How to manage your discussions with clients

For photographers, one of the most underappreciated aspects of marketing is knowing how to speak with clients when discussing a job. Whether it’s before the assignment is awarded or afterwards when preparing for an upcoming shoot, the way a photographer handles the conversation with the client helps to determine the fate of the job at hand. It can also enhance, or damage, their overall reputation in the industry.

To have a successful conversation with a client, keep the following in mind:

Prepare
Before the call, review all the information you have about the job. It might be comps, emails, notes or bids. Then take it a step further. Look-up information on the Internet about the person or people you’ll be speaking with. If it’s for a commercial job, research the agency to see the type of work they do, and the client to get a sense of the company’s brand. For editorial jobs, learn what you can about the background of the story you’ll be shooting, as well as the editorial perspective of the publication. For corporate work, get a sense of how the company has used photography in the past. Also, be sure to write down all the questions you’ll need answered.

Do your preparation within 24 hours of the call so the information is fresh in your mind. At the very least, set aside 30 minutes before the call to review the material you have and to find what you can on the Internet. Doing this just before the call will also help you to become fully focused on the upcoming conversation.

Part of the preparation is knowing how to open the conversation. The client may start the discussion by asking you your thoughts. You should have some well-formed ideas about how you’d approach the job and be prepared to articulate them in a clear and concise manner. Rehearse it if time allows.

Speak as a peer
It’s important that the client respect you for what you bring to the job. They are considering you for the assignment, or have already hired you, for a reason. It’s likely they were impressed by the work you’ve done in the past. They also might have heard good things about working with you from others in the industry. Everyone involved in the assignment has a role. Yours is being the expert in creating the best images possible. It’s important that you voice your perspective with confidence. If you come across as weak and indecisive you’ll lose the client’s confidence in your judgment and ability. Act like the expert they expect you to be. On the other hand, never treat a client in an arrogant manner. You almost certainly know more about what it takes the get the right picture than they do. Consider it your obligation to educate them, in the nicest way possible.


Act your role: Problem Solver
In the eyes of the client, your function is to help them solve a problem. They need pictures on time, on budget and with as little stress and drama as possible. The pictures must also satisfy the client and the people they answer to, which could be their client or their boss. How does this affect the way you speak to the client? You need to project that you understand their needs and the pressures they face. Make it clear in tone and words that all of your energy and attention is focused on helping them solve their problem.

“Read the room”
When several people are involved in the conversation, take careful note of the dynamic between them. Be sensitive to their relationship. Be careful not to make someone look bad in front of his or her boss, client or a subordinate. Remember that you are now part of a team and your individual success in getting the right pictures largely depends on how well the team functions as whole.

Don’t over-promise
It’s easy to fall into the trap of agreeing with whatever the client says. But give them an honest assessment of what is possible, desirable and practical. Clearly and diplomatically explain your views and be prepared to give alternate suggestions. Saying “yes” to ideas from the client that you disagree with might get you this one job. But in the likely event that things don’t go well, the damage to your reputation can cost you the next 10 jobs.

Follow-up
Soon after the conversation send the client a follow-up email. If you don’t have the job yet, thank them for the opportunity to bid on it. If you have the job, thank them for awarding it to you. Let them know that you are excited to be considered for the job, or for awarded the job as the case may be. Be sure to confirm all the important items that were discussed so there will be no question that everyone came away with the same understanding.

How you conduct yourself in conversations with clients is an important component of your reputation. You want to be known as someone who is prepared, professional, confident, tactful and a team player. If you come across as weak and indecisive or arrogant and insensitive clients won’t want to work with you no matter how great your portfolio is.

Quick Tip
Talk is cheap. Attention is precious.

When speaking with a client by phone, make sure that you’re in an environment where you can give the call your undivided attention. That means not taking the call from your mobile phone while driving or walking down the street. If a client calls while you’re out and about, see if you can call them back later from a quiet place. Use a land line whenever possible. And eliminate background noise. That means no music, kids, dogs or loud printers or other equipment while speaking on the phone.

Don’t multi-task. Give the call your undivided attention. Other people on the call can tell whether you’re fully “there’ or not. If you need to use the keyboard while on the call in order to look something up related to the conversation at hand, let the others know specifically what you’re doing. Otherwise they’ll think that you have something more important to do than talk to them.

Jon Hornstein is Principal of Creative Touchpoint, a marketing services firm for photographers, reps and stock agencies. You can learn about Creative Touchpoint here. You can send Jon email at jon@creativetouchpoint.com.

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