the same information.
- [10:56]
Annami Tonkin
Right.
- [10:57]
Natasha Sewell
Because we just none of us read. I mean, that's just the way it is.
- [11:01]
Annami Tonkin
Yeah. The longer you ask for someone's attention, the less likely it is that they are going to, you know, give it to you. Basically, if, if somebody sits down and they. I always think about, like, when I land on a website and there's like a big, dense block of text, even though I am of an age and era where, you know, I consider myself to have a longer attention span than a lot of people. That's, it's just, it's a, it's a heavy lift for all of us. We're busy, there's a lot of distractions happening. And so, you know, when you're sending somebody something that looks right off the bat like, you know, vegetables instead of dessert, it's. You're just that much less likely to, to get them to stick around.
- [11:48]
Natasha Sewell
Yes. And I originally had a PDF, you know, client experience guide or session prep guide or like we all did back then. And it was a lot of text. It was some pretty pictures too, but it was a lot of text. And so I have since transitioned that probably four or five years ago to my website, which makes a big difference because there are a lot of ways you can make it a little more interactive and vary things a little more. And I also like to tell all of my students, the biggest thing is if you have something on your website, it is easy to update.
- [12:24]
Annami Tonkin
Mm. And all in one place. Right.
- [12:27]
Natasha Sewell
And so instead of having to go into Canva or wherever your PDF is and make the changes and then remember to upload the PDF to all the places. And having it on your website makes life so much easier. So I really use my website as a client resource and I provide my clients multiple pages on that website to dive deep into things with me. I have videos of me walking them through things. My product video is a little janky, I won't lie. It is me holding up products and talking about them. But I will say that my clients love that because I'm actually off the cuff and I'm just like, the reason this is such a great product, I feel a little like Vanna White, I won't lie. But it is a great resource and it's entertaining. It's just me talking to them well.
- [13:19]
Annami Tonkin
And I'm a, I'm a big fan of those very low production value videos when it comes to talking clients through all kinds of things because not only does it feel real and personal and all that sort of thing, it also it's the next best thing to sitting down with somebody in person. And I would argue that it's actually better in many ways because you're not forcing them to stick to a time, you're not forcing them to get in their car and drive somewhere. Like there's, you know, it's on their time and on sort of, you know, right there from the comfort of their home.
- [13:53]
Natasha Sewell
Absolutely. I, one of the things I have is a post session video library and I walk them through the ordering process as well as these products and I shoot a lot of newborns and so I have moms tell me all the time they're like, oh, it was so great to watch those videos while I was nursing at 2:00am, you know, because they're like it was someone I knew and I got to hear your voice and see you and you know, so I do think just varying the ways that you serve your clients too is really important. And not having it all one, one way, all written word is very hard for people. Sure.
- [14:31]
Annami Tonkin
Hang on guys, I have a quick message for you.
- [14:35]
Podcast Intro
Let's talk marketing for a minute. If you need more clients or better clients, but you struggle with what to.
- [14:41]
Annami Tonkin
Say, where to show up, or whether.
- [14:43]
Podcast Intro
Anything you're doing is actually working, I want you to come try out the Consistency Club. This isn't another course to watch. It's not another workbook to fill out. At its core, the Consistency Club is like having a marketing manager in your back pocket. Each month, my marketing director, Dana and I create a set of email and social media templates designed specifically for photographers to help you create and nurture your clients and leads consistently without spending hours staring at a blank screen. And we've just added some powerful new features. New inside the Consistency Club we have a library of bite sized marketing training videos covering everything from creating an opt in to making a reel to writing a welcome sequence. We also have a built in data tracking system so you can very quickly and easily see what's working and what's not working in your marketing. And finally, specifically for our Flodesk users out there, we've just rolled out one click email templates that you can open and send from right inside your account. What we've created with the Consistency Club is simple and it's strategic and it starts at just $20 a month. Honestly, it's the best marketing money you can spend as a photographer. Head to thiscan't bethard.comclub and join us today?
- [16:04]
Annami Tonkin
Yeah, I know. I, I'm curious. This is one of those things where I'm like, I'm not going to do this, but I'm sure that there are people out there doing it and I feel like it would if I were starting over today, I probably would. So many of us are so like trained to build our SEO and all that sort of stuff with blogging, which is great and blogging is wonderful. However, I feel like because of exactly all of the things that you're talking. This is a total sidebar, by the way. But all of the things that you're talking about lend themselves to video. And if we start the relationship by training people to find us or to interact with us on video with a YouTube channel that essentially accomplishes all the same things as a blog, it just sort of defines that pattern from the get go. And, and so I imagine that we're going to be seeing more of that for all of the reasons that you just described. It's like, what if you start that conversation by having those, you know, creating those videos that aren't specifically they talk about your business, but it's also just about like pre newborn photography related topics in general.
