The fuel for our fire, the spice for our dish, and the bread to our butter is our clients. Our clients are the reason that we photographers are able to do what we do! Maintaining that wonderful relationship is just as important as cleaning your lenses and servicing your cameras.
As you may have noticed through your own experience, owning a photography business involves an impressive amount of social skills and street smarts- you need to sell your product and click with your clientele. Some photographers study psychology and sociology, some ‘wing it’, and others are just naturally adept at making friends and putting people at ease. Regardless of what category you fall into, there are a few fun and easy tactics to keep that relationship with your client strong, before and after the shoot is complete.
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| Photographer Anabel DFlux bonding with her client's animals. |
• Be Friendly. This might seem like a common-sense thing, but you’d be surprised at how many photographers come off as abrasive, and how many forget to even smile! Remember to smile, be polite, be warm, and be open towards everyone you work with. The lessons in kindness we learned as children, such as “treat others as you wish to be treated yourself", are equally important in our entrepreneurial adulthood as they were when we were children.
• Attach a Small ‘Thank You’ Note to the Ordered. A simple acknowledgment and a mention of gratitude goes a long way in client relations!
• Keep in Touch. In this day and age, the world revolves around social media. The more interactive something is, the more likely people are to be interested in it. This is a very popular trend in the market, and consumers are becoming more and more inclined to see this concept as the industry standard. After the photo shoot is complete, don’t be afraid to connect with your clients via social media- Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Google Plus- whichever platform they use! While you’re at it (when you get permission to do so), post some of the photographs from your session online and tag your client(s) in them.
• Send ‘Happy Holiday’ Emails. Who doesn’t enjoy receiving some holiday cheer? Sharing warm wishes and a fun email card during the holiday season will put a little joyfulness in their day and potentially spark their interest in hiring you again.
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| Photographer Anabel DFlux during a night shoot. |
• Send Session Anniversary Emails. Regardless of whether you're shooting pet portraits, family sessions, weddings, or school photographs, in twelve months your client is going to want another session! Whether or not they do the session with you or with someone else will depend largely on how well you've kept in contact over the past year. As the session anniversary approaches, send out a brief and friendly email or postcard with easy to find contact and scheduling information, and a "thank you" note for their past business.
• Offer Deals For Long-term Customers. Offering exclusive promotions, discounts, or free gifts to long-term clients will most definitely help solidify any relationship you have with them. As an added bonus, this has been proven to increase business, as you will, most likely, be recommended over and over again!
• Create Personalized Galleries For Each Client. When using an online photography storefront provider, such as Instaproofs, don’t just bundle all of your client's photographs into a giant category for them to dig through. Make separate, tailored categories in each event that are unique to your client and their session. For example, instead of using a generic Bride & Groom category, create a Mike & Melissa category, and instead of having a "Seniors" category make it a "Taylor's Senior Pics" category instead. By tailoring your clients' storefront specifically to them, your clients will have a more enjoyable experience while browsing and ordering their images.
Now that you have the tools needed to build a healthy, lasting relationship with your clients- go out and give them some beautiful, lifelong memories through photography!
Anabel DFlux is a California native who prefers to spend every waking moment with her trusty camera in hand. In 2009 she started her own photography business on a whim and a wish, and has since gone on to work for a variety of publications, companies, and unique clients throughout the country. With her foot in a variety of photographic doors, Anabel is recognized as a zealous individual with a passion for art that knows no bounds.