Lessons

Lesson Info

Pre-Wedding Client Interaction

We've looked at that set up for interview looked at gear we've looked at you know how we use the gear and example so now at this point you get these enquiries coming in yeah, what do you do? S so you made a beginning obviously some phone enquiries but mostly you're beginning we get mostly email enquiries and houston you you know, you run your own studio as well on dh I'm assuming you're getting a lot of you get email enquiries, right? So what do you do? Write so generally our rule is forty eight hour turnaround time to respond sometimes even sooner than that because that time when they like requesting information about your studio and what you do, you want to kind of like hit the iowa it's hard, you know, to me that's really, really important if you drag it out too long a week, then it's it's not a good reflection terms if you know who you are it's a commitment on dh it kind of shows that so it's really important that you responding emails quickly eyes quick as you can and you know I h...

ave tags on my email, so when I get an inquiry coming from like it's called like admin from the website it's tagged red so I know has not been actions have tagged it as waiting and an inquiry so it kind of filters it and has like a red kind of color to it and alerts me so that someone will take next berry minded we use and why use and it helps me so you get these emails right and they ask you obviously a ll these different types of questions like, you know, generally we get questions like, you know what your packages and are you available there the two questions the main questions that are commonly ass and what we find that works for us that's what's important again is to keep it personal so if for example, they they may go hi, I've just been on your website I love your work we're getting married at someone so venue and this photographer particular photographer recommended you could you give me an idea in terms of your packages so general, what we do is when we respond when I respond to the email, I acknowledge what they've asked or that they're saying so they're saying that whether getting married who recommended them so nine times outta ten like the people that recommended I will know them because we've established a relationship with a few of them because we've been on a few shoots we exchange cards that's really cool and I'll mention our cool so ex wanted recommend you yeah, we've worked them before and you know absolute pleasure to work with andan might say I'll have you actually consider them have you booked them so it's good to kind of like get some information when you reply then the next part you know they make say are we getting married at the vista hills vineyard cool, you know, I've actually shot there before and it's a beautiful location and then if you have actually shut the before I mean, I wouldn't say that if I haven't if I haven't, I wouldn't say anything we got but generally like after you know, doing this for a while you get a field on dh have shot in these different locations so you mentioned like, oh, something specific about the location so what it does it it shows them that you have had the experience to shoot there, not that it's really important because even if you go to a new venue in part of your preparation, you can make sure you cover yourself in terms of bringing the right gear and doing what you need to do but it just gives him that reassurance, doc. Well, see actually don't think okay, he's actually shot there, ok? That gives me a little bit trust they keep it personal acknowledge what they are, what the email is about if they're saying that they got recommended by someone and then generally they will ask the question what kind of pricing I gently don't try and give too much information with the pricing because ali, because what we do which I recommend that you do as well as your packages should should be tailored as much as you can see you have some sort of like we have a system where like a guess a skeleton like a basis ofthe thie main package but then it's included in the the extra material and and then they can weaken basically sit down and tell us the package according to what they need if they need a particular type of coverage or if they need if pre winning shoot would be really suitable for them sometimes you know, pre wedding stuff where you doing interviews or you know you might capture them doing something that they're into, you know might be an extracurricular activity which reflects his personality sometimes it may not suit seven couples so that's, why it's important to tailor your recommendation but just come back to the inquiry. What you want to be doing is you want you want to invite them into the studio or some specs and if you don't have a studio that's cool, you can take metal cafe there's nothing wrong with that I get like a bit of faith back with diane since you can't really take into a cafe because you know it's not a good reflection who you are but you know, if you starting out there's nothing wrong with doing that you're taking to a quiet place and what you do is you know, you give him a reason why you taking the mick cafe you just well, look way invite our couples to for a coffee it's on us on dh wait you want to make a community few so um we'll have to meet up with you and that way we can show you and discuss how we can capture a day until your story and that's what you want to do, you want to basically meet them face to face because until you do that until you do that, then you haven't got the opportunity to basically show you croft and to learn about them and to have the opportunity to have in book here your services so that's your goal you need to have them in the studio will meet you and once you get to that stage that's awesome. So they made the commitment circe you given them an idea over the pricing. So what I do is say we'll be looking at the starting point of this much and but you know the idea is and that's the coverage is generally around this much, but we can tailor and customize it according to requirements so they need some sort of ballpark they need some sort of idea because if you don't give them that and either they just won't even consider you because they may not be in the budget