- [17:11]
Natasha Sewell
Yeah, no, that would be a phenomenal resource. Right. And everybody loves to watch a video on YouTube.
- [17:18]
Annami Tonkin
Yeah.
- [17:18]
Natasha Sewell
Right.
- [17:19]
Annami Tonkin
I mean, they know you.
- [17:20]
Natasha Sewell
Yes, it really does. It gives that, that level of know, like trust.
- [17:25]
Annami Tonkin
Right.
- [17:25]
Natasha Sewell
So exactly. I could. That is actually a genius idea. But yes, for those of us who have been in business for a long time. That's daunting.
- [17:35]
Annami Tonkin
That's right. If you're new, take note.
- [17:37]
Natasha Sewell
Yes.
- [17:37]
Annami Tonkin
Yeah.
- [17:38]
Natasha Sewell
Great. Yeah. Start a, start a YouTube channel and start talking to your clients. It's awesome. For sure.
- [17:45]
Annami Tonkin
Before they're even your clients.
- [17:46]
Natasha Sewell
That's right. Yeah.
- [17:47]
Annami Tonkin
Okay. Sorry, I. That was, as I said, a sidebar.
- [17:50]
Natasha Sewell
No, a good one. I really think people also need to realize that your client experience starts before clients book you. Because I think that people don't necessarily realize that photographers think, you know, once this person's reached out to me, that's where the relationship starts. But providing resources on your website and easy to find information that lays things out so that their questions are answered before they even speak to you or reach out to you is so valuable and such a missed thing in client experience.
- [18:24]
Annami Tonkin
Yeah. I think that that sort of user experience of your website is a major weak spot for a lot of photographers where they get their brand colors and their photos and all that sort of stuff. They've put so much time and effort into it because we tend to be visual people, obviously. But then, you know, there's like bad copy or lots of grammatical and spelling errors, or, you know, the, this page, the fonts are totally different from this other page. And I feel like what that says to someone, you know, they're probably not going to say, well, I didn't hire that person because the fonts were off. And there are people who are blind to that sort of thing. So, like, I'm sure it doesn't stop everybody, but it does overall provide this sense of like, it's just a professionalism, a level of professionalism that you want to kind of reassure a potential client with. And yeah, it can be time consuming and expensive and all that to sort of build that out. But you're absolutely right. That's where that client experience starts. It's. Well before we have the opportunity to actually speak for ourselves.
- [19:35]
Natasha Sewell
Absolutely. And you also want to be seen as the expert that you know what you're doing. And so providing answers to questions off the bat is so beneficial because people are like, oh, well, I had that question there. She answered it. There's, there's, there aren't as many just questions out there looming that people have. And so I find when I get on a phone consult with, with clients, I still walk them through a session and do all of those things. But there are very few questions they have because they've all been answered before.
- [20:07]
Annami Tonkin
Yeah, I know. I take it one way or the other. I guess when somebody at the end of a phone call and I'm like, can you know, what questions do you have?
- [20:16]
Natasha Sewell
And they're like, none.
- [20:18]
Annami Tonkin
I'm like, well, I either nailed it or that's the last time I hear from them.
- [20:23]
Natasha Sewell
Usually it's because you nailed it. You know, if they made it all the way to being on a call with you, usually it's because they are feeling very confident in working with you.
- [20:33]
Annami Tonkin
And usually they don't say, nope. What they say is, no, actually, you've really addressed everything. And that's when I know, like, great. When would you like to, you know, do you have a date in mind?
- [20:44]
Natasha Sewell
Yes, absolutely. But I just think it's providing information and those prospective clients want to see the beautiful pictures. Yeah, for sure they're hiring you because of your work. But if you can be the expert and show from the beginning that you care about them and about them having information and then it just makes the client experience that much better. Yeah, I think the biggest thing people are missing on their website, too, is once people fill out that contact form, Having a redirect page with a thank you. So many photographers don't do that. They just have, you know, the default message that comes up, thank you. You'll hear from me soon. Right. Having a redirect page that highlights maybe some blog posts that might be interesting to them or, you know, showcasing some of the work you've done, or just little tiny things on that page that give them, first of all, the ability to explore your website more, which is great for SEO and all of the things, but also just gives them. They're like, oh, wow, you know, these are things I didn't even see before. And now I happen to help my clients with what to wear, something I started doing probably about three years ago. I do not have a client closet, but I will sort of style them and send them links and they can mix it in with clothes they already have or not. And I go into that a little bit on my thank you page that this is something I offer. It's part of working with me. And so don't worry about what to wear. You don't need to stress about this. You know, I'm going to send you.
