I am super excited about today’s topic because it’s all how to elevate your client experience! I hope this is helpful information for you to use right away in your own business! These are practical ways that I have seen an impact in my business and for my clients – and things that honestly, have set me apart (which is what we all hope for!). We want to provide an amazing client experience that’s unlike any other experience they could have with someone else.

Below, are four practical ways you can elevate your client experience today!

Client Gifts

The first one is to send a client a gift! Let me talk about this a little bit, because I know when I first started out, I did not have the money to be sending out these fancy gifts to my couples – because they’re expensive! But I still wanted  to love on my clients really well after they booked me. I used to send thank you cards! I would look for thank you cards at Target or Walmart! It was a small yet meaningful way to let my clients know I was thinking of them – and thankful! 

But now, I send client gifts using BOXFOX. – Greetabl is another great option, too! I haven’t used them yet, but I’ve heard such wonderful things about this company, too!

Gifts are actually not my strong point naturally! It’s not my love language so I knew if I was responsible for sending gifts to people who booked me, they wouldn’t look pretty HAHA. Thank goodness for BOXFOX! They have really awesome packaging and write your customized message for you (my handwriting is terrible!)! They create the most beautiful package that is mailed directly to my clients. I get to choose what goes in the box, customize the message and they ship it out! That’s a win in my book!

My clients LOVE receiving the welcome gift because they don’t expect it. I don’t talk about it at all, so they do not know something is coming to their doorstep less than a week after they’ve booked me!  It really adds value to their experience and it reminds them I’m thankful to capture their special day.  

Providing Educational Content

The second option is creating content and sending educational emails or blogs to your clients throughout their experience with you. Your clients hired you because you’re the expert. They’re trusting you to capture their day well – they trust  that you know what is best!

This is a great chance to provide them with educational information to plan their day! For example, I create a customized timeline for my couples because, if I don’t, then I won’t be able to communicate to my couples how much time I need to capture all the special moments of their day! Our clients don’t know how much time family formals might take, but as photographers, we do! We cannot be surprised if our clients are making decisions without photography in mind – in regards to the timeline example – if we’re not providing the education or tips to best help our clients! I love empowering my couples with the knowledge I’ve learned over the years! This is such a huge part of the experience my clients absolutely love! 

Also, you are NOT bothering your clients when you send them these tips or a blog you’ve written! I have never had a client tell me that I email them too much! I would encourage you to think about a couple educational tips that you could send to your clients to elevate your experience!

The truth is if you’re not the one providing the content, they’re going to find it elsewhere and you don’t want that to happen! You want them to know that you’re walking with them through the entire wedding planning process. You are taking care of your clients in the best way by communicating with them and sharing all of your tips! I PROMISE!!

Here are some topics to get you started!

• What to wear to your engagement session!
• What details to prep for the wedding day!
• The benefits of having a first look!

The possibilities are endless! They’re going to be more likely to take it into consideration when planning, too, because it’s coming from you!

Setting Expectations

Whew, this one is a big tip! Set expectations for your clients and your business from the start! I’ve found  that setting expectations in my business has allowed me to serve my clients better because they know when they can expect to hear from me. For example, set office hours and stick to them. best you can! I realize that this isn’t always the case, but it is possible! Determine your limits so you can be consistent, they know what to expect and they get THE BEST of you!

If you have emailed me, you know I’m a huge fan of out of office messages! Maybe a little too much? 😉 I always have an out of office set for my email. Within the out of office message it thanks my clients for reaching out, includes my office hours, and lets them know when they can receive a response! AND it gives me the flexibility to not feel like I have to respond right away if I’m unable to do so!

Turnaround time is another great place to set expectations. Before engagement sessions and after wedding days, I always send out a quick email to my clients about the turnaround time for the images so my clients feel well-informed! Clients haven’t memorized the entire contract they signed when they first booked us and a little friendly reminder never hurt anyone! We all need reminders! This is one of many examples. Setting expectations where you can and answering their questions before they ask is such a great practice to put into place!

Be Easy to Reach

Last thing! Make it easy for your potential clients to get in touch with you. So, before they even inquire with you… ask these important questions:

Is it easy for them to get in contact with you? 

Are you already making the experience a good one, where they don’t have to search all over your  website and social media platforms for your contact information? 

Here are a few tips to ensure you have everything in place for potential clients to get in touch with you!

• Make sure your contact form is actually working! I test mine every week or so every few weeks to be sure it’s syncing.

• On the same webpage as my contact form, I have my email next to the contact form so they can still get a hold of me that way. In case they would prefer to reach out via email or my form doesn’t work for them, they have a second option to get a hold of me!

• Oh! This last one is a pet peeve of mine: make sure your name is in your Instagram bio! It doesn’t have to be your full name … but please, have your first name in your Instagram bio! Personally, if I’m following someone and want to reach out to them and I can’t find their name, I have no way to address them in a direct message, for example. Make it easy for your clients to call you by your name and know who you are from the start!

A quick recap…

1. Sending a client gift or thank you note! It doesn’t have to be expensive – a thank you card will do! Whatever you send, your clients are going to be surprised and feel so loved!
2. Creating content and send educational emails! Write a blog or draft an email you can use over and over again with tips and tricks for your clients. You won’t be annoying – I PROMISE! You’ll only elevate your client experience!
3. Set expectations. Let them know when they’re going to hear from you, when they’ll receive their photos, etc. 
4. Make it easy for potential clients to get a hold of you! Test your contact/inquiry form on your website weekly, add your email address on the same webpage as your contact form, and make sure your first name (at least!) is in your Instagram bio!

Those are my tips! I hope this was helpful and you can use some of these to elevate your client experience. You are the expert: don’t forget that. Your clients love you and have hired you. They trust you and believe in you. So make sure they have a reason to! 

To learn more tips for your wedding photography business, check out my FACEBOOK GROUP HERE!