Delivering Great Client Experiences
"A certain level of stress worked it's way into my business that in essence started breaking down the client experience"
As a wife, mother to 4 young babes, and a full-time traveling photographer I’ve learned first hand that it’s so important to have the workflow and “businessy” side of things taken care of so I can focus on my client’s experience and building a healthy relationship with them.A few years ago....somewhere between emailing agreements, formatting programs, scanning checks, post office visits, numerous back and forth emails with clients and then waiting for payment a certain level of stress worked it's way into my business that in essence started breaking down the client experience. Even the simple but mostly awkward moments of accepting a check at the end of our session shifted the experience back into business mode. I desperately needed two things to take my client experience and business to the next level...Balance and Ease.
“How extraordinary the ordinary person is if we get to know them well”
"I believe the client experience starts from the first point of contact & must be handled with great care"
One of the main things I learned that helps me make sure my client’s get the best possible experience is that the client experience starts immediately. This is one of the most important aspects of my business and why I believe my clients keep returning and are willing to invest at my price point. I value them deeply and respect their investment by returning my full attention and heart to their every word and story during the planning process. I believe the client experience starts from the first point of contact & must be handled with great care. Immediately its of the utmost importance that I begin building trust with them, not only for the eventual exchange of money but most importantly for them to feel comfortable to open up in front of my lens in a way that will allow me to to tell their story through emotion, vulnerability and joy. Once a potential client contacts me I’ll email them back as soon as I can to ask them a few questions about their life, I have phone appointments with each client and during that time I listen…that’s truly what most people in this busy life want, to slow it down, to be heard and valued. That is exactly what I try to do, and through this process I begin to start getting a true feel for how to vision and plan our session… including location scouting, styling and making sure each member of the family finds comfort in our time together.
One thing I always keep in mind when talking with people (regardless of if they’re clients or not) is “How extraordinary the ordinary person is if we get to know them well”. That mindset of believing the best about people makes me want to get to know their story. It helps me to sit, and listen, and get to know them. I’ve found that when I take the time to immediately invest in potential clients, they usually have no hesitation about booking a session with me.
That brings me to the next thing I’ve learned which I’ll talk about in my next post, it’s to not delay sealing the deal...
Thanks for reading, I’m excited to share more soon!
- Erin Witkowski
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