3 Tips For Wedding Photographers To Build Better Connection On Their Consultation Calls
Getting on Zoom or on the phone can be one of the most anxiety-inducing parts of being a wedding photographer! It can feel like so much pressure to do everything right; you worry that you need to look good, speak well, and worst of all that you have to sell! Today we want to encourage you that they don’t need to be this way. For us, consult calls are less about us and more about the client. It’s the beginning of your journey together, that ultimately culminates in them having your amazing work to treasure forever. Whilst first impressions do count and it’s important to show up to calls in the right way we’re going to show you that it’s the connection you build that really matters and give you three tips to take into your next consultation call to foster that connection with your clients and ultimately sell in a more effortless and effective way.
Here are three tips to take into your next consultation call that will help you build rapport and and trust with your potential clients:
Tip 1: Create an Open and Welcoming Atmosphere
When you first welcome your potential clients onto the call, creating an open and welcoming atmosphere should be your first priority to lay the groundwork for a successful conversation. You want to greet them as if you were meeting them in person, being warm and friendly and using their names. Don’t start by jumping straight into the details, treat it as you would any other first conversation - ask them how they are, how their day has been, use their names and don’t forget to be upbeat and positive! Next, I always focus on asking them a little bit about their journey together - once they’re talking about each other and the conversation is flowing it will be far easier to move on to the detail focussed part of the conversation.
Tip 2: Let Them Speak!
The number one thing we would like you to take away from this post is that if you do nothing else on a consultation call, focus on creating meaningful conversations and allowing your potential couple to speak. Now this may sound stupid - “of course I’m going to let them speak!” but we’re talking on a deeper level here. They will be in full throng with their wedding planning and will have already had so many conversations about it, with other suppliers, with other photographers maybe, certainly with their family and friends.
When we say to let them speak we mean to let them speak as if you are their family or friends - let them go deep and don’t just stay at the surface - ask questions that get to the core of what their wedding truly means to them and why they are planning the day that they have in mind. The call isn’t about you and what you think you can offer them, it’s about discovering what they really want and need. I’ve lost count of the amount of times a couple have mentioned a specific small detail on a call, an obscure photo they saw in our portfolio that really elicited their emotions, something more personal like a relationship that is especially important to them or a specific part of the day that means more to them than it might to another couple. By allowing them to speak and by truly listening we can garner so much information beyond the “essential details” that will ultimately allow us to capture their wedding in a more effective way.
Tip 3: Affirm and Build Upon Their Ideas
Every consultation call that you have and ultimately every wedding you capture will be a little bit different. Even if the same threads are present throughout a lot of the weddings you find yourself booked for, there will always be different dreams and aspirations and unique elements, moments or perspectives that will make up each couple's day.
Following on from tip two, as their photographer one of the biggest things you can do is to actively listen to your potential couple; paying attention to not only the words they say but putting the pieces together and understanding their overall vision. By doing this you will be better placed to not only book them more effectively but also to serve them more effectively throughout their wedding journey with you. The path to creating their dream gallery is ultimately a collaboration between you and them, by having this deep understanding of them and their vision you can then participate in this collaboration in a much better way, laying the groundwork for an incredible experience and a wedding, and photos, beyond what they could have hoped for.
When speaking with your couple on the call you can show this deeper level of understanding by doing several things; first, you want to periodically reflect back on what you have heard from them and confirm that you are on board and excited by their vision. Second, you can ask exploratory questions to dig deep into their thoughts and ideas and work towards finding out their specific perspective and nuances. Finally, you can share inspiring examples or ideas that you may have experienced or seen previously. These could be more confirmatory in nature (“I’ve done that before and it worked really well”) or provide them with more creative possibilities beyond what they had previously envisioned.
We hope these tips can help you in your next consultation call! As you implement them in your calls going forward, remember that your role is not just that of a photographer but that of a storyteller capturing their unique day. By creating a genuine connection and truly listening to each and every couple you speak with, you will find yourself not only booking clients more effectively but creating an experience that extends far beyond the call. So, step into your next call with confidence and remember that it's the connection you build that truly matters.
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