A while back, after finally ditching the approach of emailing our clients a DIY questionnaire for them to hopefully fill out on their own, we wanted to take steps to better understand our clients on an individual level. No more boxing them into a “one size fits all” package.
So, we started getting on the phone with them.
Remember, branding clients are like ogres. They have a lot of layers that we (as brand photographers) need to peel back so that we can do our best to serve them.
Getting on the phone was the best first step we took in this part of our onboarding process and getting on the phone is the number one thing we recommend for you to do if you want to serve each of your clients well.
Let’s break down why that is and how you can create a top notch experience for your clients with the help of phone consultations.
Why a phone consultation?
1. You Have a Captive Audience
Let’s face it, the back and forth within emails can get old for both you and your clients when you’re trying to communicate and lock in details. Unlike email chains, you have a captive audience when you pick up the phone and you’re free to ask all the questions necessary.
We’d advise that you don’t get off the phone until you really understand who your client is. You need to be able to tell their brand story as if it were your own, fully grasp what they need, and know exactly how to plan a successful photoshoot with a gallery of 100% usable images.
When you’re able to do all of that, you can create rave-worthy sessions for clients who add momentum to your marketing with raving word of mouth referrals!
2. It Shows Commitment
When we first implemented the phone call, we were really worried that asking clients to jump on a call would turn people away.
Truthfully, it did, but only in the best ways!
Picking up the phone shows the brand that you’re serious about giving them a great experience AND it shows you which clients are serious about investing in their business.
Plus, when a client comes in as a cold lead, this phone call can quickly turn them into a warm lead if not, a hot lead of someone who is ready to book a session! And, it weeds out who wasn’t serious in the first place. It’s a win-win!
3. You Help the Brand Understand Themselves
We sometimes find that newer brands haven’t really put much thought into their brand message and how to communicate it. In these cases, our phone consultations give us space to offer a ton of value simply by asking things like:
- “Who is your ideal client?”
- “What type of messaging are you trying to communicate in your photos?”
- “What separates you from others in your industry?”
- “What are your ideal clients attracted to?”
This might seem basic, but you would be surprised at how many brands struggle to answer these questions! On a phone consultation, we get the brand thinking on a deeper level so they can communicate what they are looking for and find their voice.
4. You Solidify Your Professionalism
A phone consultation is the PERFECT opportunity to show your professionalism and your knowledge of the brand photography industry. You get to ask questions that are unique to your process and important in order for you to create compelling imagery for them.
People can sniff out a spammy sale from a mile away, so don’t do it!
Instead, take the time to truly invest in the brand. Get to know them and be your true, authentic self.
Then, take the opportunity to briefly share about you and what you offer. If the client is shopping around, picking up the phone can help you stand out from the rest.
5. You Build Trust
Overall, a phone consultation allows you to begin building the most important thing in a client relationship….trust. Before they sign a contract or make an investment with you, the client has gotten to know, like, and trust you and that always gets you one step closer to closing the deal and getting another photoshoot locked in!
This has been true for us time and time again.
We’ve even had a client get off the phone with Jon by saying, “I don’t care what the investment looks like to work with you, after this phone call – I’M IN!” 🤯🤯
That’s the power of a phone consultation.
How do you know which questions to ask?
Way back when we first implemented the client consultations into our process, we weren’t asking the right questions.
After missing several important questions on enough client conversations, we started keeping a running list of questions for Jon to discover with the brand while he was on the phone.
That list became The Brand Questionnaire, which Jon still uses to this day as a guide for every client conversation he gets on.
The Brand Questionnaire is not a questionnaire that you send off to your client.
The Brand Questionnaire is a conversation guide to help you, as the professional, navigate a consultation and make sure that all the necessary questions are asked and that you have all the information you need from them in order to get to planning a killer branding session that will fulfill all their marketing needs.
If you want to level up to have a better client experience and get on the phone to simplify this part of your process, The Brand Questionnaire can help you do that.
It all starts with picking up the phone and making that great first impression!
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