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From guest blogger (c) John Robertson for the PhotoBizCoach
The photography business is just like any other. What brings clients and customers back for return business is satisfaction and a job well done. Whilst the creative side should be a given, photographers should not forget to also concentrate on the customer experience.
Put yourself in the shoes of your client. Imagine how they would rate you as a professional. Did you deliver on time? Were the results creative and the best you could possibly deliver? During the shoot were you helpful and friendly? Were you appropriately dressed? My last comment may seem a bit strange but some wedding photographers turn up in jeans and t-shirt. I’ve personally witnessed news photographers that were turned away from events where a suit and tie were requirements of entry. Going the extra mile means checking out the dress code before the job and going with it rather than resisting it and standing out as an ‘arty luvvie’ or ‘very artistic.’
We all have bad days and some clients can be a pain – but during a shoot we must be professional meaning we need to be helpful and enthusiastic. Nobody is going to remember a grumpy photographer or consider us for future work so remember to smile now and then! Practical example? This month I shot a video of a guy practicing for his crossing the Irish Sea on a home-made ‘hamster wheel’. By the time he had finished he was pretty worn out so I helped him and his team to disassemble the contraption and gave them a hand with loading it up on his trailer. I could have just left him to it and not considered it part of my job, but that wouldn’t have resulted in him thanking me by e-mail next day and remembering me most likely for years to come as exceptionally helpful.
There are thousands of photographers out there. You have to stand out from them and make the customer choose you for repeat business. No job should be considered dull and boring even if it is! Make those boring shoots more interesting by using your creativity – it is after all the reason you were hired. One of my simple tricks that adds a little incentive is to set myself the goal to get a photo good enough for my portfolio from EVERY job, however difficult that may seem.
Above all else, be a people person and responsive to your client’s needs. Here is another recent example. Last night a regular client thanked me for the photos I took at a conference and award ceremony where “the photographs produced in the past were often deadly dull and boring.” This is not an event that I’d covered before, but following my self imposed challenge I managed to get shots showing an animated response from the audience to the speakers. In addition I used a little clever lighting trick (if I may say so myself) to get an unusual photo of the winner. The photos were interesting and not dull and boring.
It’s all about walking the walk and then talking the talk. This past weekend I covered a wedding where the registrar laid down the law to me because she had in the past suffered from a bad experience with photographers. With that stern warning in mind, I took the trouble to investigate what the problem had been and went through great length to ensured it didn’t happen this time. I made sure that connected with her and thanked her after the ceremony once again so that she would have a positive encounter to remember. The bad experience from before? A photographer who ordered the wedding guests around as the boss of the place and even rested his camera on the registrar’s shoulder as a kind of makeshift tripod while she did her job!
The customer experience doesn’t end after the shoot. You need to conclude the job AND follow up by phone or e-mail to check they are happy with what you delivered. Or even better, use one of my tricks, a simple ‘Thank-you for your business’ card with a nice image, possibly from the shoot. Paying attention to details and great customer service will make your photography business more successful.
Let me know what you do to ensure that your clients have a memorable experience with you on your shoot. I’d love to hear about your examples!
As a regular client of John’s, I’d like to say that YES – thinking about your customer is exactly how to ensure you become a vital part of their business. John is a wonderful photographer and excellent operator. We value his work and positive attitude very highly. He is an example that others could do well to follow.
Wow-what a great testimonial! Thanks for your kind comment Sam 😉
It does surprise me sometimes the way a few photographers treat their clients. Now and then it makes me squirm with embarrassment and I kind of wonder how long they will stay in business. I also wonder if that wedding photographer has bought himself a tripod yet!
Great post John, There is no better feeling than getting an email from your client saying: “Thanks for all your hard work. You always go above and beyond our expectations”. One assignment invariably leads to another so you have to give each one your 100%.
This is something that has occurred to me often over the arc of my 30 year career as a corporate photographer. It seems the rule of thumb currently is to get paid every time you click the shutter. If you are on location and the client asks for another shot, renegotiate first. It’s all business. My business model is simple: Give the client a little more than they asked for.
My problem as a photographer is that I love making pictures. I look at most assignments as opportunities to make great pictures. Just try to drag me out of a steel mill or soap factory. I’ve had to beg clients to stay late on a location to get evening light. Need a full page vertical shot? Give me 20 more minutes to make a horizontal. You never know.
Did I receive a bonus for the extra effort? No, of course not. But I was proud of what I had produced, the client was happy and most importantly, I was assigned the annual report the next year. Every assignment you do for a client is your audition for the next assignment.
I had to reshare this. So very well written. This article might be the sole one key, to a successfull business. Both feets on the ground, and always know how to behave in front of different types of customers.
This article put words to my thoughts and feelings about me as a photographer. Appreciate it. 🙂
Best regards, Jesper Elgaard. /elgaardfoto.dk
Thanks for your kind comments Jesper. It’s always nice to get feedback on my articles and I’m glad that your experiences bear out what I wrote.
I primarily photograph portraits of pets and their families, so to ensure my clients have a memorable experience I listen closely to what their favorite things about their pet are and strive to capture them. I also have a lot of fun interacting with the subjects which makes clients happy because they love seeing their pets happy. When it’s time to deliver their order, I always spoil them with a toy or treat that they mentioned was their let’s favorite. Clients love the unexpected gift. Lastly, I like to check in every now & then just to see how they’re doing. A lot of my clients hire me because their pets are not expected to live much longer, so when I email them to see how they’re doing, they know I care & they really appreciate my concern.
I am just starting out in the part-time photography business and, because I am already a professional in my day job, I know that what you have said is true. It’s been helpful for me to think about it with a photographer’s perspective. Thank you.
Shelly Leduke
My Grandmother’s Dream Photography
mygrandmothersdream.blogspot.com