that's you know, we don't leave in idea well, some people have different needs and different budgets, right? And, you know, also wanna waste as much even as much as you don't wantto waste their time you don't want to waste your time as well you want to be having thie right clients that the right fit for you so not to say that if someone is not prepared to spend x amount of for for a wedding film, it doesn't mean that they're less important just that you need to basically get the right fit for you and once you do that you establish you know, basically what you can offer and that you you explain to them in in a in a nutshell your philosophy so then they understand and also if you have like a website or even a link with your films, you should ask that question in the email when you respond if they haven't mentioned that have mentioned that they've seen your work. Have you seen some of our films? Because that's a reflection in terms of how we work and what awful philosophize all about so you want to like start while you haven't like actually met them yet you want to get like a bit of information when you get the inquiry in so if they haven't given you any details off the venue just ask him like oh like so what I do actually I first say hi graduation on the engagement you know it's just so simple but it's really nice it's just shine that you have that you have your nice and you wantto show a bit of care and andi you can kind of personalize the email and once you get them in the studio the idea is really just to get to know them like I never get the packages out I never I don't even talk about gear don't even talk about what we do the moment they come in I start with small talk and small talk is goes on long way it just breaks the ice it just makes him feel very comfortable very just very at ease and they can't establish a connection and the thing is you want to make a genuine right I mean it's not like you know I'm not saying you need to fake it it's not about that no way you're generally because you got someone coming in traveling all this way to come and see you to talk about what you do that you love it's pretty cool man I get really excited when that happens when they come in the main trip like this is cool I'm really excited to make these people not because hey, I can get some business from him but they're interested in using your services services that you're so passionate about so if we have that frame of mind then naturally you just going to be like oh hi you know like great to meet you did you come from far like you know that there's a bit of traffic there so thank you for coming out this way into make me and and go through they come take a seat you're making for welcome and when you sit down with them I basically just it's it's a chat it's just really just getting to know them talking about things like so house start off break the ice house is the planning going like how's it all going like the wedding is I can see it's coming up in about six months it's it's in march how's it going? You're not you're going crazy and you know you know you know it's not too mental and I started and I start I hold no no it's you know it's it's going all right it'll be stressful and I kind of like get a little bit relaxed and they start kind of thinking about little stories that as they go along in terms of preparation they kind of like ral acted it so I don't even look a tte packages I think like talk about packages and even talk about what we do I just sit there and we just have a nice chat then after a while once we've kind of broken the ice and we've spoken a little bit about themselves then at that point you feel good because when you meet someone for the first time generally I want to say good as faras it's awkward but you know, there's a point where you need to kind of break the ice with people once you've gone over that then you can kind of go like talk about specific things about the winning can you tell me a little bit about your winning what's involved like tio is any cultural aspects you just ask a siri's of questions that you can learn about the day and as you do that you start kind of like as you talking with them you know what I like to do is edit a film for them so the more information I give them actually go all the way back and I can see how we can we can tell that story we can we can, you know, waken film that this work then we start I start talking about the film the filming aspect but in a subtle way because what you're trying to do is you're trying to paint a picture here and I haven't shown them anything yet I'm showing them anything yeah, I will in a moment but first it's like oh, that sounds really like you really like you really need to listen like it's it's so pay attention it's it's a it's a it's a really simple skill but it's something that a lot of people just forget about and get excited and they start talking about their philosophy and they're really passionate but you actually need to do a lot of talking once you have the right questions men these guys like they're getting married because they love each other and they're excited that's just how it is you know you let them talk and you let them just do their thing and talk about their day and as they do that you kind of like find as I'm paying attention on finding little things that happened during throughout the day and I say I can so see that how we can tell that story I can see that we can do this you know I just come up with just talked my head I can't think of anything going blank you may get you know you get all this information about the ceremony and like I said that the one example off the thie the the groom and his mom had passed away and yeah, well, you know we can we can do something quite subtle with that, you know? We can film you know that the chair and and I I didn't say that in the beginning but when that happened that there was an opportunity so I focus on the channel focused up with the group coming in but you actually edit you have to think like this you edit a film for you start telling them like I will we can weaken like show this in the film and then we can cut to this and we can begin to kind of show it in this way and you start actually painting a picture for them you do it in a way that it's really