Managing Client Expectations: a Guide for Professional Photographers
If you’ve been a professional photographer for a while now, then you’ve probably noticed that you have two different types of clients. On the one hand, you have clients who meet with you, look over your work, love everything and hire you. When you submit your finished photos to them, they are happy, pay you promptly, and everything goes well.
On the other hand, you have those clients who expect you to produce nothing but award-winning photos that deserve to be hanging on a wall in the Smithsonian; these clients seldom pay promptly, complain about everything, and are otherwise a nightmare to deal with. So, how can you ensure that you have more good clients and fewer bad ones? Well, it all has to do with managing client expectations, which is what we’ll be looking at in this guide.
Why is it important to manage client expectations?
Generally speaking, people are only disappointed when their expectations go unmet. Most clients will be happy with your work as long as you discuss the deliverables in advance and capture good photos, but there are always those people who will expect the sun, moon, and stars from you and usually at a huge discount.
By managing your clients’ expectations from the get-go, you can show them what to expect so that they won’t be surprised with the results, which will save you a lot of stress and headaches when the time comes to deliver your work. Therefore, you should always manage your clients’ expectations from day one so that everybody is on the same page about what will be delivered, how it will be delivered, and when it will be delivered.
But how do you have this conversation with clients? What do you actually say to them? Well, there are a few simple points you’ll want to include during your meetings with clients that will let them know what to expect and what not to expect, so in this guide, we'll go over a few of the main points you'll want to bring up so that you can manage your clients’ expectations and encounter fewer surprises after you deliver your work.
But before you can manage your clients’ expectations, you need to know what they expect in the first place, so let’s go over how to figure that out now.
How to determine your clients’ expectations
One of the best things you can ever do for yourself as a professional photographer is to get your clients to fill out a questionnaire before you ever start working with them. The idea behind the questionnaire is to determine what your clients are expecting as an outcome. In other words, it's to find out what they want to get from you in order for them to be satisfied. In most cases, you'll be able to tell from the questionnaire whether or not a client has unrealistic expectations, and by finding that out early, you can manage their expectations or avoid working with them altogether.
Some great questions to include on the questionnaire include:
- What are you hoping to get from this photo session?
- How do you expect your photos to turn out?
- What is your reason for hiring a professional photographer?
- Have you ever hired a professional photographer before?
Remember, in almost all cases, when a client is dissatisfied, it's because they had unrealistic expectations about what could be accomplished during their photoshoot, so by catching that early and explaining exactly what is and is not feasible, you'll be able to dramatically reduce the number of disgruntled clients you encounter and improve the number of good reviews you get, which should ultimately be your goal.
How to manage client expectations
Now that you know how to determine your clients’ expectations, you can move on to managing those expectations so that everyone is on the same page come photo day. There are some specific questions you’ll want to answer for your clients ahead of time so that you can set realistic expectations. Let’s briefly go over each of them now.
What’s your shooting style?
There are all sorts of different photographers out there, each having their own unique sense of style when it comes to the types of photos they take, and it's very important that you communicate that to your clients. Always show them samples of your work in advance and explain that this is the style of photography you do. By showing them what to expect, they won't be surprised when they get their photos. Canvas Wrap PRO, Acrylic PRO, and Metal Prints MAX are a great way to present samples of your work to clients, allowing them to see up close the detail in your photos.
How much input will you take from the client?
Some photographers cater to the client's wishes, and other photographers do not. After all, as the photographer, you are the professional, and the client should be listening to you for advice, not the other way around. That said, the client is the one paying, so you want them to be happy. There is a fine line when it comes to taking input from clients, so decide what that line is and be sure that you communicate how much input you'll accept during the session.
Who can attend the photo session?
Some people invite their entire extended family and all their friends and neighbors out to the photo shoot, which can make things hectic and chaotic when only a few people will be in the photos. Make sure that you find out who the client plans to invite to the photo session, and if you have any restrictions in terms of how many people you’ll allow to be present, then let your client know that well in advance so that they don’t invite a ton of people who will distract you when you’re trying to work.
Where will you capture the photos?
The location of the photoshoot is one of the most important considerations, and so both you and the client should agree on where this will happen. Is the client coming into your studio? Is the photoshoot going to be outside somewhere? Whatever the case may be, just make sure you are both in agreement about when and where the photoshoot will take place.
What types of photos are you willing to take?
As a professional photographer, you will get some weird requests and plenty of requests that aren't necessarily weird but that you may not personally be comfortable with. Some people like to take photos that involve nudity, so if you aren't okay with that, then be sure to inform the client that it's not something you're comfortable with; that way, they can find the photographer they're looking for, and you can avoid a problem on the day of the photoshoot.
What sorts of poses will be used for the photos?
Some photographers like to use classic poses in their professional photographs, whereas others prefer to capture impromptu, spontaneous shots. Whatever the case, maybe it's important that you let your clients know how the photos will be set up, what poses will be used, and how you plan on capturing the photos.
What’s the social media situation?
Now, if you are a photographer that's active on social media, and you plan to upload the photos to your Instagram, website, portfolio, or elsewhere, then it's super important that you communicate that to your clients and get their permission to do so well in advance of the photoshoot. After all, the photos belong to the client, not you, so unless you get their permission, you could end up in a sticky legal situation without even realizing you've done anything wrong.
Will you be taking all of the photos yourself?
Most photographers like to capture all of the photos themselves during a photoshoot, but there are some photographers who use an assistant to capture shots for them. If you won't be taking every photo yourself, then it's vital that you inform the clients of this in advance so that they don't feel surprised or ripped off on the day of the photoshoot.
What will be your turnaround time?
Some clients expect you to deliver their photos within five minutes of the photoshoot, seriously. So, you need to explain exactly how long it will take you to prepare their photos, when they will be available for pick up, and how the photos will be formatted, whether it's physical prints or digital photos.
How much will the session cost?
Finally, you'll need to inform the client of what to expect in terms of cost for the photoshoot. Also, be sure to inform them of any extra charges that might exist for things they decide they want on the day of the photoshoot that were never discussed beforehand. Let them know that adding any additional services on the day of the shoot will cost more money so that they won't be surprised by the bill.
Summary
Whether you are a wedding photographer, newborn photographer, portrait photographer, or otherwise, managing client expectations is something that all professional photographers need to do. By asking your prospective clients to fill out a questionnaire explaining their expectations and then going over each of the points we've looked at in this guide, you'll be able to ensure that you and your clients are always on the same page and in agreement about what’s happening during the photoshoot, and what the deliverables will be.
Read more about Evan Kane’s Secrets to a Better Client Experience