Tuesday, May 14, 2013

How to: Take a Booking via Email

I want you to think about how many hours (or years) you have put into building your business from the ground up. I want you to remember all the hard work that went into getting ready for that expo last month, networkinghow to turn a boudoir inquiry into a booking via emailwith other businesses last week, optimizing your website every other day, creating your mission statement, etc. Although all of those things are so very worth it, they are a hell of a lot of work, right??

There are so many different avenues to running a successful photography business. If you have mastered (or are actively pursuing leads) all the ways to get clients ringing you or emailing you, that’s great!! However, have you really mastered the art of turning those inquiries into actual paying bookings?  How you’re responding to these inquiries is crucial. So let’s get down to business! Here are a list of must haves for turning women’s portrait inquiries into bookings.

 1) PROMPT RESPONSES: 

With the amount of marketing that we put into our businesses you can see why it’s essential to answer each e-mail promptly. The minute somebody hits send on the email inquiry is the minute they’re officially excited to potentially book or hear back from you. Ever minute after that, the longer you wait, their excitement is fading. I can’t stress enough how important it is to reply as soon as possible. (keep reading for helpful tips to speed up your response time)

2) TRY CALLING THEM FIRST:

On the contact form on my website it asks for their information along with their phone number. Listing their phone number is not required. I do this because then I know that if they list their phone number they’re a very serious inquiry and they’re up for me giving them a call to chat about their shoot. If they give you their number PLEASE CALL THEM. I know based on last week’s post that many of you are afraid to talk on the phone, “busy,” etc. But let me ask you this: If all it took was a simple 3-5 minute phone call to get paid your session fee/deposit then why wouldn’t you?? If your session fee isn’t enough to motivate you then maybe you need to raise it;)

If you try calling them, and they don’t answer, don’t fret! Calling them will still come in handy! You can leave them a nice message letting them know you called and that you will go ahead and send them out an email (also be friendly and mention they can call you back when they get a chance). This is great because they now know you’re a friendly real person who cares to have them as a customer. They also now know that you have sent them an email. In the off chance your email goes to their spam or they mis-typed their email address this will set that all straight.

3) USING EMAIL TEMPLATES:

Email templates are my best friend! Having a pre-written response that I can tweak slightly per client really helps me get back to them in a timely manner instead of writing a new email each time! I use shootq which is client management software. I’m able to store and label all of my email templates. When somebody inquires with me I just send them the template to best fit their needs (boudoir, glamour, etc.). The best part is shootq fills in their name automatically to make it is more personalized! I make sure to answer any of  their questions in the template as well before I send it out. Most of the time though when people inquire with me they don’t have a ton of questions. This is because I address many things on my website as well as making my contact form short and sweet. I should also mention that you do not “need” shootq. You can easily copy and paste your template response to each person via email.

Templates are also great because you only get one time to reply. There are no do-overs. This way you can be sure you are putting your best foot forward each time you respond. So let’s talk about how to create the perfect email template.

You want to start your email off by saying hello and thanking them for getting in touch! Always remember to use their name (“hello amanda”) as it personalizes it even more. Then you want to dive right into, what I like to call “painting the experience picture.” Before you get into any heavy details (number of outfits, price, etc) you want to help them visualize how much fun this experience is going to be and how great it’s going to feel walking into your studio (or hotel room, shoot location, etc). Here is an excerpt (this is the first paragraph from my email response template) from my email template in how I paint the picture: “Ready for some YOU time? This photo shoot & makeover are going to be so much fun! Our 1100 sq ft. studio in Eau Claire, WI is decked out like a boutique hotel, has a private dressing room/wash room, a viewing area & place for you to have your professional hair/makeup done.  I also do light retouching included. What this means is that I retouch any areas that need it but I will always keep you looking like you.  Remember “It’s not about how you look but how you FEEL about the way you look.” – Now I don’t want you to just copy and paste what I have written I want you to list what makes your studio unique and turn that into your own experience painted paragraph, you can do it! By painting the picture they’re now envisioning walking into your studio, feeling relaxed, they know you’re going to take care of everything.

Next I want you to make a list of all of your most asked questions.[If you'll notice in the paragraph I wrote above I was already starting to address questions] What are the questions your clients are constantly asking over and over? (questions about outfits, where you’re located? Write those all down. You will want to address the most important and popular questions right away in the email template. So for example. If everyone is asking you what products you offer perhaps you could mention that or link to it. I mention linking because you don’t want  your email to get too lengthy. If they click the link they’re also then going back to your website where they will browse more and get even more investing/excited with the idea of the photo shoot.

