Having a fabulous studio management program for photographers has been a game changer for my business!  Can we just be honest?  Prior to using a system, my client communication was lack-luster and inconsistent, at best!  Trying to remember when to send the what to wear guide, the invoices, the reminders, the requests for testimonials…. it was utterly exhausting.

More often than not, I failed to communicate consistently, which caused stress for my clients and a less than professional appearance for my business.

My guess is, you struggle with the same thing too!  That’s why, I’m so thrilled to introduce you to Meredith, from Iris-Works {a studio management program for photographers}.  She’s going to show you exactly what you need to have in your client communication, why automation matters, and how a studio management program for photographers is just what you need!

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We’re photographers – artists at heart. And we’re good at that. So for many of us, it’s hard to understand that we are actually in a service-driven industry. We provide such value and benefit to our clients, yet we tend to only focus on how our images we provide to them look – rather than the overall experience we offer.

 

What we need to be striving for is not just obtaining those perfect images, but perfecting the overall client experience (which of course includes awesome images). And we can get there with just a few simple steps.

 

But first, burn this into your brain – your images are what get you clients, but the client experience is what keeps them coming back. So if you aren’t giving it your all, with the overall experience you provide, you’ll start losing clients to your competition.

 

So let’s get down the basics of providing the perfect experience for your clients.

 

Set The Process

 

If you don’t have a process for how you handle your clients, make one (or use one of the templates we offer in Iris Works). As a business owner, you need to have a set workflow for each type of session, so you are consistently providing an awesome client experience. I have four must-have items for every single workflow. If you aren’t including these in your process, every single time, you’re not doing justice to your clients.

 

1.  Welcome Guide:

Every. Single. Session. Send a welcome guide. This can be a simple email, outlining what they should do before the session, what they should expect during the session, and what to expect post-session. Or you can get a free welcome guide template on our website, and make it your own. But the bottom line is that you should be educating your clients on what to expect, and how to best prepare. *Helpful bonus tip – outline your turnaround time in your welcome guide.

 

2.  Session Reminder Emails:

Simple yet effective. Remind your clients, 1-3 days before your scheduled session, the date, time and location of their shoot. Seems like a no-brainer, right?  But it’s so easy to forget {unless you’re using a studio management program for photographers}!

3.  Thank You Email:

Another no-brainer, right? You need to thank your clients for choosing you. And this is another great time to remind them of your turnaround time.

4.  Client Reviews:

Asking your clients for feedback kills two birds with one stone. Your clients will know that you care about their satisfaction, and you will actually learn and grow from their feedback. If you aren’t asking how their experience was, you can’t effectively make changes to your client experience to get them coming back.

 

Streamline, Streamline, Streamline in a studio management program for photographers!

 

Now that you know what must be included in your workflow, it’s time to build it out. Make it easy, by splitting items into pre and post-session tasks. And then realize it’s time to invest in your business a bit. Studio management systems don’t have to be difficult – as a matter of fact, we strive for simplicity at Iris Works.

 

Automate everything you can. With Iris, you can automate all of the four workflow must-have items. For every session. And all you need to do is schedule your shoot and we’ll take care of the rest.

 

Use email templates whenever possible. Email templates can be automatically sent, or you can choose to edit them before you send them off. Either way, you’re saving yourself loads of time when you use a studio management program for photographers.

 

Lastly, use invoices and contracts. Not only can this be streamlined, but you’ll also be setting the stage for a professional relationship with your clients. This majorly contributes to your overall client experience.

 

All of these things add value to your client’s experience with you. And when done in conjunction with one another, you’ll begin seeing those clients come back again and again, happier every time.

 

– Meredith

 

With over 8 years in the photography industry, Meredith Gradle has developed a strong passion for helping photographers grow their businesses. After spending 8 years in health care process improvements, when Meredith entered the photography industry she was surprised at how much of the industry was not focusing on best practices when it comes to running a business. After 6 years growing her own photography business, she realized she could take what she had learned and share her knowledge with other photographers. Meredith created Iris Works, a studio management system, to take her passion of educating best business practices and make it easy for photographers to put these practices into action.