For those who work out of your home, what is your process for meeting clients ? Do you always meet them at your home or do you ONLY meet them on location ?
What do you take with you when you meet a client on location ? Laptop, tablet, how many albums, other products ?
Do you prefer to meet a nice hotel lobby, the venue where they are getting married at or having their reception or at a coffee house ?
Are there "issues" that you try to avoid when meeting on location with a client ?
How far are you willing to drive to meet them ? Do you try to keep it local to you ?
If the potential client is local to me, I usually meet at this quaint little coffee shop that has lots of quiet spaces to meet. If they're not close to local, I usually Skype the initial consult and plan to meet in person ASAP after they sign. I combine that meeting with a scouting trip to their venue(s).
As for what I bring: my iPad 3 with my sample portfolio, my large camera bag with the D3's, pro glass, etc. (I like to have the "this is what you get when you hire a pro" conversation due to all the Best Buy "pros" in my area.), a couple of albums, a copy of my contract and a notebook for note taking.
I've only failed to sign one client that I tried to sign. I've declined a few for various reasons. Generally speaking, if I can get them in front of me, they're mine.
For those who work out of your home, what is your process for meeting clients ? Do you always meet them at your home or do you ONLY meet them on location?
It depends. I rarely have the initial meeting at home. If I'm referred by a planner with a meeting space, then meetings will typically take place there. If not, I'll choose a place near me or one near the client as long as the driving distance isn't too far. I prefer the initial meeting be in a public place although I have gone to client's homes on occasion. It's been a long time since I've done that though...
What do you take with you when you meet a client on location? Laptop, tablet, how many albums, other products?
I usually bring a netbook, 2 album samples (one for each type of album I offer), a guestbook, pricing info, contracts, a questionnaire that I write stuff on as we're talking, and my Square card reader.
Do you prefer to meet a nice hotel lobby, the venue where they are getting married at or having their reception or at a coffee house?
I have a few quiet places near me (restaurants) where I prefer to meet with potential clients, at least for the intial meeting.
Are there "issues" that you try to avoid when meeting on location with a client?
Don't talk too much. Don't say anything stupid. Never talk about "other photographers".
How far are you willing to drive to meet them ? Do you try to keep it local to you?
Reasonable driving distance depending on the day of the week and time of the meeting. A reasonable distance on a Sunday morning may not be so reasonable during the evening rush.
1 album, maybe 2, no ipad or laptop. I'll meet within about 1-2 miles (all the venues I want to work at are within 1-2 miles of my home). I don't really want to shoot destinations any more so I'm not really into doing Skype meetings - we hardly ever book from them. I meet in my home but I live in a relatively upscale condo with a nice boardroom that we can meet in. If we go on location it is to a hotel lobby and we take the same amount of stuff. Then again my value proposition really isn't about stuff so I don't need to show much.
Thank you everyone. I'll be closing my studio soon and working from home so this is all new to me.
Does anyone have a buddy in the industry that has a meeting place that you guys share ? Im going to try to look for something like that.
Or possibly a business that rents out meeting time at their location ?
We usually meet at bistros and cafes. However, we're also open to meeting via Skype, and we booked one of this year's clients from our only Skype meeting. We typically just bring ourselves and the contract.
marti.g3 wrote:
Are there "issues" that you try to avoid when meeting on location with a client?
Get ready to meet Today's Bride And Groom who don't understand that it's not proper to meet at an establishment such as a coffee house AND NOT ORDER ANYTHING. More than half the prospect I meet at these places don't make a purchase! No sense of propriety. FOLKS: you can't go into an eating establishment and sit your *** down at their dining table and not order anything. What are they thinking
D. Diggler wrote:
Get ready to meet Today's Bride And Groom who don't understand that it's not proper to meet at an establishment such as a coffee house AND NOT ORDER ANYTHING. More than half the prospect I meet at these places don't make a purchase! No sense of propriety. FOLKS: you can't go into an eating establishment and sit your *** down at their dining table and not order anything. What are they thinking
I met a client two weeks ago at a local bar/restaurant. I ordered cokes for us. I left a nice tip. But the waitress kept on coming over and asking if we wanted to order anything. It waa certainly not conducive to conducting business.
I've decided that I will set up my living room as my client meeting room/office with a desk and chairs and wall samples. The wife was not happy that we'll be getting rid of the couch, coffee table and wall art that was decorating the living room. Truth be, we never use it. Only for Xmas to set up our tree in and open gifts. But there will still be plenty of room to do that. But it's been that way for the past 22 years with no changes......
D. Diggler wrote:
I'm embarrassed to be seen by the employees at a coffee shop sitting there with couples who don't buy anything.
+1
I usually chose a nice little coffee shop like 30 seconds from my house. It's always quiet. I bring 4 sample albums (2 main +2 press print) and a note book. I have yet to do skype for my out of town clients, but I have never had a problem meeting them before the wedding as they are usually in town checking out their venues.
We built out home with the intent to meet clients there. We have a separate access door for clients to come in. Occasionally we will meet them in a coffee shop. When we do we bring a laptop, 3 albums and an ipad.
I hate meeting in coffee shops, but if the client insists then we will. I recommend them to come to my place but always leave it open that I can accommodate them and meet half way somewhere.
paparazzinick wrote:
We built out home with the intent to meet clients there. We have a separate access door for clients to come in. Occasionally we will meet them in a coffee shop. When we do we bring a laptop, 3 albums and an ipad.
I hate meeting in coffee shops, but if the client insists then we will. I recommend them to come to my place but always leave it open that I can accommodate them and meet half way somewhere.
Thank you. That sounds very workable and client friendly.
How do you handle the "bathroom" issue when there is one ?
Clients who bring small children who are not well behaved ?
Do you advice them NOT to bring small children since you are
meeting at your home ?
D. Diggler wrote:
Get ready to meet Today's Bride And Groom who don't understand that it's not proper to meet at an establishment such as a coffee house AND NOT ORDER ANYTHING. More than half the prospect I meet at these places don't make a purchase! No sense of propriety. FOLKS: you can't go into an eating establishment and sit your *** down at their dining table and not order anything. What are they thinking
Why don't you offer to buy them something? When I used to meet people at a bar/lounge, we would always have drinks and sometimes food, if they were coming straight from work... and I would pay, of course.
marti.g3 wrote:
Thank you. That sounds very workable and client friendly.
How do you handle the "bathroom" issue when there is one ?
Clients who bring small children who are not well behaved ?
Do you advice them NOT to bring small children since you are
meeting at your home ?
Being that most of my business is weddings. Children are never present. Only time children are there is if we are photographing them. We have a bathroom in our studio/office, so they can use it if needed. As long as I remembered to clean it. lol
The nice thing about how my setup is, they never really come in to my home. My entire basement is our studio and has a walkin door. SO it is like they are at a retail establishment, minus being in a neighborhood.