Once you have the paragraph and the questions work on forming it into your email template response .  Also, make sure you’re portraying your voice! Don’t sound like a robot! If you’re not great at writing, a helpful tool would be to use Dragon Dictation. It’s a dictation app for your smart phone. You can talk into it like you’re having a conversation with a friend or over the phone. You can then send it to yourself for editing.  Don’t be afraid to be fun and be yourself! TIP: Nobody can be you! Being you sets your business apart!

PRICING:  I personally list all of my pricing on my website. This helps me cut back on inquiries and weed out those who aren’t looking to invest my average sale. If you’re newer in business I would suggest putting  price starting point or range on your website so you can bring in more leads. This will also give you a chance to explain your pricing via phone or email.  In my email template I have a link that says “click here for pricing” and it directs them back to my website. However, if you’re not listing your pricing on your website you could make a fancy pricing PDF, a video of you showing products/explaining pricing or just list it in the email until you have time to do something fancier. Just remember to keep your price list SHORT!

I do touch a bit about wardrobe (I get asked that question a lot) towards the end of the email template because I want to continue their planning and excitement about the shoot. Remember invested clients = higher sales!  I let them know how many outfits to bring and I suggest they start a Pinterest board to start brain storming.

Lastly you want to mention how they’re going to feel after the photo shoot. People buy based on a few main things and “feeling good” is one of them. I like to mention that they are sure to leave my studio skipping with confidence! This paints a picture for how they will feel and it also matches with my mission statement.

Now onto the final part and to secure the  booking…

4) THE INCENTIVE/CALL TO ACTION

At the bottom of the email mention what their next step should be. If they haven’t mentioned it in their previous email I ask them at the end of the email which month they would like me to send open dates/times for so we can get them all set up for their shoot! I then mention that once they decide on a shoot date/time I will send them an email invoice for the shoot deposit and that once that’s paid I will send them our welcome/info email as well as our super fun questionnaire!

By giving them something (even if it’s just a fun questionnaire) for securing their booking this will light a fire under their butt. If they don’t get anything right away from me after booking then what is the incentive for them to hop to it? You could get really creative and send them a sexy book once they secure their booking, etc. Get creative, have fun with it and stay true to your branding!

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QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? LEAVE THEM BELOW I’D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU <3

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Lana Thomas - May 21, 2013 - 12:18 pm

Thank you Molly for sharing! I hope this will create more bookings for my studio.

Tuesday, May 7, 2013

HOW TO: Turn a Phone Inquiry into a Booking

These days it seems like people are avoiding the phone like the plague.  You call someone, you leave a message. They call you back, they leave a message. It’s phone tag!

I know that calling somebody seems outdated but actually it’s more important now then ever! As you know, many companies have switched to email only or robots answering their phones. Ask yourself, do you like that? If you were your customer would that make you happy? Probably not. With all the autobots out there we value human interaction now more then ever.

I’v also noticed many studios in my area only return inquiries via email. By trying your best to go with phone first you will look SO much more friendly and personable, getting a leg up on the competition. In the inquiry form on my website I ask for their email AND phone number. I always try their phone first. If they pick up, awesome. If not I leave a message saying they can look for a reply email in their inbox or call me back. This also works great because if it went to their spam folder they’ll still know you emailed them based on the phone message.

There was a time where an unknown number would call and I was afraid to answer. I was afraid to pick up because I was nervous that if I didn’t know the question ahead of time (like email) I might not know how to answer! How silly is this?! Keep reading and I’ll let you know just how I overcame this and started getting MANY bookings via phone. Before we dive deep into how to do this let’s first start off with a few ways to get inquiries CALLING us.

HOW TO GET INQUIRES TO CALL:

  • Put your phone # on your marketing materials, your website, social media (seriously, do it)
  • On your contact page next to your # say something like “I’d love to chat with you!” Make it inviting.
  • Make a Status Update such as: “Only 2 spots left for May! I’ll be in the office until 4pm and I’d love to chat with you 555-1235!”
  • For gift cards/vouchers write “To redeem call 555-1234.”
  • Make sure that when people search for local photographers you’re coming up in the search and your # is visable

I made the mistake once of removing my phone number off of my website. I thought that it would save me time to only have to answer emails. Of course it DID save me time however, it also cost me bookings!! If you’re in a position where you have enough bookings to justify this and you think it will work for your business, than go for it! However, I think most people reading this blog would be happy to get some more inquiries ringing in, am I right?