- [22:21]
Annami Tonkin
Black and white check shirts and.
- [22:23]
Natasha Sewell
Yes, exactly. It's going to be great. So. Yes. So I have, over time, realized that that was something that client. It also is something that stresses people out.
- [22:36]
Annami Tonkin
Yeah.
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Natasha Sewell
What are we gonna wear? Oh, you know, especially if you're a big family. Right. If you have, like four kids, that is super daunting.
- [22:45]
Annami Tonkin
Absolutely. As if having four kids and taking care of four kids isn't daunting enough. But. Yeah. No, I think that what you're saying is brilliant. Like, what is the number one issue that your clients are worried about when they are considering hiring a photographer? Answer that immediately after they reach out.
- [23:04]
Natasha Sewell
Immediately.
- [23:05]
Annami Tonkin
Like, that can be the first thing. It's like a. It's like a warm hug, right?
- [23:10]
Natasha Sewell
It absolutely is. Yeah. Figure out what their objection is to. To hiring you and go with that and, you know, link blog posts. Or you can also do a video. Coley's been after me to do this. I have yet to do it, but you could do a video. Just saying thanks so much for reaching out. Here's the next. Here's when you're going to hear from me and da, da, da. Just so they see your face.
- [23:31]
Annami Tonkin
Yeah.
- [23:31]
Natasha Sewell
You know, and hear your voice. That's always encouraging.
- [23:34]
Annami Tonkin
And if they're on the computer at work and they can't hear your voice because they have to keep subtitles.
- [23:40]
Natasha Sewell
Exactly. Make sure you turn on those subtitles.
- [23:42]
Annami Tonkin
Yeah, exactly. Oh, man. And I'm just going to like pop this in here because this is another, like, do as I say, not as I do, because I haven't done this yet on my photography website, but in your form. New, you know, technology allows us to personalize things more and more and more. And when it comes to a redirect, a really smart thing to do would be to, you know, if there is, let's say, a dropdown answer on your questionnaire where it's like, what are you reaching out for? Maternity, Newborn family or pet photography? You know, whatever you're.
- [24:15]
Natasha Sewell
Whatever you offer. Wedding.
- [24:17]
Annami Tonkin
That, that. Yeah, exactly. That. That redirect can actually go specific to that response. So, you know, I'm always like, don't let perfect get in the way of good. Like get a redirect going first, a generic one. But, you know, maybe put it on your calendar to make that a more personalized experience.
- [24:36]
Natasha Sewell
Personalized one. Which is brilliant, especially if you offer a lot of different things. If you do branding and, you know, studio newborns or something, that those are two. Two very different things. And having that redirect. Yeah, that's brilliant for sure.
- [24:51]
Annami Tonkin
So you're. You've. I love all of these tips for before someone books and even before they reach out to you. And you sort of hinted at the fact that you've got this video library for people after their sessions. What is your. What are some of your best tips for that period in between booking and the session?
- [25:11]
Natasha Sewell
Communication is the biggest thing. Just make sure you're communicating in various ways. I do a phone consult with clients. I do that before they book, but I give them the option that if they want, if they have more questions that come up, we can always hop on a phone call. I have very few clients that take me up on that, but it's available to them for sure. But just all of those in between emails, just reaching out and saying, I'm so excited for your session coming up. What. Do you have any questions that I can answer? Here are some tips. I always send an email about four days before the session. Just highlighting. It's a really quick list highlighting the things that they should be aware of. I shoot in home, so it does make a big difference if, when I arrive, all the lights are off and the blinds are open. So I just like kind of highlight that and if everyone's dressed and ready to go. But, you know, I also say you have a newborn, so.
- [26:11]
Annami Tonkin
Right.
- [26:12]
Natasha Sewell
Some of this might not happen. And that's okay, you know, because you don't want people to stress out about it. But in the same sense, just FYI, I would also say the biggest thing I do is I make sure spouses read the prep guide. I am really big on that. It's actually everywhere. Please have your spouse read this. Please have your spouse read this. Because I find that that makes such a differ. Sure. I show up to some sessions and clearly someone has not read because they're looking at me and smiling big. Right. The whole time. And you're like, no, look at your family. No. You know, but generally speaking, people do. Both spouses read it and it makes a big difference. When you're walking in there and they're both on the same page, they know what to expect versus having that one. One person looking and then the other spouse is getting annoyed that they're looking. You're not supposed to look, you know, so just giving. But just that communication is so important. One thing that you can also do is sort of send them something that makes them feel special before the session. Whether it's a free Spotify playlist, you know, of, hey, here's some pump up music for your session. It doesn't have to cost anything, but they're like, wow, this is so much fun. And you can, in your questionnaire, you know, ask a little something. What shows do your kids like watching or what music do you enjoy listening to or that sort of thing to sort of tailor it to them. But that's not going to take you very long to put together. And clients really appreciate that. They're like, wow, this is, this is so special. And it's just a little way to show that you care and that you're thinking of them and you're excited for the session too.
