Home · Register · Join Upload & Sell

Moderated by: Fred Miranda
Username  

FM Forum Rules
Wedding Resource List
  

FM Forums | Wedding Photographer | Join Upload & Sell

  

Archive 2016 · Do you meet clients at their home

  
 
jmraso
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Do you meet clients at their home


for the consultation ?

I have had a few phone calls from clients who live an hour from my home town and dont know when they will be able to come to see me/us, so in order not to "lose" them, as they may check around the Big City and find a photographer, I was thinking about travelling and hour (20 Euros / 18 Dollars 😬 ), carrying my trolly and handbag with 3 albums.

Any comment ?

Thanks,

Jaime



Aug 05, 2016 at 07:17 AM
SvdWijst
Offline

Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Do you meet clients at their home


Yes i do, if they live in my area that is.


Aug 05, 2016 at 07:50 AM
MRomine
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Do you meet clients at their home


I did it that way for several years until I got my own studio space. It worked very well, I liked it much much better than a coffee shop or similar space. Less distractions, quite and less fear of something being spilled on your album samples. I did a coffee shop only once or twice and I hated that.

Edited on Aug 05, 2016 at 08:23 AM · View previous versions



Aug 05, 2016 at 08:11 AM
DannyBostwick
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: On
p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Do you meet clients at their home


I do it all the time. It's actually my preferred method if possible. Coffee shops are fine, but not very personal, bars are expensive and even less personal. I don't have a studio and live pretty far from most of my clients anyway, so if I can plant that idea in their head, win/win.


Aug 05, 2016 at 08:13 AM
IrishDino
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Do you meet clients at their home


I always have them come to my house. Too many distractions at their home, less driving for me, and I use my house (renos, location) as a chance to build rapport.


Aug 05, 2016 at 08:35 AM
Mitch W
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Do you meet clients at their home


Consults by phone or in studio (home) only. Besides being able to control every aspect of the consult (music, refreshments, surroundings/visuals, even scents), I wanted my potential clients to be committed to the process. If a client was driving in an hour or more to meet with me I had a pretty good idea that I was at the top of their list, and it was my booking to lose.


Aug 05, 2016 at 08:48 AM
glort
Offline
• • • •
[X]
p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Do you meet clients at their home



Yes I have done it and now I use the studio more as an office than the reception/ shooting room it was, I'm doing it more.

2 Things come to mind for your question:

1. The old thing about don't have time.
Bullshit!

I used to hear that all the time with album plans and things. They could only ever come in at night because they worked through the week and were busy weekends.
Was funny, as soon as I started saying no, it was Mon-Fri, 9-5 only, suddenly EVERYONE could find the time with a day off, sickie etc and be here.

Another one of the endless lessons I have learnt.

If this is what they are telling you, I question their commitment which brings me to my 2nd Concern....

2. Pre qualification......

If you are going to be travelling 2 hours to them, there and back and at least another hour talking to them writing off at least half a day, I'd be damn sure they were pretty much ready to sign on the dotted line before I left the house.

I averaged over 78% closure rate on my interviews when I was full on into weddings. I spent around 45 min on average to them on the phone beforehand though. I built rapport, handled all the common objections, got confirmations they could afford me and generally had them ready to go before I even saw them.

Lots of my shooter mates told me I spent way too long on the phone but then they were doing 3-4 interviews a day and frequently booking none of them.
I was booking better than 3 of every 4 that saw me.
I didn't keep numbers of enquiries because even when I advertise weddings from from $1500, I'd still have people ringing saying they loved my shots but only had a $300 Budget. I noted where they saw me so If I was getting too many tyre kickers from one advertising avenue I knew not to waste my time and money again with it but that was the only stats I kept on non clients.

Of course if they were tyre Kickers or there were other obvious deal breakers, the call didn't last long so I saved more time. I much rather blow them off on the phone than frig around waiting for them only to sit down and find I could have worked out they weren't going to book on the phone.

I would REALLY be honing my pre qualification and I would certainly not be taking any bullshit they were too busy to talk to me on the phone before I went. If they can only email, they can effing email someone else.

Put on your professional business persons cap and sell yourself as a pro.
In particular, you want to cover the out's and excuses.
For a start, ask who is making the decision on who is hired for the work? Is it just the bride, the couple or are others involved?
Likewise, who's paying? If mummy or Daddy need to be there, then don't go untill they will be and ring and confirm before you leave they will. Leave nothing to chance.

What you don't want is to get there and do your presentation and then have them say " Yeah great, I'll talk to my Aunty Mavis to see what she thinks.
Screw that!
Get ALL the decision makers there. If they have to get the fiancée, the Mother, father, grandmother, best friend, their Ex, the Cat or the goldfish, whoever the hell else, let them know they will have to be there because you aren't coming back a 2nd time.

I would definitely also be pre qualifying exactly WHAT you are coming for? Do they need to see more pics? Do they need to confirm Budget, do they want to see how tall you are? Eliminate all you can BEFORE you even get there and then nail them down that if whatever you are coming for is to their satisfaction, they will be ready to sign on the day.

If they have others to see, great, when will they have seen them so they know they can book you or not on the day. If they have already seen people, why are they still looking and what for?

You don't want to be trying to BOOK them on the phone, you want to be trying to put them off.
If they don't baulk at all the tough questions like price and they are ready to book now having seen your site, read your conditions, happy with payment terms and everything else and they are still interested, only then would I be going to see them.

You going to them is a danger in it's no effort for them. You don't want to get there and then be told, " Well thanks for coming, we are still deciding if we even want a photographer but we have your email so we'll let you know. "
If you get that then YOU are to blame not the airhead you didn't properly Qualify.

As far as taking 3 albums, really? You don't have enough pic samples on your website?
Only thing you need an album for is to show some covers they can have, not to be trying to convince them to book you on the content they contain. That decision should be 99% made before you get there. I book them now and they haven't seen ANY of my pictures. They book the Person then the product and I can pretend really well to be a great person.... To do their wedding pics anyway.

The main reason you should be meeting them is to go over some finer details and get their autograph on the contract and get their CC number or take their cash for the booking fee.

I'd be making going to see them a last resort not rushing out as fast as i could in case they booked someone else. If they want you, you'll know when you properly qualify them on the phone.



Aug 05, 2016 at 09:22 AM
form
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Do you meet clients at their home


Never once, ever.


Aug 05, 2016 at 04:52 PM





FM Forums | Wedding Photographer | Join Upload & Sell

    
 

You are not logged in. Login or Register

Username       Or Reset password



This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.