Today’s guest blogger is the incredibly talented Sarah Modene of Sarah Modene Photography in Ohio.  Sarah has taught a very popular editing class on Seniorologie and we are in the process of developing another awesome class with Sarah! 

Today, Sarah shares with us Why & How In-Person Ordering Works.  Check out this awesome post below!  Thanks for sharing Sarah!!

In-Person Consultations: Why & How They Work

By Sarah Modene

One of the things that I love most about my career as a Senior photographer is the face-to-face time I get to spend with my clients. I’m a social butterfly in general, and so getting to know new people and chat with them about their lives is just one of the perks that comes with this job. So when I started my Senior photography business nearly three years ago, it was a no-brainer for me to offer in-person consultations to each and every one of my clients. Now, over 150 consultations later, I have it down to a science that works almost flawlessly for me. And guess what–you get to find out the entire process without having to make all of the same mistakes that I did!

Before we even begin, I want you to put yourself in a typical Senior girl’s shoes.  Remember what it was like to be that age again: the anticipation for the future, the desire to feel special, and the mood swings and insecurities. If you’re a woman (like me), then chances are you had good days and bad days when it came to body image and how you perceived yourself in comparison to other girls your age. As someone who had an eating disorder well into college, I remember what a long way a kind word or positive reinforcement could go.

As Senior photographers, we have a rare chance to play an important part in our Seniors’ lives. Think about it: when they are in front of your lens, they are putting themselves in your hands and trusting you to make them look and feel confident. It’s up to you to give them the positive reinforcement they need. I want my Seniors to think of me almost as their big sister: someone who will give them advice and help them realize that they are awesome, but also someone who won’t look down on them and trivialize their problems and lives. It’s this personal relationship with them that builds them up and gives you AMAZING images as a result. You want their confidence to radiate from within, and it all starts with an in-person consultation.

I do NOT want the first time I meet my Senior and her parent to be the day of her shoot. By doing this, you are putting your Senior in a position where she is at least slightly uncomfortable, especially if she hasn’t been in front of the camera much at all, and where you have to start getting to know her immediately before you begin shooting.  I am very big on beginning my relationship with my Senior and her mom WAY before this point. It shows your clients that you are serious about wanting a good relationship with them, that you are passionate about your job, and want only the best for them.

So, let’s start at Point A: the first time your Senior or her parent contacts you about booking their Senior pictures. You can go in either two directions here: 1, you can send the Senior a bunch of digital materials explaining your studio policies, your sessions, your pricing, and how to plan her shoot, and then play a game of tag with multiple emails or texts or phone calls before they finally decide whether or not to book with you; or 2, you can send them some general information presented clearly and appealingly and offer to set up an in-person consultation. I have opted to do the former, and here’s why.

First, by sending out general information (which I do in the form of a Senior Magazine with details on my sessions and how the process works), you are weeding out potential clients whose budget may not fit within your services, and you are preparing them for their meeting with you. I want my potential clients that I meet with to have a good idea of what my services are, what my mission is, and the style of work that I offer. That way, we both have a good idea whether or not we are a good fit for each other. It’s almost like a date: you’re getting to know the person first before you decide to take the next step and meet up in person.

Second, I’m getting my clients into my studio and SHOWING them, not TELLING them, why they should book with me. They can see my work hanging wall-to-wall on gorgeous gallery wrap canvases; they can touch and hold luxurious flush-mount albums that they then envision their own Senior pictures being displayed in. I want them to know that I’m the “real deal”: I’m going to give them an amazing experience and I have the work to back up my claims.

So, Point B: the consultation. How exactly does one proceed? It’s actually the simplest part: you just get to know your Senior and her parent. Talk to them, ask them about their lives, what their plans are for the weekend, what vacations they’ve been on so far this year. I want to know how they found out about my studio, and I want to know if any of my Seniors referred them to me.

Then we start planning. I have my own system where I start a file for each of my clients, full of blank spaces next to the questions I need answers for when it comes to customizing their session. We will talk outfits, hair and makeup, props, locations, and I will ask my Senior what her interests are so that we can potentially include them in her shoot. Through asking her all of these questions about her life, her hobbies, and her goals, we begin to establish a relationship. I include her mom as well: I want to know how she would describe her daughter’s fashion sense, and what she is looking for with their session. By the end of the consultation, they have put down their deposit, I have walked them through all of the session details and had them sign everything they need to. Typically, the response I get from my Senior and her mom at the end is “that was so easy!”. I have at least four face-to-face times with my Senior and her mom: the consultation, the session, the ordering session, and the order pickup. By putting in that extra time, you really personalize your brand and show them that you care about their experience working with you.

Meeting in-person for your Senior’s consultation is a great way to streamline your booking process and get your brand and mission across in a powerful way, but it’s also an important building block in boosting your Senior’s confidence so that she feels like a rockstar before she’s even in front of your camera. Remember when I asked you to reminisce about your teenage days? That’s because I want you to keep remembering what it felt like to be a Senior again when you are interacting with YOUR Seniors. Start building their confidence NOW before you shoot with them. Use that in-person consultation to make your Senior realize she can trust you to give her amazing portraits and that she is beautiful, inside and out.

And so we get to Point C: the actual session. By this point, we not only have met in person and gotten to know each other, but typically my Senior, her mom and I have even texted and emailed about outfits and props and locations between her consult and her shoot. When she arrives at the studio for her makeover before her shoot, we are already feeling like best buddies. And when it comes time for her to get in front of the camera, my Senior is almost always feeling comfortable, confident, and ready to go. I’m positive that she would not be giving off as many awesome confidence vibes if it were not for that in-person consultation weeks, if not months, before her shoot.

Now, have I booked every single Senior that I have met with for a consultation?  No. But the majority? Yes. Going back through my numbers, there is only a handful of potential clients that I have met with over the years who did not book, and that was because of mistakes on my part where I failed to give them enough information about my services before they met with me. It’s important to share at least a taste of your process and your sessions beforehand, otherwise you could be wasting their time and yours.

And for those whose target markets are well outside their place of residence?  Skype works great! I have had several Skype consultations with Seniors who lived several hours from my studio, and we were still able to build a good connection before their shoots took place. If you don’t have a studio to meet in, don’t worry! Before I had my own space, I would meet with clients at Starbucks and bring sample products and digital portfolios to browse through on my laptop. You’ve just gotta work with what you’ve got!

So get out there and start booking those in-person consultations! It can take time to find your stride and get a smooth-running system going, but I promise that when you do it will be worth it in the end. Your Seniors will definitely thank you, and your images will show it.