- [27:58]
Annami Tonkin
Yeah, yeah, I love that idea. And if you. I'm always trying to balance these kinds of personal touches or think about how these personal touches can be woven into a workable, sustainable workflow.
- [28:16]
Podcast Intro
Right?
- [28:16]
Natasha Sewell
Yes.
- [28:17]
Annami Tonkin
So I love the idea of basically what you would have is a standard playlist that you sell everybody that's like, these are songs that pretty much everybody loves and are whatever. But if you ask in your questionnaire, you know, what are three songs that are on heavy rotation in your house right now? And then pop those three in for each individual client. Then they have what feels like, oh, there's no possible way that this wasn't made just for us.
- [28:42]
Natasha Sewell
Exactly.
- [28:43]
Annami Tonkin
Even though it only took you the time to like grab those three songs and pop them in versus starting from scratch.
- [28:50]
Natasha Sewell
Right? No, absolutely. You can make it very simple. Yeah. It doesn't need to be anything crazy and it doesn't need to cost money. You know, I love that.
- [29:00]
Annami Tonkin
Yeah.
- [29:00]
Natasha Sewell
Because I think that some people feel like they need to send a big basket or a big gift, which is lovely. And if that is part of your client workflow, that is wonderful. But you don't have to, you don't have to send a baby gift. You don't, you just. It's not necessary to still wow your clients and make them feel valued.
- [29:20]
Annami Tonkin
Right. And I, I want to underline that it can only be part of your workflow if you have built that into the margins of your business.
- [29:28]
Natasha Sewell
Absolutely.
- [29:28]
Annami Tonkin
As in you are charging such a markup that you can afford some sort of big gift that does not keep you from being profitable. And I think that that's where every time I start talking about client experience, you're absolutely right. Everybody jumps to like, well, I sent my client this, I sent my client that. And it's like the only other businesses out there, you know, if you think about where do you go where they're like, here's a glass of champagne.
- [29:57]
Natasha Sewell
Right.
- [29:58]
Annami Tonkin
You're either at like some super fancy store on Fifth Avenue or you're at the Porsche dealership. Like.
- [30:04]
Natasha Sewell
Yes. Or checking into a certain type of hotel.
- [30:08]
Annami Tonkin
Exactly right.
- [30:09]
Natasha Sewell
And it's like, oh, here it's a complimentary glass of champagne which you have.
- [30:12]
Annami Tonkin
Paid for, of course. Right, Exactly. It is not complimentary. It is just part of the experience because you are paying so much. So if that is your business model, fantastic. Go ahead and invest in those physical hard cost touches. But honestly, in some ways, and I'm just going to keep leaning on your Spotify idea because it's such a good one. It's like the difference between somebody back in the day buying you a CD versus making you a mixtape. Like the mixtape feels more personal because.
- [30:41]
Natasha Sewell
It is, it's so much more personal. Another sort of free idea that I love is taking a Polaroid camera with you to the session and snapping a Polaroid shot of the family and leaving it with them. And whether everybody's making a crazy face or doing, you know, make it fun to have it be a fun thing. But yes, you are paying for the Polaroid film. Yes, you have to get a camera. I get that. But if you use that in every single session, and that was sort of your calling card at the end as you left them, this Polaroid, that's fun.
- [31:13]
Annami Tonkin
Right.
- [31:13]
Natasha Sewell
You know, they're just Little tiny things you can do that don't cost a lot of money. And I think it's thinking outside the box with those. But it is easy to do.
- [31:23]
Annami Tonkin
Oh, my gosh, it would be so fun to just have, like, an episode dedicated to brainstorming exactly those kinds of ideas. Just those little touches and sprinkling them around, you know, not going all in on one thing ends up having, you know, a really nice kind of overall experience where somebody just feels like, oh, this was totally different from any other time that I've hired a photographer.
- [31:48]
Natasha Sewell
Yes. Because you're not just showing up for the session, shooting the images and delivering them. Right. There's all of these other little personalized touch points, and that is what a client experience is.
- [32:00]
Annami Tonkin
Yeah.
