Ten Things You Can Do to Make Your Photo and Video Clients Happy

Happy clients keep coming back and paying more money. More money means more tacos. And that's good, because the next Taco Tuesday is less than a week away. Here are some little things you can do to make clients remember your name.

1. Over-Deliver, Delivery Early

The enduring advice to "under-promise and over-deliver" still applies. Use it to your advantage. Write your contracts in a way that provides you a little leeway in case things go wrong and allows you to go above and beyond. For example, if it takes you a month to edit a wedding set, put six weeks in your contract. Not only does this allow you a little maneuvering room if something goes wrong or you fall behind, it also makes you look extra prompt when you deliver them on a four-week timeline, even though that's normal for you. Over-deliver slightly with your images as well. When I do recital photography, if someone purchases a 40-shot package, very often, I get a message along the lines of "I have it down to 48 pictures, and I just don't know how to narrow it down any more!" I typically just smile and say "that's good enough; I'll send you that set." Inevitably, they're overjoyed, and it's very little extra work for me since I already have the process settings dialed in and I just need to crop and export a few extra shots. 

2. Don't Rush During the Shoot

No one likes feeling like they're an inconvenient draw on someone's time. That effect is doubled when someone is anxious about getting in front of a camera. Even if you're busy as can be, make the client feel as if they're your only care in the world in that moment. Take time to sit down with them before the shoot and just talk: get to know them a little. It'll make them feel at ease and it'll give you a little material in the reserves should you need it to help them relax. 

3. Be Early and Ready to Shoot

On the same token, don't confuse taking your time with being unprepared. If the shoot is at 9, don't show up at 9. Show up at 8:30, set up your lights, and be ready to go at 9. Much as we all love photography, your clients likely don't care about your brand new Broncolors, else they would probably be photographers themselves. Get all the setup and fiddling out of the way beforehand so you can focus on your client when they're there.

4. Do Something Weird

One of the best ways to make someone feel special is to do something just a little weird that gets them excited. Once you've gotten your shots (and only once you've gotten them), try to include them in a little experimentation that shows off your passion. For example, I love drone work. I've not yet figured out how to do shoot headshots with a drone (I'm working on it, believe me). What I can do (and frequently do), however, is bring the drone along to a shoot. I'll mention at the start of the shoot: "hey, when we're all done, do you have an extra ten minutes? I have a cool idea for shooting you with a drone." Their reactions are all the same: "A drone!? That sounds awesome!" People respond well to the weird, because they see your passion and enthusiasm in it, and they want to be a part of that. All of a sudden, you go from being the person doing their headshots to that cool artist who wants to use them for their weird project: that's exciting. It's a win-win: they get extra shots, I get to work on a personal project. 

5. Do Something Unexpected

Doing an engagement shoot? Take an Instax and give the couple a few instant prints the day of the shoot. They'll love the tangible product and they'll be all the more excited to receive their other images.

6. Communicate

Communication is key to any relationship, including business relationships. Keep your client in the loop by giving them a full rundown of what to expect before the shoot and by keeping them apprised of the progress of their images after the shoot. Respond promptly to any inquiries. Communication is key to building a subconscious level of trust with your client that'll keep them coming back. 

7. Act Like You Care

Photography being your business doesn't mean you have to be overly business-like and removed. It's also your passion, and you should convey that to your advantage. Having pictures taken is a delicate thing for a lot of people, and an empathetic attitude that listens and shows an attention to detail can do a lot to put an anxious customer at ease.

8. Follow Up

Just because someone was your client today doesn't mean they'll be your client tomorrow. In today's world, people often choose whatever is most readily convenient or available, which means you need to do work after the shoot to stay on their radar. A check-in phone call every few months, a holiday card, a yearly client party at your studio — all of these are ways to make sure your name stays permanently associated with the word "photographer" in the client's mind. 

9. Be Confident

If something technical goes amiss during the shoot, don't start talking about it and don't let on that it's an issue. Simply solve the problem and keep moving. Nothing undermines a client's belief in your abilities more quickly than watching you frown and fiddle with knobs while mumbling, "that's not good." Show them that you have control of your set and your vision.

10. See Their Perspective

If there's one thing that never ceases to amaze me, it's that clients never choose the shots I would have chosen. They read images and experience shoots differently than we do, and it's important to be cognizant of and receptive to that. The happiest clients are those that receive images that allay whatever personal anxieties they had and represent them in the manner in which they'd like to be represented. That's why so many top photographers say it's more psychology than image-making; just look at how Peter Hurley approaches a session. 

Do you have any special tips or tricks you use to keep clients happy and giving you return business? Share them in the comments!