The thing is, if a potential customer is taking the time to call and inquire with you, they’re interested in your services. It’s easy for a potential customer to send a quick facebook message or email but making time for a phone call is a little bit more work and certainly means they are interested in chatting with you. Now that we know how to get inquiries rolling in and that we should be EXCITED when our phone rings (because these are ultra potential bookings) we need to address the next step.

WRITING A PHONE SCRIPT:

Phone scripts are super important. You’ll always know what to say and what you want to cover in that phone call. You never want to forget to educate them on price or forget to get their email address or something like that;)

#1) Make a list of all the topics you want to cover in your phone script. Just start making a list: tell a story (I always tell a true story of a nervous client who left the studio skipping with confidence or girls gifting the shoot to their man I tell the true story of how I received an email from a girl’s spouse after the shoot thanking me for “talking her into” doing a boudoir shoot),  pricing, how amazing the end result is-reconfirming why they should book, how you’re different then other studios, etc. Just brain storm as much as you can, it’s easier to cut things later then to add things later.

#2) Is there anything you can leave out of the phone script and address in a follow up email once they’ve secured their deposit?  I leave out chatting about outfits in detail until after they’ve booked (unless I need to use outfits to excite them about the shoot). I do this because most people don’t have a ton of time on the phone so I let them know once they book they will receive my info/welcome email + questionnaire which covers everything about outfits. If they have anymore questions at that time they can, of course, call or email me.

#3) Make a list of the most popular questions inquiring clients ask you. Next, answer each one out on paper or in a doc. This is such a great exercise. When somebody asks you this question again you will now have the perfect answer to it and be able to answer consistently to each potential client as well. The worst thing is when you say to one client, for example, “you get three outfits with your shoot” and then you say to another client “you get 4 outfits with your shoot.”

#4) Run a typical phone call from a potential client through your head. Type it out as a phone script. Make sure you’re adding in everything you want from the above exercises.

#5) Call to Action. Once you’ve gone through everything with this potential client on the phone the last part is the MOST IMPORTANT. This is also often the hardest for most photographers to come out and say. The end of your phone script must have a call to action such as “When would you like to book your shoot?” For me personally I always talk about how they will receive my info/welcome email + a super fun questionnaire once they’re officially booked then I ask “what month should we look at to get your shoot booked.” Once we pick the date/time I say “which card would you like to use for your session deposit?” I know it’s hard to say that at first but you HAVE TO. If they’re still on the phone with you they want to book. Once they’re all paid I let them know they will receive an email from me asap after this phone call with a welcome/info email and a super fun questionnaire. TIP: Make sure to make a rule of what to say if they say “I can’t pay by card but I can mail a check.” Decide beforehand if you’re a business who takes checks or not.

#6) Print out your phone script and put it by your desk. If you’re on the go a lot you could paste it into a “note” on your smart phone as well. If somebody else answers your phone the phone script will be super helpful for them as well.

Preparation is key. You never want to have to get back to somebody “later” with a question they have for you.  You want to be able to take that booking and secure their deposit right then and there on the phone. By writing a phone script I overcame my fear of phone inquiries and book 9 out of 10 phone inquiries that call in on the spot. Once you’ve prepped with the tips from the blog post and you’ve practiced so you’re confident talking on the phone I have no doubt you’ll be booking phone inquiries left and right!

SIGN UP TO RECEIVE NEXT WEEKS POST: “How to take a Booking via Email”

QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? LEAVE THEM BELOW I’D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU <3

4 comments

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Kristen Driscoll - May 7, 2013 - 10:59 am

Super helpful – thank you ! :)

Jared McNabb - May 7, 2013 - 4:55 pm

So true. Great write up.

boudieshorts - May 8, 2013 - 8:18 pm

Thank you Kristen & Jared, glad this post was helpful for you!

How to: Take a Booking via Email | Boudie Shorts - May 14, 2013 - 9:30 am

[...] a call to chat about their shoot. If they give you their number PLEASE CALL THEM. I know based on last week’s post that many of you are afraid to talk on the phone, “busy,” etc. But let me ask you this: [...]

