EPISODE #014

With Allison Tyler Jones

Owner | ATJ Photo & The ReWork
Mesa, Arizona
https://atjphoto.com/about/
https://dotherework.com/

DATE: September 16, 2021

Quick tips and tricks might be useful in your business in the short term but I find that focusing on core principles and refining my business around those principles contributes to a greater understanding of my client and how they experience our business.

Would you believe me if I told you there was a single, simple element that you can ReWork in your business that would change the way you sell, the way clients experience your service, and that will lead to greater overall success? 

Well, there is.

That single, simple element is your client consultation. It might sound too easy but I can tell you that EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. I have experienced objections or confusion in a sales appointment, it can all be traced back to something I did/didn’t do correctly in my client consultation. 

Maybe I got too chatty and forgot to quote pricing.

Perhaps I talked too much about HOW I was going to shoot the session rather than what we were actually shooting FOR.

I’ve learned that critiquing myself and refining my client consultation results in sales appointments that are FUN! Sales appointments where we are enjoying the images together and simply populating what was ALREADY DECIDED on in the consultation. No sticker shock. No awkward silences. No “I need to go home and measure” type objections. 

In today’s show I’m going to share with you my Three Step Plan to ReWorking Your Client Consultations. You’re going to get the inside scoop into how the client consultation process at Allison Tyler Jones Photography works, and you will leave this episode with practical tools that you can use to improve this fundamental part of your business. 

Whether you are brand new to the industry, or looking to revamp your existing system, there’s always room for growth and learning, and my goal is to help you do just that. We’re talking mindset, creating memorable experiences, and what you need to cover in that all-important first meeting. Don’t miss it. 

 

Timestamps:

[0:01:40] Where you can access the Client Consultation form that we are going to go through today.

[0:02:24] I share my dad’s business story, which is a big part of the reason why I am doing the work that I am.

[0:04:52] Changes I have made in my business over the years in order to be able to fulfil my dream of helping other photographers.

[0:06:27] Why I think client consultation is a core principle which plays a big role in the success of a business.  

[0:07:16] Strategy Number One of the Three Step Plan to Client Consultation; mindset! 

[0:07:50] Problems that I have experienced with my client consultations. 

[0:10:06] How I want my clients to feel when they come for a consultation. 

[0:11:33] Why it’s better to get the price talk out of the way early on.

[0:14:02] Strategy Number Two; focus on the experience that your client is going to have during the consultation. 

[0:15:19] A rundown of Strategy Number Three; the consultation before the consultation. 

[0:15:25] Why I don’t believe in emailing price lists to prospective clients. 

[0:16:32] The importance of responding to prospective client emails as soon as possible. 

[0:18:51] How we begin our first phone conversations with prospective clients.   

[0:20:05] Why we always ask prospective clients how they heard about our company during the initial call.   

[0:21:26] Reasons that I want to know if prospective clients have been photographed professionally before, and if so, what they have done with those photos.

[0:23:07] Information about the family that we find out during the first phone call, and information that we leave to be discovered during the in-person consultation.  

[0:26:00] How we respond when someone asks for a studio fee over the phone.

[0:27:56] A breakdown of how we conclude our initial conversation if the client decides they want to book a session with us.   

[0:30:07] Why my clients don’t miss their consultation appointment.  

[0:30:54] Our approach to refunds for session fees.  

[0:33:00] One way that the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted consultation sessions. 

[0:34:42] Questions that I always ask during consultation sessions.   

[0:38:39] How I would approach client consultations as a location photographer.  

[0:40:53] Advice for dealing with client consultations for charity auctions. 

[0:43:01] What I like to find out about my clients’ houses. 

[0:44:50] How I emphasize concept and meaning in my work. 

[0:47:02] My feelings about online consultations, which have become common since the pandemic. 

[0:49:03] How I feel about canvas. 

[0:51:19] ReWork homework for you to do!