- [32:01]
Natasha Sewell
And you really need to make sure that continues even after they've had their products delivered. You know, you need to nurture that relationship more. You need to have them on, you know, your newsletter list, and you need to share things with them, whether it's little stories or a local boutiques having a great sale. And this is the perfect place to go buy your clothing for your next photo session. Or, you know, not always selling, but providing real value and continuing to nurture that relationships. I tell stories about when my kids were younger or. And my repeat clients ask about my kids, which is so amazing.
- [32:42]
Annami Tonkin
Yeah.
- [32:43]
Natasha Sewell
That's when you know that you really have a good relationship with your client is when they're asking you, so, how's your husband? How are your kids? You know, that's. That's fabulous. Yesterday, I had a phone consult with a past client who was pregnant again, and she was like, you just bought a house in Palm Springs. I need to hear all about it, you know, just because they. They know what's going on in my life as I know what's going on in their life. So it's just. It's. It's a real relationship, and that is what you're building with a client experience.
- [33:13]
Annami Tonkin
I think about, you know, over the years, I've had therapists, like, people that I go and talk to. And of course, the therapy relationship is a unique one in our lives where it's like, they know a whole bunch of stuff about you, but you know essentially nothing about them, which I've always found to be such a funny thing, because by nature, I want to, like, jump in and be like, how are you? How have you been? And they're like, good, good. Now, let's talk about you. But the. But with your photography clients, you know, they are inviting you into Such an intimate space. No matter what kind of photography you do, they are putting so much faith and trust and, you know, sort of there is this sense of we have a connection because you're doing this inherently personal work for them. So when you invite them in, you know, when you break your.
- [34:04]
Natasha Sewell
Yeah. Into your personal space. Right.
- [34:06]
Annami Tonkin
In. In a way that is safe for you and in a way that is. That is not, like over sharing, certainly. Oh, sure. But I think that that ends up building that sense of we are connected and it's not in a false way. You're not being, you know, smarmy in any sort of way.
- [34:23]
Podcast Intro
But, man, it goes such a long way.
- [34:25]
Annami Tonkin
It takes what is, on its face a transactional experience and turns it into so much more.
- [34:32]
Natasha Sewell
So much more. And they're, you know, and as you said, you need to be comfortable with what you're sharing. You don't need to get into the nitty gritty of stuff unless that's you.
- [34:41]
Annami Tonkin
Right.
- [34:41]
Natasha Sewell
You know, you need to do what feels correct for. For you in your life. But it's just nice to build that relationship. And those are the clients that rave about you and send all their friends, and the minute you have a new offer or something come out, they've booked it. I mean, you know, and so that is part of client experience. And I think a lot of people forget that and feel like, right when they deliver the photos, we're good, we're done. You know, I'll see them next year when they need photos, hopefully. But nurturing those relationships is just the key to those. Those amazing clients that become family, really, you know.
- [35:20]
Annami Tonkin
Yeah. Amen. I feel like everything that you have said and shared today, I just want to put, like an underline and an exclamation point after. This has been so good, and I could keep going, but I know that you've got a lot of resources for people on exactly this topic. So tell everybody where they can find you and learn more.
- [35:40]
Natasha Sewell
Yes. So I am NPS Photography on Instagram. NPS Photography.com is my website. It's not a very original name I get. Is it National Park Service because you live in D.C. no, it's not. It's my initials. It's really not. Not exciting, but you can find me those places. I have a freebie on how to elevate your client experience, and it has to do with the pages you need on your website to do that. So it's a great one. And I also have a course, the Client Experience Blueprint.
- [36:13]
Annami Tonkin
Love it. And where. So is it easy to find the freebie? Just if they go to your main page on your website or is there.
- [36:20]
Natasha Sewell
A specific link you want to point people to? Yes, if they go to my education page on my website and there's a whole section for photographers right on my.
- [36:28]
Annami Tonkin
Website in the menu, I will obviously put it in the show notes, but I always like to shout it out out loud, too. Yes. Well, Natasha, this has been amazing and lovely and super valuable. I've got ideas and I feel like this is something that I think all the time. So that's. That's why I love bringing other people on the show and not just being a talking head over here, but fabulous. But it is wonderful to see you and I have no doubt that we will have you back on the show soon.
- [36:52]
Natasha Sewell
Well, thank you so much. This has been so much fun.
- [36:54]
Annami Tonkin
Have a great day. That's it for this week's episode of this Can't Be that Hard. I'll be back same time, same place next week. If you like the show, be sure to check out this can't be that hard.com to explore all the resources we have for photographers. And of course, it would mean the world to me if you would leave a review of the show on itunes or Spotify. As always, thanks so much for joining me. I hope you have a fantastic week.