Blogs of Photogs is happy to welcome the wonderful Angela Calderon to the blog. Angela will write an occasional business tips feature, starting today. Feel free to leave some comments thanking her, and also with questions for a future feature. And for those looking for a fabulous photographer, Angela works out of Atlanta, GA and also out of Los Angeles, California and is both über talented and a great person, visit her site here!
It’s no secret that the economy is in the toilet. Times are tough. Custom portraiture is a luxury, not a necessity (wow say that 10 times fast). Many photographers are finding that prior to booking, potential clients are shopping around now more than ever. What are you doing to recruit new clients and retain the ones you currently have?
Many of my best repeat clients have told me that one of the things that keeps them coming back is my customer service and my attention to detail. When I first speak with my clients on the phone or even in email correspondence I ask a lot of questions. Now I’m sure most people do that, but I’m always sure to write down every single little detail so that I can have that as a reference. When I go to a client’s home and I’m photographing their precious newborn I am usually in the living room with the Dad while the Mom is nursing the newborn or getting ready. During that time I make it a point to do more than just casual chit chat, I try to get to know them. I ask how they met, how long they’ve been married, how long they’ve lived in the area, what their dog’s names are, where they went to college, etc. All of this information is going in to my mental file cabinet. When I get home from the session I write down the information so that I have it in their file. Ok, that might sound creepy, but I promise it’s not!
I know everyone runs their business differently but what works for me is that I like to think of my clients as my new friends. I love getting to know more about them so that we are all comfortable with each other and can continue to build a client/photographer relationship for years to come. So a month or so later when I notice their alma mater had a great game that day I will drop them a quick email and say - hey how about those Gators today. When their birthday rolls around I send them a email greeting. It’s just like a friend, remembering things that are important to them. This builds loyalty.
Do you keep your clients in the loop for the entire process from start to finish? Let them know what to expect. How long it will take to see their slideshows, how long it will take to get their prints back. Spell it out for them and be one step ahead with information so that they never have to wonder. Here is a biggie (well at least in my book) FOLLOW THROUGH ON YOUR PROMISES. UNDER PROMISE AND OVER DELIVER. If you are *the* slowest proofer ever (like me) don’t tell your clients their images will only take a few days, tell them it will take two weeks or however long it will realistically be. If you get them done early, score one for you for beating the deadline. If you wait until the last minute to order from the lab and it is going to make you late getting their prints to them then consider drop shipping to meet your deadline. Then follow up shortly with a thank you and a little something extra that you would have put in had you shipped and packaged the prints yourself. Put yourself in the client’s shoes, how would *you* want to be treated?
One of my favorite articles regarding customer service is called 5 Secrets of Good Customer Service: http://sbinfocanada.about.com/cs/marketing/a/custserviceas.htm
There is an old saying that if someone has a positive experience they will tell four friends, however if they have a negative experience they will tell at least ten friends. Well that’s not really fair now is it? We photographers sure do have our work cut out for us to get the POSITIVE word of mouth out about our businesses.
So your homework for today is:
Think about what sets you apart from the competition, embrace it, promote it and kick it up a notch!
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Angela Calderon Photography
www.angelacalderon.com