exciting and then that point you know I go what would you like to see something on sitting down and they watch the films but some of time most of time they you know they will be connected with the couple that they see on the film as an example but end of the day that's not them because sometimes I'm sure you've had this when you make couples they go oh, that was beautiful but we probably wouldn't be we're going to see a souls like speaking like that or our speeches and out toast would be like that and I say that's correct that's right because you are you write and when they like talking about the day then they may they say for example like rebecca said pasta is really important to us we know him very well so if using her is an example she coming for first meeting and she might say well, I'm I really love that I'll get their feedback so what did you think anything stood out in the film you you learn something from that story did you find the connection tell me and they tell me and I say loved the few things we just don't see yourselves, you know, in in that kind of in that in that way we went where we don't see ourselves in the film in that way we it's a little bit different so then I say that's correct because you mentioned that because maybe that film had a lot of like toasts and speeches I say we don't have the focus on the toast we don't have to do that we could focus on you mentioned your pastors going because he was part of the journey weaken weaken that could be the feature of you feel oh yeah, definitely definitely and I might show them I always trying to show them something that is closest possible to who they are and you kind of established that in the email so if they mentioned that they're doing an outdoor wedding, I would generally doesn't have to be specifically like a beach wedding or a vineyard winning that I'm showing them but I generally want to show them something that is very similar to their winning so I could be getting married the vineyards andi might not have that or at least it's an outdoor ceremony so they have some sort of connection and then at that point that I would say, well, yeah, eso so how much is it going to cost, you know, like it wouldn't maybe not say that, but you know eventually you probably need to go through the packages and at that point you use all the information that you have and you let them firstly look at the little look at the packages first let them be because you've had all that time to go through the story and the ceremony and the whole wedding and then at that point you just allow them to ask questions because I have had the time to think about what they need, but they would like in terms of the way captured you've you've already kind of given them examples of how you wantto capture this story so what I do, I just let them let them be and then I give him a moment and then from there, you know, it depends how it all pans out yeah, so you stand you, you you mentioned that you know, you have your own client as well might be good to just tell me your your system in terms of enquiries coming, like you said, when they come in, you know, get to meet him from talking about football or fishing or especially the guys, they're kind of intimidated to be on camera or just to inquire about doing a video about him and his wife and like you said, you know, give them examples of what you can do with just recently had a couple that repair jeeps, so I did a shot where I've got my camera attached to the jeep shooting into them hanging out sunny day wind blowing in their hair dogs in the back you know, they like to do that stuff, so I incorporated that in the end their film you mentioned, you know, the small talk small talk is so it helped break the ice I'm a big football fan back in australia and the moment that come just like even like a little split of it like a little split second of like mention about football, I jumped to that because I enjoy talking about it and therefore it will come naturally so you look for a little kid little connections and that happens just subtly like just as you go, you just go in there, you don't have like a mission like I can talk about this and then we're going to respond in this way and then we'll jump to it no, no there's, no kind specific plan you just go in there and be yourself it's a simple as that I think it's one of those things in your whole asshole wedding filmmaking process this whole thing that it should be just very casual on about making a connection so I know this is ah service you provide but at the same time there's a blurred line between the craft in the art in this and I'm maybe in someone you consider yourself an artist and so I'm wondering if it's kind of a rehearsal process are sorry on audition process for you and you made a couple are you ever like? Sometimes you're like really stoked like I can't wait to make this movie or sometimes you kind of skeptical like I don't know if I not that you don't like the people but you know, like I don't know if I can see this story on my and my I don't know if I can make this story or is it just a challenge every time for you and you you love it? I think it's a challenge to when you're meeting someone new for the first time and they're you know, talking about something really intimate and personal I think as long as you just be yourself you can get room and after that look you know gonna book everyone everyone that comes in you know, not everyone is going to be your fit that that's a soured is and you need to accept that, but you obviously give yourself a cz much opportunity and chances possible to get those couples that are right fit for you and it's not about, you know you know it's none of that persuasion it's not about you know, I don't like that in this aspect you know, the word cells is used just as a technical just to describe the process but really the essence of it is making a connection because we didn't make the connection you're doing something that is really unique in a sense that it requires you to make that connection for it to make it work as you seen like whether it's my owl films or any of your films that that is done in this way that's the nature of it right otherwise it's not going to work but you're saying about craft and that the technical is