Thursday, May 2, 2013

What a House Fire Taught me About Business

There are certain things in life  you think “that’ll never happen to me,” your famous last words. Unfortunately those were my last words. One of “those things” happened me. It was a freak accident, a long story, a weird twist, whatever you want to call it.

About two years ago we had the unfortunate experience of dealing with a house fire. Our attached garage burnt, part of our house & smoke damage to almost everything.  Of course with many other inconvenient things they always seem to happen at the worst possible time. This happened end of May, which for me, was the middle of a very busy wedding season (yes, I used to shoot weddings). I still remember it vividly though. I was upstairs backing up cards from the wedding I had JUST shot when I heard somebody yell “get out of the house, it’s on fire!”  Without even thinking I grabbed all of my hard drives, camera gear and the cards that were currently uploading (The cards are fine, the couple got their photos safe and sound) and sprinted out of the house, what a disaster.

Before I move on further I just want to let you know we’re all fine (even Tom & Freddy – our cats) and that although this was something I never hoped to experience I feel I have learned a lot from this.

TOP 3 Things I’m Glad I had in Place Before the Fire:

-Renters/Home Owners Insurance
-Nearby Fire Station
-A decent Back Up System (for backing up photos)

TOP 3 Things I WISH I had in Place Before the Fire:

-Being a Full time Boudoir Photographer (I was still doing weddings at the time, they’re far too stressful for me, kudos to those who shoot them)
-A list in place of all of our items or our insurance company
-A BETTER back up system

I just want to touch again on how GRATEFUL I was to have had insurance.  If you don’t have renters/home owners insurance, insurance for your gear, etc. GET IT NOW. Our renters insurance was only $60 a YEAR. With the smoke damage alone we would have been out $20,000 in cleaning fees. That doesn’t even begin to include re-building of the house, etc. Once things cooled down a bit I thought more and more about the situation and how things like this DO happen and how I need to take things such as backing up my photos even more seriously then I already was. I felt like I “got lucky.” When backing up important photographs you don’t want to “get lucky.” You want to ALWAYS KNOW that all of your photos & documents are safe and sound.

I know you’re thinking “DUH MOLLY, of course I know all of this already.”  Yes, I knew it all too, but are you REALLY implementing it??

Although I had a backup system I will admit I didn’t really know a whole lot about it. I had things on lots of different hard drives, saved things to smugmug and another online back up archiving site. My photos may have been safe but what kind of system was this?? When I started my business there were SO many things on my to do list that backing up got touched on but was never “perfected.” Backing up your photos is SO important yet it is one of the “least sexy” topics.  I’m sure you would rather be shooting, taking bookings, marketing, making money, etc.  The system I had in place was good. However, I didn’t want good, I wanted to KNOW that I was doing the best job I possibly could so that I could sleep like a baby at night;)

Questions you NEED to Ask Yourself:

-Are all of my photos currently backed up on-site AND off-site? (if you work from home this is super important)
-Do I have an organized system in place?
-Do I need to set aside time on my calendar to make this a top priority?
-Are you feeling overwhelmed with all the back up options?

As photographers (not just wedding photographers, this is important for all of us) most of us are not networking geniuses. I had to do A LOT of research on different back up systems, get opinions from networking/computer friends, and [ALMOST] spent way too much money on my first “back up system.” Which hey, if you have the money this is a GREAT system, check it out.

However, I was recently made aware that a couple photographers have already done all the research and testing for you! I recently heard about this, went to check it out and saw it’s only $23 (during their launch), are you kidding me?! So of course I purchased their “Back up or Die” E-book and had MANY “ah hah” moments! This PDF E-book is insane. They educate you about backing up, all the different systems, what system is right for you and a step by step guide on how to implement everything 0_0.  Why didn’t I find this year ago?! Thank you PC!

The best part is, they found a way to make reading and implementing a great back up system for your business, SEXY! The Back up or Die PDF is written like a hilarious fairy tale, haha!

Although I wish the house fire could have never happened to us, in a way I’m thankful.  I’m thankful for the things we were already prepared for and I’m thankful for what I learned from it. I hope everyone reading this NEVER has to go through a house fire or the like because it is pretty damn terrible, draining, testing and exhausting. However, you can prepare for it. Don’t let “that’ll never happen to me,” be your famous last words, prepare for it and you will thank yourself later.

COMMENTS, QUESTIONS or back up horror stories?? I’d LOVE to hear from you!! 

 

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