How to Pre-Screen ?

[ian_cooke1]

What do you guys do to pre-screen clients? I'm starting to sink more and more time into fielding emails,

spending time on the phone, and meeting with potential clients. Granted I've booked more than I

expected a few months ago, but I think I need to improve my "hit percentage" and minimize the time

spent on dead-ends.

<p>

I've got some ideas and have already implemented some measures but would appreciate your advice.

[anner]

First you need to understand where most of your hits are coming from and if they are able to access your website before emailing you. If you can use your website as a way to screen potential clients, than you can answer a few redundant questions by simply putting those answers on your website in an easy to find spot.

 

Most clients email you to find out two things up front:

1. Are you available?

2. Can I afford you?

 

If you can find a way to answer these two questions up front, you'll narrow down the number of people who are "just looking" and spend your time only talking on people for whom you're a real possibility.

[annealmasy]

Before we schedule a face-to-face with a potential client, we make sure they know our rates

and understand what we do.

 

There will always be a few who will proceed with a meeting knowing full-well they can't

afford you or don't intend to book you. But you can keep that to a minimum if they have all

the info in advance.

 

We pre-qualify pretty heavily, so most couples we meet with are there just as a formality.

They already know they want to book us.

[laurenm]

Good points from Anne. I had a bride end up booking me last year. But when I went to meet with her initially, I discovered she hadn't even looked at my or the other photographer's pictures. She was interested in price and answers to her long list of questions she had printed from some website on what to ask your photographer.

 

I encouraged her that whichever one of us she chooses, it should be based firstly on who's work she likes most, then think about the other questions.

[doug_axford1]

I try to respond to wedding emails by answering SOME of their questions, then asking them to call me personally for more information. SOME should include your availablity and you price range. Your web site should have price range or starting prices, but no exact packages with prices.

 

I find emails get into an endless circle of stupid questions that can be easily answered on the phone in half the time. You want your warmth, trust worthiness and enthusism to come across on the phone. Get them in for a personal interview and CLINCH the deal before they leave. Almost always, I can spot 'dead ends' on the phone and that comes from experience.

 

I think probably you need help on 'clinching'. Don't forget that if you are booking too many, you're too cheap.

 

Doug

[annealmasy]

Just to address what Doug said:

 

"Your web site should have price range or starting prices, but no exact packages with prices."

 

We list our rates and packages in detail. We may not always do it that way (I'm well versed in

the pros and cons of both methods), but it has worked very well for us.

 

Find a method that works best for you. There's no wrong way to advertise your prices.

[colleendonovan]

I agree with Anne and Anne! They should write a book together! :) I list my complete packages on line and that keeps nearly all of the 'How much do you cost' people out of my inbox. Too bad I can't put my whole pricelist in the phone book. :) I do get lots of 'are you available' emails, but I like to answer them with either a phone call or an email and ask them questions. That helps too. You'll eventually find what works best for you. :)

[ian_cooke1]

Thanks for all the input. I have thought about putting more detailed pricing info on my

website. The problem is that I'm still kind of figuring it all out so I don't want to put

anything up that would turn people away... for example if they were looking for something

specific that I didn't list or if my packages didn't quite fit what they wanted. I guess I need

to look at it from both perspectives.

<p>

Putting other info and answers to common questions on the website as Anne suggested is

a great idea. Although I think some people are finding me just by word of mouth from

people who have bought photos from me before and might not even have seen my

website. I've had people call and I've had to direct them to my site.

<p>

I think it's the face to face meetings that take the most time and effort, so I guess

investing a little more time in phone calls and some nice pre-scripted email responses

would be worth it.<p>

I think I'll also have to try harder to get my wife to start helping me out more. She's much

better at that kind of stuff than me :-)

[DickArnold]

I had my own wedding business and did not have much trouble laying out the financial facts to clients based upon the size of the wedding and time required. I was in a seacoast town and got a lot of weddings from afar. There were potential clients I turned down politely based upon a phone call or in person interviews. A few because of their apparent demanding nature or wanting more than they were willing to pay for or just based upon my gut. I got bit twice because I way underbid what supposed to be a thirty person wedding and what turned into an eight hour two hundred and fifty person affair. I learned to really tie things down in writing as I had to bill three different people and it took me six months to collect my fees and I was somewhat under paid for my efforts. The other was taking a wedding without interviewing the bride and/or groom as I was away for the winter when I booked it and only met with them at the last minute. It did not end well with my refunding part of the wedding price. Most of my clients were great but I wound up a great believer in pre-screening clients either on the phone but much better face to face. My screening consisted of trusting my gut and tying down fee issues. One customer I turned down by saying I was booked had a wedding with another photographer with m7 close friend Justice of the Peace presiding and she told me it was a hysterical nightmare. So at least my gut worked in that case. You live and learn. I did scores of weddings for happy customers.

[conraderb]

Dick - what's your email? I'm curious to know what happened with the 3 person billed, 6 months to collect wedding. please share or email me at conrad AT conraderb DOT com. I'm dying to hear the story...

 

conrad