“Thank you SO much for everything. These are amazing!! I love them.”

This was the text response I received yesterday from the bride you see above after sending her previews from her wedding day a couple of days prior. She then went on to repost the images I shared on my IG stories with a “Thank You @cheyenneschultz – we love you!”.

When my clients rave and share about how happy they are after receiving their images from their session or wedding, it’s the ultimate prize. I know that I’ve done my job to provide the absolute BEST experience I can up to that point. The overall experience that I provide to each and every one of my clients isn’t by accident and it takes a lot of dedication to make it what it is. From start to finish, it’s intentionally crafted and is done with fanatical execution. Through 13 years of business, providing an exceptional experience has been the cornerstone to growth and sustaining CSP. I think it’s the single best investment you can make with your time and money if you are wanting to continue to attract new leads and book new jobs.

Today I’m sharing two super quick and easy things that photographers can do immediately following a session or wedding to add value and create a “wow” moment for their clients.

1) Send previews! 

Put yourself in your client’s shoes. You just had your session and it went great. It was fun, easygoing and you are SO excited and anxious to see what your photographer captured. If you have to wait a week to see anything, that excitement has waned.

As the photographer, you need to be capitalizing off of the high of the session…get a few images as a sneak peek to your client ASAP! I know your edit queue is likely at least a few sessions and/or weddings deep, so I’m not talking about culling through and editing the entire session right away. Make it a part of your workflow that right when you get home from what you’ve photographed, dump your cards onto your computer immediately and if you can…then and there…pull your RAW images into Photomechanic (my culling program of choice!), do a quick scroll and select 3-5 of your favorite images, edit them and send them over to your client in a text message. I prefer to send via text rather than email, so my client will see them right away and to make it easier to post to social media. Plus, texting feels a little more friendly. 🙂

It shouldn’t take more than 20 minutes extra of your time, but I promise, will make a BIG impact! The quicker you can get these to your client, the better. Same day is incredible service, but the next day is great too.

2) Remind Clients of Your Process + Turnaround Time

In that same text message, I include a note letting them know how much I enjoyed myself/meeting them, but also to tell her what’s next. You’ll want to remind her when she can expect to receiving her gallery. Yes, the client signed your contract that spells out your approximate turnaround times, but don’t expect her to recall those details. Manage her expectations and answer her questions before she asks them. This is important for every part of your client experience, but especially crucial in the matter of the “when” she should expect to receive her images because it’s going to be the only thing on her mind in that moment. The last thing you want to happen is that she has NO idea when they are coming. Maybe she has one week in her head, but when she receives them in two, she’s going to be disappointed and frustrated. This won’t help your efforts to ensure happy clients and ultimately, get future referrals.

Here’s what I typically send in a text message following a session or wedding:

I had such a great time with y’all tonight, Abbi! Can’t wait for wedding day! Your online gallery from the session will be ready in 2-3 weeks, but until then, here is a preview – enjoy!

Easy peasy. Don’t overcomplicate it, but if you have other things you want to note/remind your clients of, you can easily draft a note in your phone that you can copy and paste when you need it.

That’s it, guys! Easy, right? It’s really just going to come down to discipline and making it an absolute priority to build these steps into your overall workflow. Every time. For every client. Just do it and I promise, you will see the difference that it makes to your overall experience.

I hope this was helpful. If you want more about how to grow your client experience, here are a few links:

Elements of a Remarkable Client Experience podcast interview on Brands That Book

Create a Comfortable Engagement Session Experience

What I Learned About Customer Experience from Magnolia

 

If there is anything I can do for you to help you improve your own client experience or if you have another question about business/photography, I would love for you to reach out via DM on my Instagram or send me an email at cheyenne@cheyenneschultzphotography.com.