Client Consults at Home

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Mitch W
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p.1 #1 · Client Consults at Home

I know many of you do the coffee shop/restaurant/bar consult (as I currently do), while others have a dedicated brick and mortar studio to use for this purpose. This is a question for those of you who meet your clients in your home. How did you set up an area of your home to do this? For example, do you display large canvases or framed prints of your work (a great way to showcase your work, but perhaps a little odd having other peoples photos on your wall?)? Have a large flat panel tv for presentations and slideshows? What else? Descriptions and/or photos would be great as food for thought and inspiration.

I'm about to rip out our old carpet and am having hardwood floors installed. New furniture will shortly follow. It's the first step in creating an inviting space to meet clients (although our house was due for a refresh anyways). I still won't rule out the occasional coffee shop, telephone or skype consult... but am hoping to take care of business on my home turf whenever possible in the future.

Anyone??

Jan 13, 2013 at 11:23 PM

jcolman
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p.1 #2 · Client Consults at Home

I have people sit in my living room where I have several albums on display on my coffee table. I also have four or five large prints that I arrange around my fireplace. My thinking is that this is my home, I'm not going to turn it into a studio. I think clients can appreciate this.

One thing however is that my living room is nicely done and not cluttered. I get a lot of comments from clients that they love my home.

Jan 13, 2013 at 11:36 PM

lindabrowne
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p.1 #3 · Client Consults at Home

jcolman wrote:
I have people sit in my living room where I have several albums on display on my coffee table. I also have four or five large prints that I arrange around my fireplace. My thinking is that this is my home, I'm not going to turn it into a studio. I think clients can appreciate this.

One thing however is that my living room is nicely done and not cluttered. I get a lot of comments from clients that they love my home.

Jim, is there anything that you've changed since you first started doing home consults? Also, would you re-posting the photos of your home? Great space and I'd enjoy seeing it again.

Linda

Jan 14, 2013 at 12:00 AM

jcolman
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p.1 #4 · Client Consults at Home

lindabrowne wrote:
jcolman wrote:
I have people sit in my living room where I have several albums on display on my coffee table. I also have four or five large prints that I arrange around my fireplace. My thinking is that this is my home, I'm not going to turn it into a studio. I think clients can appreciate this.

One thing however is that my living room is nicely done and not cluttered. I get a lot of comments from clients that they love my home.

Jim, is there anything that you've changed since you first started doing home consults? Also, would you re-posting the photos of your home? Great space and I'd enjoy seeing it again.

Linda

I would be happy to snap some pics tomorrow for you Linda. I've made a few changes since I last took photos of my home.

Jan 14, 2013 at 12:27 AM

Mitch W
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p.1 #5 · Client Consults at Home

Jim, I also remember your studio photos from a couple years ago (red walls, if I remember correctly!). Would love to see what changes you made. Like you, I plan to keep the space just a part of my home - visually as well as functionally. I just want it to be a very inviting part of my home that clients will enjoy and feel comfortable in. I won't be doing any shooting there. But I will have an area to put out some albums when meeting clients, as well as canvases and/or framed prints on the wall (which I can take down after meetings and replace with personal photography or paintings the rest of the time).

Jan 14, 2013 at 12:38 AM

Ian Ivey
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p.1 #6 · Client Consults at Home

I meet clients at whatever bus stop is closest to their house. I get there early to be sure I get at least one seat on the bench, and if the rest of the bench seats are full when the client arrives, I just have the client sit in my lap and we can look at the iPad together. Works great. Can be a little loud though.

Jan 14, 2013 at 04:04 AM

hardlyboring
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p.1 #7 · Client Consults at Home

Meeting places are important but don't over think it.
My wife and I have been in Asia for almost 4 months now and have been booking like crazy sometimes without even ever speaking to couples.
Any way you cut it you are going to have to be different than others in a way that people can remember you. These days the same old same old won't work.
Look at it this way. What if they have already met with 3-4 other photographers in coffee shops? What is going to set you apart and make them remember you? I think I can name like 5 people who could be memorable on pictures alone. Get crazy with them and do something different that is fun and that they will remember.

