The following post was written by Georgia Nolan
Firstly, at the risk of sounding absolutely bonkers, I’m going to share with you how I previously delivered my clients’ photographs.
Once I’d done all my editing work, I would put the files onto a flash drive, make it look pretty and hand it over with a complimentary framed print from the set.
Thankfully it only took me a few times before I woke up and realised this was an absurd way to present my precious images to my clients for the first time!
I had spent hours, almost tearing my hair out in despair, wondering a.} whether they loved them or hated them b.} whether the colours and quality looked the same as I’d intended them to when they viewed them at home, and c.} which images they liked the best.
Of course, learning from our mistakes is how we better ourselves in everything we do, and I’m glad to say I’ve since changed my ways to create a much more positive experience both clients and myself!
Sadly, I don’t have a pretty studio space or a super modern fancy house. In fact, I have a house full of toys and other child related clutter! However, I don’t let this stop me from making a success out of showcasing collections to clients in my own home. In fact, I like to think that meeting them at my house gets them to see a bit more of the real me and allows them to buy into another dimension of the whole ‘experience’. By the time they come for their viewing, we’ve already made friends and it feels so exciting to welcome them with all the anticipation in their eyes!
I make the client feel welcome by offering them a drink and I have a tin of biscuits at the ready. I’ll ask them about their day and sit down with them for a few minutes, and then we get straight to viewing the sideshow. I try not to interact with them during this time unless they prompt me, as I like it to be a special time where they can just lose themselves in their images.
I use the flat-screen TV in my living room (which is abnormally tidy and clean by this point!), and have two things already prepared:
1. A slideshow set to music, and in the order I want my client to see the images. I choose music that compliments their session and them as people in both lyrics and sound, and choose an order for the images that usually sandwiches in all the wow factor images (No matter what, have a strong start, middle and end!).
2. A folder with the image files ready to view individually at our own pace, once the slideshow is over.
Why I LOVE in person viewings:
- I get to see their emotional reaction to the images that I poured my heart and soul into. Even just a smile is so rewarding, but when you add in the ahhh’s and ooooh’s, the loud laughs and the tears, you end up feeling over the moon about how your photography has evoked such an amazing response from these people. Right then, you can feel how much your images are going to mean to that person for the rest of their lives, and that is priceless!
- I find out which type of images they like the best – and can use that information to my advantage on my next photo session with someone else.
- I can feel confident knowing they are seeing the images exactly how I wanted them to be seen, in colour and contrast.
- They buy more prints because they are caught up in the moment and feeling at ease, and more importantly this is the only time when you will catch them at the height of their excitement over the images.
- Seeing the client again reinforces our new friendship and hopefully keeps the door open for future business.
Since starting viewings in person, the confidence in my ability as a photographer has shot up because I can see what my clients really want. Sseeing their emotional reaction to certain images helps me produce more and more of the kind of work that makes people happy.
If you’re not doing in person viewings with your clients then you have to stop what you are doing and find a way to do them immediately!
You can only benefit from the responses your clients give you.
Your photography will seriously improve afterwards when you’re pushing yourself to create something that will get an even bigger reaction.
