Are you sitting and just kind of wondering why you’re getting ghosted, not getting those raving reviews, or your calendar just isn’t filling up like you’d like?

As a small business owner, client experience is one of the MOST important aspects of your business!! This is how you convince your ideal clients to book with you versus choosing another business or even buying from a corporate business. Corporate businesses don’t have the client experience factor, and this is where you as a small business HAVE TO SHINE!!

Well I have just a couple of tips for YOU that will help elevate your client experience and really take you to that NEXT level, to stick out in a crowd of other businesses in your area! Some of these are photographer specific, but other tips can be implemented into ANY small business!

Respond Within 24 Hours!

I totally understand that this is MUCH easier said than done, but it’s seriously such a huge tip that will completely transform your business. I cannot tell you how many times I have had clients comment just on my response time. If you can – respond to inquiries and messages no later than 24 hours from when you receive them!

Offer Face-to-Face Consultations!

It doesn’t have to be anything fancy, but offering face-to-face consultations is absolutely HUGE. Don’t just settle for a phone call, but offer to meet with them over cup, or set-up a time to chat over Facetime/Skype/Messenger. That way you both get to see what each other look like, and you get to straight up show them the VALUE of booking you!! And just remember, that they’re humans JUST LIKE US. Just act like you’re talking to your best friend!

Get Them a Gift!

This doesn’t have to huge, expensive, or extravagant. Honestly, just getting them a box of chocolates with a handwritten note is perfect! It’s little gestures and things like this that really tell your clients how much you care about them, and that you don’t view them as another dollar sign. For example, when I have a family session I always look at my questionnaire and get everyone in the family a little gift to say thank you. Gifts can be anything from champagne, to treats, to prints!! It’s a small thing that goes a HUGE way.

The biggest thing with this is JUST GET CREATIVE!!!! If you’re a newborn photographer, gift the parents a free house cleaning session with a cleaning company! If you’re a branding photographer, gift your client a mug with THEIR logo on it! If you’re a family photographer, gift your family a “Family Fun Night” box with board games, popcorn, etc!

Pick Up Coffee Before Their Session!

In my questionnaire, I always ask what my client’s favorite drink is from a coffee shop. Then on the day of their session, I always leave early and pick them up their favorite drink. This is seriously just another small thing that really goes a long way for your client. Who doesn’t love to be surprised with their favorite drink, am I right?! If I have a family session, I’ll get the parents coffee or whatever their favorite drink is, and then get juice for the kiddos.

Play Music During Their Session!

This right here? GAME. FREAKING. CHANGER. If you’re not playing music during your sessions – START DOING IT. Invest in a small, portable bluetooth speaker (I personally love the JBL3 from Amazon) and create a playlist on Spotify (or Apple Music, etc!) that fits with your session! This just takes the stress right out of your sessions, kills that awkward silence, and just really sets the tone for your session.

Want to really go an extra step? In your questionnaire, ask them some of their all-time favorite songs and you can CREATE a customized playlist FOR YOUR CLIENT!

NOW IMPLEMENT!

I’m not going to lie, I have SOOO many thoughts on client experience, but these are some of the absolute BIGGEST tips for enhancing that client experience!! Photography is such a saturated market, and if you want to really stand out against your competition, you need to make sure your client experience is freaking KILLER!!! Okay?

So start implementing some of this amazing tips, and just KILL IT!!! DON’T say you’re going to work on this tomorrow, or next week. Take like 45-minutes out of your day to put this into your workflow. I promise you – it’s so freaking worth it.