How I Use Client Questionnaires In My Business
One of the greatest additions to my business is my library of client questionnaires. These are forms of questions I send to my clients through their process of working with me. Usually the first half of the questionnaires are questions about them so I can get to know them, then the second half of the questionnaires directly relate to their session with me.
In this blog post I’ll talk about how client questionnaires improve my client experience, how they make me feel more confident and prepared, and how they save me time in my business.
How Client Questionnaires Improve My Client Experience
Client questionnaires help improve my client experience in several ways.
First, it allows my clients to see me as a professional. When they receive a well formatted questionnaire that fits seamlessly into the rest of my workflow, they know they are in the hands of a professional. They are part of a workflow that they can count on and a process where I will take care of them.
When my clients fill out the first half of the questionnaire where every question is about them and their story, they feel like I want to know them and their details, which I absolutely do! I want to know about them and their life, and this gives them the space to tell me about themselves. They become more than just a client.
When my clients fill out the second half of the questionnaire where every question is about the session or wedding, they feel like I will take care of all their details. I want to know what they want out of the session or what’s special about their wedding. As they go through, some of the questions I ask may prompt things they had never thought of before, which allows them to get excited and think about their time with me in a whole new way.
This questionnaire allows them to gather all their thoughts and information in one place instead of them emailing back and forth a bunch on different topics. They have a safe space for everything they want to tell me. Topics range from locations to outfits to timelines to specific photos and much more, so I have them covered for everything they can think of.
If you want to get my list of exact questions, grab my client questionnaires here!
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How Client Questionnaires Make Me Feel More Confident & Prepared
One of the best things about client questionnaires is that they make me feel more confident and prepared as a photographer and business owner.
First, when clients fill out the first half of the questionnaires and write about themselves, I get to know them better. When I finally meet them, I’m not walking up to a complete stranger. Instead, I’m walking up to the math major or the couple that had their first date at an ice rink. I know enough about them that they feel real and safe. It’s also a comfort to know that if there’s ever a lull in conversation throughout their session, I can ask them about something they wrote in their questionnaire.
For the second half of the questionnaire, I get a better idea of what they’re thinking and what they want and I can serve them better. I feel a lot more confident when I know exactly what they want out of their session or how they want it to go.
When a senior wants to bring her dog, boyfriend, or parents to her session, I want to know beforehand so I can mentally prepare to take photos with a bigger group. If a couple wants to bring a picnic, I want to know that beforehand so I can create a timeline for the session and make sure we get enough photos with and without the picnic.
If I didn’t have a questionnaire, my senior would show up with her family and my couple would show up with their picnic and I would have to think on the spot about what I’m going to do with them throughout the session in addition to everything else. Instead, I can be confident and prepared when they tell me these things beforehand in their questionnaire.
Right before the session or wedding, I reread their questionnaire. I remind myself about things in their life as well as things for their session. As I’m walking up to where we’re meeting, it’s the only thing on my mind and I feel calm and focused. When I do this, I feel prepared and confident because I’m completely ready for their session.
It’s extremely helpful to be able to just go right to their questionnaire and read their answers instead of scrolling through dozens of emails. I know where all their information is going to be.
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How Client Questionnaires Save Me Time
Lastly, questionnaires save both my clients and myself so much time.
For my clients, they don’t need to continuously email me every time they have an idea or they forgot to add something. Instead, they add it all into their questionnaire and can edit it when they need to. They aren’t the ones initiating any of the planning, I am.
We both save time because we’re not emailing back and forth all the time. I send the questionnaire, they fill it out, then I respond to all their information at once. It limits the amount of back and forth between us.
These client questionnaires save even more time on my end.
First, I don’t have to scroll through dozens of emails to search for their information or something they wrote. Instead, I go right to their questionnaire, which stays in the same place at all times and is easy to get to.
Even more importantly, I create my questionnaires once, then use them again and again. I have one questionnaire that I send to all my high school seniors, one questionnaire that I send to all my JMU seniors, one questionnaire I send for all my engagement sessions, one questionnaire I send to all my weddings, and one questionnaire I send to all my elopements. I created them all once, and although I may tweak them over time, I never have to start from scratch.
You won’t ever see me sitting there at my computer and wondering what I should ask my clients to get the information I need from them. I don’t stare at a blank email and try to come up with questions for every client. Instead, in a few clicks I’m sending them a form of questions that each have a purpose and I know have helped me dozens of times.
And that’s why I use client questionnaires in my business! They improve my client experience, make me feel more confident and prepared, and save me time.
To see more tips for photographers, check out my photographers tag on my blog!
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