Let’s talk about client experience…. It feels like a buzzword in the photography industry, but it’s truly one of my favorite topics (and for a good reason!) Your clients are at the center of your business. Without a great client base, your business would struggle to get consistent bookings and your bottom line would show it. When we take care of our clients, they take care of us. A great client experience relies on your ability as the photographer to make your clients feel confident in their investment with you. To me, a great client experience means that my families feel well-prepared, taken care of, and confident about the whole process. That sounds like a lot to do, right? I get it. But I can’t state the importance of a good client experience enough. That’s why I LOVE creating client resources to make this whole process easier for me (and them!)
As a family photographer, there are 5 Client Resources I can’t live without:
Investment Guide
When an inquiry arrives in my inbox, I use my Investment Guide to start our conversation about booking a session. It covers all of the important information I want to share about my approach, the process, and a detailed description that covers the investment for each of my sessions. My Investment Guide looks professional, helps to make a good first impression, and sets the tone for what working with me is like. From the start, I answer the questions they didn’t know to ask and keep things straightforward and simple.
PS. If you need to design an Investment Guide, grab my template here! This template is super easy to customize in Canva!
Locations Guide
One of the first decisions clients make after booking is deciding where they want to do their photos. While I can make suggestions based upon the vision they have, I like to send a comprehensive Locations Guide. This Location Guide gives my clients a library of locations to choose from while planning. In this guide, they can see examples from each location, learn about what the space looks like in each season as well as any additional info they need – like location fees. It’s another easy way to serve them and make the planning process even less stressful.
Prep Guide
My Family Prep Guide is another invaluable guide I send to clients once they book! This is the way I communicate all of the important things I want them to know before our session. It helps them to feel prepared – and makes sure I don’t forget anything, either! The Family Prep Guide gives them tips for what to wear, how to coordinate their outfits – along with color palette suggestions for every season. The Family Prep Guide also gives some practical tips for preparing each person in the family for a great session. Finally, it gives a timeline for what my clients can expect throughout the whole process including after their session!
PS. I’ve got another great Canva template for you here to create your own Family Prep Guide!
My Blogs
While many photographers cringe at the thought of blogging, it’s another great tool I like to use to provide my clients with an amazing experience. I do use the blog to share about my client sessions but I also use it to write articles that are helpful to my clients. This is a space to answer common questions in depth or help my clients prepare for a great session!
Whenever a client or lead asks me a question, I direct them to a blog article to answer their question. For instance, I get many inquiries about first birthday photos. This is a popular session request from many of my families. I created a blog about how to prepare for a first birthday photoshoot and I send a link to any clients or inquiries that come in. It helps prepare my clients but also acts as a marketing piece to showcase my work to new leads. Plus, blogs help your SEO ratings – making it easier for people to find you in the first place. Definitely a win, no matter how you look at it!
Style and Select
Style and Select is is the online styling service I share with my clients when they book. For many families, the “what to wear” question is a big stress point. I love being able to direct my clients to a tool that can shop for them and make the whole process easier! Consider sending your clients to Style and Select, too! Save 10% off a membership when you use code DANIELLE10 with Style and Select!
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A great client experience is all about anticipating your clients’ needs and ensuring that their work with you is a stress-free experience. While this might seem like extra documents or time, I promise you the pay off is worth it. In return for my time creating these guides, blog posts, and services, I have clients who enjoy the process of getting their photo taken – and they share that with those they love. Make a great client experience one of your business goals this year! You’ve got this!
