One way I serve my clients better and elevate their overall experience is by sending them my Client Experience Guide. My goal is always to answer any questions I may get before my clients have to ask them. I found that the best way to get a lot of helpful information into my clients’ hands was to create my Client Experience Guide!

I created it myself using the free trial of InDesign. I started out by collecting all of the questions I had received from past clients, and then made a list of everything I needed to include in my guide. I want to walk you through exactly what’s included in my Client Experience Guide so you can incorporate something similar with your client experience!

(I send this guide through email 3 weeks before our session. You can also have it printed and send it through the mail! I would totally do that, but I just shoot mini-sessions in such high volume that it wouldn’t make good business sense.)

1. Intro Letter

I start off my guide with a little intro letter from myself. I talk a little bit about what my goal is for the Client Experience Guide, and what they can expect to find within the pages. Then I let them know to reach out to me if they have any additional questions and I’d be happy to answer them! This section is short and sweet, and includes a picture of me so they can put a face to the words on the page.

2. What to Expect

The next thing I do is outline what they can expect before, during, and after our session together. I want them to know that I’ll be sending a Final Info Email with directions to our spot, as well as some reminders before the session. I warn them that I’ll be loud and obnoxious to get the kids to smile, and I reassure them that I snap tons of photos so we’ll be sure to get plenty of shots they’ll love. Then I let them know my turnaround time and how they can expect to receive their gallery when it’s ready.

3. Styling Tips

I think the biggest question I get from families is about what they should wear. So I included a whole section with styling tips for the family, for Mom, for Dad, and for the kids. In this section I guide them with color choices that would compliment my shooting style, and encourage them to go dressy rather than casual as it matches my portfolio work. Moms always LOVE this section because it’s super helpful as they’re prepping for our session!

4. Location Guidance

The next thing I cover is location. My goal with this section is to educate my clients about what I look for on-location when I’m shooting. I shoot with a light and airy style, so location definitely matters! I tell them that I avoid dark areas with thick greenery so that during our session they aren’t asking to go shoot by a tree. If a client does ask to shoot somewhere that doesn’t match my style, I’ll take the shot for them, but we focus the majority of our time at spots that are complementary to my style.

5. Getting Kids to Cooperate

This section is a VITAL part of family photography! I give my families very practical tips to help them prepare their kids for our session. The more preparation they have beforehand, the more likely we are to get great smiles on the day-of. My families that use the tips I provide always see the benefit when we’re shooting!

6. A Final Note

To close out my Client Experience Guide, I leave my families with a final note from me letting them know how excited I am to work with them. I reassure them, encourage them, and love on them a bit. I also leave all of my social handles for them to follow me if they haven’t already.

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And that’s it! Easy as pie! I do have my editable Client Experience Guide available in my shop. If you’re wanting to elevate your client experience (and justify charging higher prices), definitely check it out!

If you’d like a deep dive into running profitable mini-sessions, check out my Free 1-hour class HERE!

You may also like…

“3 Reasons to Ditch the Mini-Sessions Ad Templates”

“My 3 Favorite Family Posing Prompts”

“4 Key Emails to Send Mini-Sessions Clients”

“How to Get Kids to Cooperate For Mini-Sessions”