Do You See What Your Customers See?

Whether you’re new to the photo biz or you have been doing it for years, it’s important to take a look at the experience your customers have with you. Sometimes we’re so close to our businesses that it’s hard to see the forest through the trees. Take a step back and look at your business through the eyes of your prospects and customers to see if there are any ways you can make improvements.

The best way to do this is to list every point where the client’s experience is impacted. Defining these touchpoints will help you nail down areas for improvement. When creating your list keep in mind that every touchpoint does one of three things, falls short of expectations, meets expectations or exceeds expectations of you and your brand. You always want to strive to exceed expectations, but at least meet expectations.

Grab a few sheets of paper because this list will most likely be longer than you anticipate. I’ve included questions below in key areas to help get you thinking.

You’ll want to start with your marketing materials, online presence and any other publicity that may impact the initial client contact.

• Does you logo look professionally designed? Does it convey the message of your brand?
• Are your business cards and letterhead professionally designed? Do they contain all the important contact information?
• Do you run ads in local newspapers? Are they well designed to get your marketing message across?
• Do you have a Yellow page ad? Believe it or not people still use the phone book.
• Are you involved in direct mailings?
• Do you participate in trade shows and if so how does your display look?
• Do you have a retail operation and if so does the appearance of your store/studio and its images and signage convey your marketing message and brand identity?
• Does your website and blog look professional? Are they updated with fresh images and content that will keep your clients coming back?
• Are you involved in social networks like Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn? If so make sure the information you’re posting is a good representation of your brand.

The next area to review is your initial client contact.

• Are your emails well written, well thought out and answer the clients questions?
• Do your emails contain a full signature with phone and fax numbers, email and web addresses, social profiles, etc.?
• Are you using an email address with your own domain? Hotmail, Gmail and AOL addresses take away from your branding.
• How quickly do you respond to emails?
• Do you have a professional sounding outgoing voicemail message? Do you provide alternate methods of contacting you in the message?
• How quickly do you return voicemail messages?
• Are you prepared to answer client questions when you return calls?
• Do you post a time frame of when a client can expect to hear back from you?
• When you leave a voicemail message, do you speak clearly and get to the point quickly? Don’t try to answer questions through voicemails, just leave your name, company name and phone number and let them know when is the best time to call you back. Phone tag isn’t fun for anyone.
• How do you present yourself when you answer the phone?

Now let’s take a look at client meetings.

• Do you clearly communicate the time a place of your meetings?
• Do you follow up to confirm your meetings?
• Are you early or at least on time for your meetings?
• Are you dressed well and do you present yourself in a professional manner? First impressions are very important here.
• Are you prepared for your meetings with all your presentation materials?
• Do you keep the meeting moving at a good pace? Time is very valuable to everyone.
• Are you listening to your customers needs and taking notes?
• Are you keeping the clients budget in mind as you show them different packages? Everyone wants to upsell here and that’s ok, just keep it within reason and close to their budget. Everyone has a little wiggle room.
• Do you clearly explain your payment schedule?
• Do you have a list of vendors such as Florists, halls, DJs, etc., available to give as recommendations to your clients? This is where the referral plan I wrote about could come into play.
• After the meeting do you follow up with a thank you email?

Time to performing the work.

• Are you prepared to shoot ahead of schedule? Do you have a shot list for the day?
• Are you dressed properly for the occasion?
• Is your equipment ready to go? Batteries charged? Backup gear ready?
• If your client is present at the photo shoot are you interacting with them to make the experience enjoyable?
• If you’re shooting portraits or live events, are you interacting with the clients and guests to make the experience enjoyable? A great personality is very important here.
• If you have assistants, have they been instructed how to dress and act around the clients and guests?
• Are your assistants fully trained to perform at a professional level?
• Did you bring business cards and other information to give to guests should they ask?
• Are you prepared to assist in non photo related capacities? Do you know how to tie a tie and pin on a boutineer?
• How do you present your images for selection? Do you deliver printed proofs, use an online gallery or make an event out of the viewing?
• Do you make images available online for guests to view?

Delivering the final product.

• Do you deliver the final products in person? Do you make an event out of it at your studio with food and drinks? Doing something special here will leave a lasting impression.
• Are all the products safely packaged and marked with your company information?
• Do you provide printed carry bags to put the products in?
• Do you offer to go to the clients homes to properly hang and light their framed prints?
• Do you ask your clients for testimonials that you can use on your website and in marketing materials?
• Do you ask your clients if you can use them as a reference?
• Do you follow up with a Thank You card?
• Do you send out holiday cards throughout the year? They’re great as a continued way to say thank you and a friendly reminder that you’re still open for business.

All the above touchpoints will directly effect your client’s experience and are controllable. There are some touchpoints that are out of your control, but how you deal with them makes all the difference. Being aware of variables such as rain on a wedding day and having a backup plan in place ahead of time will provide your clients with peace of mind and will help maintain expectations.

Next Steps…

As you go through this process I’m sure you’ll think of other touchpoints that I didn’t list. Write them down and see if you can improve on the way you handle them. You may even find areas you haven’t addressed at all. This is a great way to improve your customer’s experience and turn them into raving fans that will be happy to recommend you to their friends and family.

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Trevor Current

Founder of Current Photographer, co-host of The Digital Photography Cafe Show, Designer, Photographer, and overall tech geek.

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