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Archive 2014 · What to do with the down time

  
 
JakAHearts
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · What to do with the down time


What do you all do/say to and for clients that have paid their deposit but their wedding is far away. I send Christmas cards to clients, past and future but I feel like there should be something else to let them know I haven't forgotten about them, etc. So, what do you all do?


Sep 18, 2014 at 06:38 PM
IrishDino
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · What to do with the down time


Absolutely nothing. I don't like receiving gifts like that (car salesmen, real estate agents, etc.); it makes me feel I overpaid.


Sep 18, 2014 at 06:49 PM
JakAHearts
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · What to do with the down time


ZachOly wrote:
Absolutely nothing. I don't like receiving gifts like that (car salesmen, real estate agents, etc.); it makes me feel I overpaid.


Interesting. I consider it good business. Now, if I were having canvas or album sales for Christmas, I can see. I dont think a card devalues my work but then again, I havent bought a car in 7 years so maybe I just dont know what the feels like.

Edit - So what/when is your next contact? I booked a wedding for NEXT October. You would just remain absent until not long before their event?



Sep 18, 2014 at 07:15 PM
Tony Hoffer
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · What to do with the down time


Facebook relationships for the win.


Sep 18, 2014 at 07:21 PM
DannyBostwick
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · What to do with the down time


Tony Hoffer wrote:
Facebook relationships for the win.


Yup, this. Instagram, too.



Sep 18, 2014 at 07:24 PM
JakAHearts
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · What to do with the down time


Funny you say that. I just sent out an email and closed with "In the mean time, please follow me on FB or even send me a friend request."


Sep 18, 2014 at 07:31 PM
kessyud
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · What to do with the down time


Yep, I friend request all clients as soon as they book. It's great when you can connect about trivial stuff like dogs, trips, funny stories, etc.

Also, I send a gift a few months out from their wedding. My brides rave. Nothing huge, but it lets them know I'm thinking of them and still excited about their wedding.



Sep 18, 2014 at 07:49 PM
D. Diggler
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · What to do with the down time


JakAHearts wrote:
I booked a wedding for NEXT October. You would just remain absent until not long before their event?


Yeah, that's the way that I do it. If I had a booking for next October I'd probably first contact them a month and a half or so before the wedding, so like August or early September for their October wedding.




Sep 19, 2014 at 04:26 AM
ricardovaste
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · What to do with the down time


Tony Hoffer wrote:
Facebook relationships for the win.


Yeah, casual connections through social media is all I do, if anything. I / they don't need to be micro managed.



Sep 19, 2014 at 04:50 AM
glort
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · What to do with the down time


D. Diggler wrote:
Yeah, that's the way that I do it. If I had a booking for next October I'd probably first contact them a month and a half or so before the wedding, so like August or early September for their October wedding.



Yep, Me too. Been doing it that way for a long time now and never had a problem or anyone indicate they would be worried I'd forget about them. I have booked MANY weddings over 2 years out for when they want to get specific dates or venues etc (One place I regularly worked at was booked out 4 years ahead on saturday nights) and never had a problem.

I wouldn't say giving a card or something is not a worthwhile gesture, just it's not been my way and it's not caused an issue either.



Sep 19, 2014 at 05:31 AM
D. Diggler
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · What to do with the down time


glort wrote:
Been doing it that way for a long time now and never had a problem or anyone indicate they would be worried I'd forget about them.


I have had a bride here and there contact me as the wedding date was approaching - like three months out or so - and say like "Are we still on?" I just reply and say "Yep, sure, I'll be mailing out your Questionnaire in a few weeks."



Sep 19, 2014 at 06:41 AM
JakAHearts
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · What to do with the down time


D. Diggler wrote:
I have had a bride here and there contact me as the wedding date was approaching - like three months out or so - and say like "Are we still on?" I just reply and say "Yep, sure, I'll be mailing out your Questionnaire in a few weeks."


Yea, this is mainly what I am worried about. I wouldn't want a bride being the slightest bit concerned that I had double booked her or something. Maybe Ill make a "newsletter" or something and attach my calender at the bottom.



Sep 19, 2014 at 07:31 AM
tele_pathic
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p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · What to do with the down time


I'm of two minds.

One, if I had clients contacting me, asking if we were "still on," I might reconsider how often and when I send reminder kinds of materials, which might be an email, or a Christmas card if their booking extends over that time frame. Just a short something to let clients know that I haven't forgotten about them before they begin to think I have. And also in case clients have forgotten about ME, if they need to cancel, which would give time to re-book.

I also see the value of facebook. But I have business page they can connect with, not a personal page. So those of you who say you send friend requests, are you saying that you use personal pages for business? facebook business don't have "friends" per se, but clients can like and follow the page. I just wouldn't want some/most of my clients to see my personal pages, rants on politics, and updates on where I'm moving to and such.

Two, I have gotten xmas cards from businesses that I sent inquiries to but didn't do business with, and it's always a WTF? kind of feeling. Like, yeah, I asked for a quote, but I didn't pursue it because your quote was terrible. For example (and I'll keep it brief), we met with a financial advisor. We had a couple meetings in fact. But when my wife and I crunched our numbers and compared them to this person's numbers, we decided not to do business with him. The following Christmas, which was just a couple months after our last meeting, we got a xmas card. It was weird, like why the hell is this guy sending us a card? Does he not know who is clients are and are NOT? Big turn-off. NOW, had we invested with him, and he then sent us a card, yeah, that makes complete sense, and I would appreciate the friendly gesture.

I would put wedding photographers in this category. If I've booked you in Sep or Oct for May, and you send a xmas card, I view that as a sign of respect and friendship.



Sep 19, 2014 at 12:59 PM
Prettym1k3
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p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · What to do with the down time


I usually, whenever it occurs to me, reach out via email just to say hi and ask how things are coming along. Plus, I like to get the DJ's, florists, and other vendors to hook up with my clients because they're awesome, they do great work, and I like referring work to people who are talented, professional, and who happen to also be nice.


Sep 22, 2014 at 02:14 PM





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