that what you mean and the right fit? Is that what you mean with its talking? I'm just clear about what you yeah just I guess I'm just thinking about like, you know, like he compared to the sales like it's not like you're just begging these people toe hire you like you you want to be you want to do it, you want to be able to be motivated and want to do their weddings just as much as they want you. And so I'm just wondering, I don't I don't know how in demand your services are, but if like you meet somebody and you're like this isn't the right fit for me or or yeah yeah, it could happen um yeah I've had a couple where look our budget is only this much right and well say look we've got this option and we can do this thing we can do this you know otherwise maybe we're not the right fit for you but I will say to them I say look I totally respect your position because hey winning's cost money but I will say this I will leave in one no not too kind of push them and pressure them but I can assure you that you know what what we provide it's very very special you know and I can assure you that this is something we're not regret your choice but if there's a way that you can make make it work for you it's definitely worth its an investment but at the same time if you don't then I totally respects he kind of like gently kind of explains him look this is an awesome opportunity because you clearly have acknowledged that you love our work right obviously if they don't acknowledge that and a little bit weird look you get different types of personalities you know some people actually is a mark of everything some there are some couples that don't want this admit them yeah and it's totally it's cool it's totally fine there's a market for everything they want a different style they wanted more surreal waiting film I enjoy doing this because it's personal and it's it's um earthy and that's that works for me and obviously you're here because it works for you this is what you're after and as many other people that it resonates can you talk a little bit about how when you first got started like some of the challenges that you had to overcome? Teo mean, too get repeat business and like some big lessons that you learned that you could pass on. Um, can you maybe be a little bit more specific, like, like, business wise? Like, how did you maintain the mo mentum teo, get repeat clients and also talk about how did you come to this style when it comes to, like, marketing and advertising, which we can, we will cover a little bit more letter on the course it's a constant work in progress, you gotta keep at it a ll the time, so I'm constantly on social media. I'm constantly being contact with all my suppliers because, you know, I want to be comfortable with them throughout this whole journey, this whole timeframe, like when we're working together. So once you lose contact with these other supplies like your wedding plan is it's important just very, very casually just say, hey, dropping lines say hi, you know, it doesn't hurt, especially the ones that you found you gotta connection, they appreciate you work and they yeah, you've become friends it's important to do that you need to constantly do that so catch up with some people in industry social media's and um yeah, you know, just constantly reinventing your your brand in terms of advertising and and keeping contact with people in industry so important I don't know if you do this or not. How do you do is first displaying your prices? I kind of give a range on the website and so that way, once they inquire they've already seen you know what with the ranges, eh? So how how do you display your prices show? So in regards to when an email or enquiry comes in, I give them the base price off almost popular package way have two main packages it's pretty much all inclusive in terms of I believe what they need to tell the story and then there are other things that they can add on to kind of customize it. What I do is I give him like a starting point and then from there explains and look into our philosophy is to it's very personal what we do. We endeavor to customize and tell your film, and that is reflected also with the way we package you're on the way we organize your package and then from there that gives them gives you give them a reason why it would be great for them to come into the studio will just meet you at a cafe because therefore we can get a bit of sense of what you need, what you requirements on all that and then at that point you can because when we're looking at sales and I only use this word because that's the terminology for the topic but sales is no point making an offer for someone if you don't know what they need you know I give you come to me like wanting like some equipment and I met like a rental place or shot and I don't actually find out I need to work out what you're you're set up his new business you want to come to me say hey little lise, I'm after some light I call so I just give you a data I use it all the time and it's great, you should take that done it, zach a hundred bucks just take it okay, you should buy it, okay? No same thing right? You need to learn who they are because then it saves you time and then you can customize things and because then later on what happens if you don't do that they're going to keep coming back all but how about this and can we do this and how about this and because you haven't established like the no knowing off what they need doesn't make sense if you haven't established what they require, then you can't give an accurate, not a recommendation, but is not a sales thing, but just guide them in terms of how you could capture the story. So if you're very specific about that and talk about how you can tweak is what I say to them, we can tweak the package for you. They feel special about that, because then it's, not like a carbon copy for everyone on. We generally avoid doing that. Really say, look, it's, really, it would be awesome for you to come in studio will sit down with you. You could tell us more about your day. We want to know about your day. We want to know what it's all about, and that way we can guide you accurately and get the right fit for you, and I feel special in that way, it's it's with their time in your time.