It’s not enough to have beautiful work these days friend. I hate to say it, but it’s true. A technically good (or even great) photographer is a dime a dozen these days. And while there’s a lot that goes into growing a successful business, if I could boil it down to one simple thing, this would be it.

How you make people feel is more important than the images you send them.

 

Kinda crazy right? But it’s true.

I know because a few years ago my family had our photos taken by a very talented photographer. And while the photos were technically beautiful, the lack of client experience overpowered said photos. When Tyler and I look at them to this day, we still FEEL AWKWARD. Because this photographer didn’t talk to us, didn’t pose us, and didn’t do anything to make us fele comfortable. So now when we look at them, allllllllll those feelings come flooding back.

But it doesn’t have to be the same for you. I have a 5 step repeatable process for making clients feel amazing at every single session. So LET’S GO!!!!

1. Affirm their choices.

From the very second your clients get out of their car to approach you, choose something to affirm them on. Tell them how fabulous they look. Compliment their hair. Remark on how they picked the perfect location. Preparing to have photos taken is stressful, so by affirming them right away, you’re letting them know that they made the right decisions already. It will instantly make them feel good.

2. Get them talking about themselves.

People LOVE to talk about themselves. It’s easy, and it’s comfortable. So ask them lots of questions before you even begin your session. Ask them about life. Ask them about their wedding. Ask them about their kids. Ask them about their dogs. Doesn’t matter what it is. Just get them talking and find ways to connect with them! Do this for at least TEN minutes before you start and it will automatically have people feeling comfortable already.

3. Praise them over and over again.