5 Things to Ask Clients As a Wedding Photographer
We hear a lot about all of the questions clients should ask their wedding photographer before booking, but what about you? What questions should you ask a client before they sign the contract? Avoiding clients who are not aligned and don't want to pay your prices starts with you.
In this blog post are going to talk about five questions that you should ask before booking a project so you can avoid those nightmare client stories that everyone seems to have. We will cover questions that you should ask before booking clients and after so that you can refine your processes for future clients and retain the ones you've already worked with.
No. 1 | What does your vision look like for this photoshoot? Do you have a moodboard?
This is a great question to add to your intake form before you start working together! Asking questions like these can help you see if the couple is someone you'd actually want to work for, do work with, and add to your portfolio.
An example of this is if they have a light and airy vision for their photos, but your editing style gravitas towards dark and moody, you may not be a good fit for one another! Asking questions like these can help you avoid awkward situations later on while staying true to yourself.
No. 02 | Why did you choose me?
Asking this question helps you to discern who you are attracting, what kind of people your brand is bringing to you, and the good qualities that you can continue using as you market your business. This question can be used when you begin working with someone as they fill out the inquiry form to start working with you. Knowing the answer to this question before you book someone can help you set the tone for your experience together.
You can also ask this question after you are finished working with a client and off-board them. Asking them at this time can help you see if you kept up the overall tone and experience the client was anticipating when they first inquired about working with you. This will also help you see how you can stand out as different from others within your industry!
No. 03 | What part(s) of working together did you enjoy the most (or not)?
Knowing what parts of your processes are working well and what parts could use a bit more TLC, can help you understand where to focus your attention as you continue marketing your business. What you think you need to work on can be completely different from your client's perception. Getting an outside opinion on your business process as potential clients to do, resulting in more efficient use of your time so you aren't wasting your efforts on areas of your business that don't need to improve.
On the other hand, when you know what parts of working with you that clients enjoy the most, you can use this in your marketing to stand out as different from other wedding photographers. Asking questions like these can have your clients doing the research for you that you need to build your business and continue booking clients successfully.
The best answer to this question after you've improved your processes is when all clients have to say good things and don't have any suggestions! This can be possible for you if you take what your clients say seriously and always room for improvement in your business. It's important to remain humble because we can always improve in our businesses even after having years of experience.
No. 04 | How would you describe working together?
This is a great way to get a testimonial or social proof from your clients once you're finished working with them. Additionally, if they have anything constructive to say, it will also help you improve your processes and experience working with future clients. If you do use this prompt to get a testimonial out of clients make sure you ask them if it's ok for you to share the testimonial on your website and other marketing platforms! Other prompts for great testimonials include the following…
Would you be willing to share your experience working with *insert business name*?
How were you feeling before working with me as your photographer? How did you feel after your session?
What was your favorite part of having me as your wedding photographer?
Would you recommend my services to others?
All these questions can be great snippets to diversify your testimonials and use all over as you market your business!
05. How did you find me?
This can also be a question that you use on your intake form for prequalifying your leads when they apply to work with you. This can be a simple drop-down menu with different choices for the various places that you market your business. For example, this could include Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, TikTok, your website, or referrals.
This is a great way to see what marketing platforms are working for your business or not. If you keep getting applications from one platform and not the others, you know that you can focus future efforts on attracting clients from this platform.
If the majority of your clients are referrals you can also consider adding in a referral/affiliate program for these clients so that you can create retaining clients and keep the same people coming back to you for future services.
You can also use this as a way to evaluate your marketing efforts and see what you can outsource or how you can improve. For example, if you aren't getting any lead sources from Google or search engines, you know you can outsource SEO to improve your ranking on search engines. Another example of this would be if you aren't getting the resources through Pinterest. You can take this as a sign that it's time to hire a Pinterest manager who can consistently pin and promote your content with strategies they have learned.
Outsourcing your marketing can be beneficial because you can focus more time on your current clients and new leads coming in. Instead of spending all your time not getting anywhere, an expert can help you charge more, spend less time working, and help you focus on marketing platforms that are worth your time.
Marketing for Wedding Photographers
If you need help marketing your business, you're in the right place! I specialize in marketing and coaching for wedding pros who want to book more clients, take intentional action, and scale their business. From custom website design to Pinterest management, I can do it all behind the scenes while you're out there working for your clients.
If outsourcing marketing is on your to-do list for 2021, click the services tab at the top of this page to learn about how I can help your business grow in the next year!