Unusual dinner and drinks, unusual places, some sort of fun "activity". Anything you can do that is fun and that gets them both involved is going to get you a lot further than something "normal" like a coffee shop or your living room.

One of our best meetings we went and toured the couples business. They have a startup company and we went and saw their warehouse and manufacturing facility for electronics.... they got to talk about themselves, brag, show off, and felt totally comfortable and we learned all sorts of great things about them in the process. All we had to do was think outside the box a little.

Jan 14, 2013 at 04:38 AM

Mitch W
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p.1 #8 · Client Consults at Home

Who's overthinking it? I want the option to meet clients at my home. Simple as that. Not that this thread was ever about whether I should meet clients at home or not. But to your point, I did have a great consult with a couple today - we had brunch in the sun on the front patio of one of my favorite restaurants on Sunset Blvd in Hollywood... watched the lambos and Ferraris cruise past. Quintessential Southern California. It was the perfect vibe, and it definitely got the job done. With that said, I still want the option to be able to meet clients at my house - a place where I can showcase my work large as well as in multiple albums, play some tunes to help set the vibe, control the atmosphere. Ultimately, I'm selling 'me,' and my home is absolutely an extension of me.

Jan 14, 2013 at 05:34 AM

hardlyboring
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p.1 #9 · Client Consults at Home

Mitch
I do apologize... I actually just started typing without really reading or thinking much about your original post ...

Glad your meeting went well. I know many people who meet clients in their home and I think that, like you said, as long as the space is an extension of yourself then you are good to go.

Jan 14, 2013 at 05:54 AM

louloulou
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p.1 #10 · Client Consults at Home

Ian Ivey wrote:
I meet clients at whatever bus stop is closest to their house. I get there early to be sure I get at least one seat on the bench, and if the rest of the bench seats are full when the client arrives, I just have the client sit in my lap and we can look at the iPad together. Works great. Can be a little loud though.

Perfect, I may adopt this approach myself. Hope you don't mind.

Jan 14, 2013 at 06:13 AM

Mitch W
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p.1 #11 · Client Consults at Home

hardlyboring wrote:
Mitch
I do apologize... I actually just started typing without really reading or thinking much about your original post ...

Glad your meeting went well. I know many people who meet clients in their home and I think that, like you said, as long as the space is an extension of yourself then you are good to go.
No worries,Doug. You've got Thailand on the brain... something I know all too well. Now you understand why I tell people Thailand is my favorite country in Asia. Would love to get back sometime!

Jan 14, 2013 at 06:39 AM

hardlyboring
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p.1 #12 · Client Consults at Home

Yes Thailand is amazing. I even convinced my non-passport holding parents come visit us while we are here. Food is pretty amazing as is motorcycling through the hills and getting lost.

Jan 14, 2013 at 06:57 AM

jcolman
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p.1 #13 · Client Consults at Home

Mitch W wrote:
Jim, I also remember your studio photos from a couple years ago (red walls, if I remember correctly!). Would love to see what changes you made. Like you, I plan to keep the space just a part of my home - visually as well as functionally. I just want it to be a very inviting part of my home that clients will enjoy and feel comfortable in. I won't be doing any shooting there. But I will have an area to put out some albums when meeting clients, as well as canvases and/or framed prints on the wall (which I can take down after meetings and replace with personal photography or paintings the rest of the time).

I no longer use my dining room (those are the red walls you remembered) rather I use my living room.

This is my entrance

This image is copyrighted by the owner

This is where I meet clients. One of the things I don't do is have any of my work on display on the walls. I will either set up prints in front of the fireplace or display them on stands. I put albums on the coffee table and invite the couple to look thru them while I make coffee or tea. What you cannot see well in the photo are the two sofas where we sit.

