Feeling frustrated with a lack of leads that convert to bookings?
Running a photography business requires you to wear many hats. Of those hats is a is the salesperson. You are your business so it is your job to market yourself and book clients. For many photographers this part of the job can be daunting.
If you want to book more leads and impress your clients from the start – you need to start by doing what every successful photographer does…
The first step to closing leads and booking more clients is respond quickly when a lead request comes in. Period.
Underwhelmed with this advice? Hear me out because you’d be surprised how much this matters in your business. Let’s take a look why your response times matter and a few ways to boost your response time.
How does a quicker response time help you book more clients?
“You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take” is a famous quote from Wayne Gretzky. This quote says it all. You can’t book a client if you don’t respond.
Many clients will contact a bunch of photographers at once when starting their search for a new photographer. During this discovery phase, they will be looking for quotes and availability. In order to be considered, you need to make sure you are responding quickly.
Your reply to the inquiry is your first chance to impress your clients. By responding quickly, you are showing your clients that you you are attentive to their needs and easily accessible. You are also showing them you value their business and want to work with them.
You would be surprised how many photographers (especially seasoned ones) let their response times slip. Boost your chance of converting the lead to a booking by making sure you respond quickly.
Ways to Boost Your Response Time and Impress Clients
Let’s get down to the logistics of how to impress your clients with great response times. When a lead comes in, you need to make sure you are responding quickly, answering the questions they asked and giving them an easy way to ask questions or reply when they are ready.
Here are some ways to set yourself up for success and boost your response times.
CREATE TEMPLATES
Templates are key to a seamless workflow that allows you to serve your clients and do so quickly. Create a series of emails or reply templates for every type of inquiry situation you see. If you serve multiple genres of clientele, create a reply template for each.
For instance, if you do both family and newborn sessions, make sure you have a template that is specific to each by quoting the different packages and answering any specific questions they have.
If you find yourself answering the same questions over and over in each reply, build those into your templates. The more you can answer for your clients, the more accommodating you are to them. They will appreciate your forward-thinking.
Templates will save you hours!
USE A SYSTEM
Systems are meant to help streamline your workflow. Create a system that works for you and your business. It does not have to be complex.
By system, I mean creating a path or process for collecting leads and responding. Whatever that looks like for your business is great but I encourage you to define that system so that you can consistently apply it.
If you are just starting out or running your photography business on the side, your system could include a contact form from your website that will send you an email. When you receive that email, you can use the templates function in Gmail to reply quickly.
If you are using a larger studio management system, like Sprout Studio, you can build forms that automatically push leads into a workflow. From this workflow, you can trigger emails quickly.
Whatever you systems looks like, it should be simple to use, seamless and most of all easily accessible from anywhere which brings up the next point…
ENSURE MOBILE ACCESSIBILITY
Whatever system you use, it should be easily accessible from anywhere. Quick response times are heavily dependent on your ability to communicate and deliver responses wherever and whenever.
Make sure your system and templates can be triggered from your mobile with ease.
The first step for closing more leads in your photography business may be obvious and a bit mundane but it’s worth the attention. You can’t convert a lead if you don’t respond and do so in a timely fashion. Prioritize leads in your business as this is the first impression you make with future clients. You want to make it a good one.
Pair this week’s simple but important tip with 6 Ways to Avoid Being Ghosted in Your Photography Business.
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