six steps to creating a unique client experience

"people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." - mya angelou

your unique client experience should be geared towards making clients feel positive emotions.

i once shot a wedding at the watermill and one of the honored guest who was already married was assisting the bride, i lightly teased about the size of her wedding ring. and for the rest of the wedding i referred to her "the lady with the big ring" she enjoyed it, the bride enjoyed it and to this day she is known to me as such.

when the bride contacted me a few months after, she mentioned "the lady with the big ring" enjoyed herself and the photos." as well as she [the bride] enjoyed herself by extension of my interaction with the honored guest.


6 steps 


1. website: the experience begins with your website. before clients  meet you, they should be visually stimulated by your work. as well as your website should be easy to navigate and give an introduction to your personal and/or business identity.

2. before the consultation meeting: respond promptly to emails and calls. thank them for contacting you and make a connection via telephone or email if possible as well as establish a bit about your personal identity.

3. consultation meeting:                                                                                   
a) dress for the occasion:  this could mean many things.  i wear a pair of shoes, jeans, a blazer, and button down shirt. i smell great, my nails and hair are properly groomed.

b) engage all the clients' senses: the meeting place should smell good. therefore i recommend any of the following as a background accented scents: candles, scented oils,  incense, food, brewed drinks, fresh flowers (smell). hug, shake hands,  if possible go through a mini posing session and this point you can show them how to pose by holding hands, hips, shoulders (touch).  offer a tasty beverage (taste.) have a beautiful ambiance, lighting, and great prints, albums etc (sight and touch.)

c) credibility: speak to clients as friends, truthfully, joke lightly and laugh. most importantly listen to their needs and expectations. set client's expectations and connect with them.

4. after booking/ after consultation meeting: send a thank you email or if booked send a custom gift, which they aren't expecting and a thank you card, business cards, custom folder, containing other custom items: contracts, promo cards etc.

5. wedding day/engagement session: be early, light complements for the bride, groom, guest and wedding party. engage briefly in conversation. attend to their needs and make their family and friends comfortable. you want to be viewed and treated as a guest at the weeding and not a vendor. 

6. post wedding: send a custom thank you card or another thank you gift. deliver their images, albums and other products before the allotted time based on the client expectations set in the beginning. 

one of the main keys to your unique client experience is to under promise, and over deliver in a way that's unique to your business and by extension your personality; do not promise or deliver like another business, find your own niche that works for you. 

take a look at this video from ninja new york restaurant and get an understanding of a great client experience, then google and read the reviews on yelp.

keep kewl!