This image is copyrighted by the owner

Jan 14, 2013 at 10:37 AM

Mitch W
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p.1 #14 · Client Consults at Home

Thanks for posting those photos, Jim. Beautiful home. Your house doesn't look too different from mine. I will be using the living room as well, which like your house is the first room you enter the house in. I will have to give the canvas on stands idea some thought, might make things easier in the long run. Is that actual hardwood flooring, or laminate? I have a guy coming today to measure our floors. We've been in our house 17 years and are very excited about the refresh.

Jan 14, 2013 at 02:18 PM

Mitch W
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p.1 #15 · Client Consults at Home

hardlyboring wrote:
Yes Thailand is amazing. I even convinced my non-passport holding parents come visit us while we are here. Food is pretty amazing as is motorcycling through the hills and getting lost.
If your parents have never been to Asia it will be eye opening! I used to live/work in Taiwan. My buddy and I had two Honda dirt bikes we used to explore the mountains and the city/Taipei with. We'd find the most amazing temples tucked away in the mountains. It's a great way to see the country.

Jan 14, 2013 at 02:24 PM

Brian Virts
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p.1 #16 · Client Consults at Home

Mitch, it's a good idea...I meet people at my 100 year old house downtown. I just started doing it in the Fall with this property. My LR is right at the front door, they come in, old pine flooring, old leather sofa, antiques, vintage stereo in an old teak credenza, records, speakers etc..., Sony flat screen with attached 17" MBP on an http://www.instand.com/ stand. It doesn't take much,... I think it's an opportunity for my clients to see my style, and get to know me on a personal level. I mostly meet referral clients here. New clients, depending on the email interaction I still may meet at Starbucks. All I have is a 24mm, but I can do an iphone pano to give you an idea. Brian

Jan 14, 2013 at 02:38 PM

jcolman
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p.1 #17 · Client Consults at Home

Mitch W wrote:
Thanks for posting those photos, Jim. Beautiful home. Your house doesn't look too different from mine. I will be using the living room as well, which like your house is the first room you enter the house in. I will have to give the canvas on stands idea some thought, might make things easier in the long run. Is that actual hardwood flooring, or laminate? I have a guy coming today to measure our floors. We've been in our house 17 years and are very excited about the refresh.

Thanks Mitch. My floors are all hardwood. Easy to care for.

Jan 14, 2013 at 03:04 PM

Mitch W
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p.1 #18 · Client Consults at Home

Brian Virts wrote:
Mitch, it's a good idea...I meet people at my 100 year old house downtown. I just started doing it in the Fall with this property. My LR is right at the front door, they come in, old pine flooring, old leather sofa, antiques, vintage stereo in an old teak credenza, records, speakers etc..., Sony flat screen with attached 17" MBP on an http://www.instand.com/ stand. It doesn't take much,... I think it's an opportunity for my clients to see my style, and get to know me on a personal level. I mostly meet referral clients here. New clients, depending on the email interaction I still may meet at Starbucks. All I have is a 24mm, but I can do an iphone pano to give you an idea. Brian
If not too much trouble, I'd love to see the iphone pano of your LR meeting space. The 100 year old house sounds amazing, compared to my 17 year old tract house, haha. But it's home and I love it. Thanks, Brian.

Jan 14, 2013 at 03:35 PM

jmraso
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p.1 #19 · Client Consults at Home

jcolman,

Beautiful place !!!!

Jan 14, 2013 at 04:01 PM

Brian Virts
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p.1 #20 · Client Consults at Home

So, the Sun isn't out today, I just did a shoot of the room, and I had nothing planned for today!

As you can see, it's pretty simplistic. Sometimes a girlfriend will come over and add a plant element. lol I don't have any canvases or anything related hanging up, but that's my preference. I'm service based/focused.

This image is copyrighted by the owner

Jan 14, 2013 at 05:56 PM

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