It’s easy to think we can wait to WOW our clients until they get their images back… but did you realize you can start to impress them from the moment they inquire about your services? 🤔
And in fact, that’s what you want to do… because not only will it set you apart, but it will make your client feel comfortable and excited to work with you!
This information is part of a module in my new full-time Wedding Photography Course (launching 2 times per year so be sure to stay on our VIP Email List). It dives into every facet of client management… but today, we’re going to focus on 4 things that will WOW your client specifically in the onboarding process.
1. Polish Your Emails 💌
We use a series of canned template emails that we customize for every person who comes through our contact form.
The reason we do this is because there’s a lot of information for clients that we don’t want to forget, but we also want to make sure we’re customizing the emails so they’re unique to each individual client.
If you’re interested, we do sell email templates, contracts for weddings and portraits, and even a bundle if you need both contract types.
Email templates are SUPER useful. We use them inside our program, Dubsado, our workflow program (get 20% off Dubsado with my affiliate link!). When you go to our website and complete the contact form, you’re put into the Dubsado workflow.
In that workflow, we will have a list of things we need to do with every person we work with. One of those things is sending an initial response email – which is that canned email we customize!
Using this canned email template really smooths out the onboarding process in a streamlined, yet customized way 📨
2. Send Out a Questionnaire
When you receive an inquiry, in your initial response email, I highly encourage you to send out a questionnaire.
That questionnaire will provide you with more information about the client so if and when you do hop on a call with them, you have the information you need to provide value to them.
The client questionnaire might seem like an obstacle to working together… but in reality, if someone’s really interested in working together, they’re going to be excited to fill out that questionnaire because they’re going to WANT you to learn about them… and you’re going to WANT to learn!
I try to put myself in the client’s shoes. If I was really interested in working with someone and they sent me a questionnaire, I would think, “Wow, they really want to get to know me. I’m going to share as much as possible to ensure this is a good fit!” 😄
So when I’m sending the client questionnaire, it’s allowing me to ensure they are able to express what they’re interested in and what they want out of their photography… so when we DO hop on a phone call, I can address some of the things they have specific questions about or desires for.
📨 Note about response time: Response time is really big. When clients come in the door, I want them to know I’m the type of person who will respond in 24-48 hours (except, of course, during weddings).
When you get an email in your inbox or questionnaire response, whether it’s an initial, existing, or past client, I want you to do your best to respond in a 24-48 hour time. That’s about standard.
When you do that, you’re letting the client know they are seen and they are heard. 🤍
3. Schedule an Initial Call
After the questionnaire is received back, if a client is interested in booking your wedding photography services, I encourage you to allow spots in your calendar to schedule calls with them.
For example, in Dubsado, there is a calendar with a booking software where clients can reserve a spot with you (you can set parameters where clients can select weekdays during lunch, evenings, etc… whatever works for your schedule!).
By giving the clients an opportunity to schedule a call with you, you can really dive in deep on the initial call. On this call, we cover a variety of topics that really help us understand if we’re going to be the perfect match, or if they want to work with someone else (which does happen!). Regardless, trust me – I do believe the phone calls are the best way to really align and get everyone on the same page. ☎️
4. Bring Value and Experience to the Table
The more weddings you have under your belt and the more sessions you’ve done, the better job you’re able to do for your clients… Because you bring all that experience to the table! When you’re speaking with clients, make sure you’re addressing some of the things you’ve learned and helping them through the process.
Maybe you’re someone who’s new and you haven’t yet gotten as much experience as you’d like. If that’s you, I wanted to let you know we have a few educational resources that might help you on my website.
For instance, in Walk Through a Wedding Day, we actually bring you behind the scenes of a wedding day! We had a videographer come and film me while I was photographing a wedding, so you can see us walk through every single aspect of the day, from gear, second shooter, locations, working with a planner, and more. Check it out!
Nonetheless, in the process, you will continue to learn. Continue to lean on industry experts and you will get to where you want to be before you know it! 💌
Your Next Steps
In order to WOW your new clients, every aspect of your business needs to be the best and most accurate it can be… and that includes your pricing. But how confident are you in your prices?
Do you ever struggle to price your products? Do you use other people’s pricing without really being sure WHY or if those prices are right for you? 😓
I created my Pricing Guide to help you:
- Understand the WHY behind your base prices
- Decide what to charge for your photography
- Cover your expenses to remain profitable and sustainable
Check it out below ⤵️
