People look at me like I LOST MY MIND when I tell them I refuse to call and do a phone consult with potential clients. Nope. Not doin’ it!
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Wanna know why?!?
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1. TIME IS MONEY: think about all the hours you can spend on the phone with every single inquiry per week and how you don’t make a dime off any of that time spent. Remember, when you price yourself, the income from that client is after they sign a contract with you – not before. Also, you can’t SHOW your potential client anything through the phone… words don’t make pictures. And because I’m a high-end photographer, if I simply quote my prices over the phone, I’ll likely get a “No thanks.” every time.

Instead of a phone call, I actually give any calling inquiries this voicemail message:

“Hello! You’ve reached Amanda with Amanda Holloway Photography!

If you are inquiring about a senior photography session or an itemized price list, please e-mail me at AmandaHollowayPhotography@ gmail.com and I will respond with my senior magazine including session information like pricing, location information, makeup and hair, our client experience and timelines.

If you are a current client, please leave your name, number and message and I will get back to you as soon as possible!”

2. VISUAL CLIENT EXPERIENCE: instead of spending hours on the phone without pay, I’d rather send inquiring clients a purposeful inquiry email that includes a professionally designed PDF guide full of beautiful images that showcase the experience I’d love to give them. That’s why I created my inquiry response magazine full of things like what makes us different, our client timeline, the behind the scenes, editing before and afters, etc. THAT is what will hook your potential client and make them want to hire you!

The thing to remember when creating your inquiry magazine is that it’s your chance to educate your potential client on the experience they could have, if they choose to hire you. It’s like a blind date and you have to woo them with your stunning portfolio, witty personality, and show them how amazing your brand experience is.⁣

Click here to know what to include in your client magazine for the ultimate impact!

3. FREEBIE OFFERING: my final reason for not calling potential clients is that I cannot grab their e-mail address for my newsletter campaign over the phone. I need them to opt in. And how do I do that? By offering potential clients a high value freebie even if they don’t book me. Because then I can send them marketing campaigns for the rest of the year. They’ll consume my brand and content that entire time!

⁣Here’s what that looks like:

“While you are considering hiring me as your senior portrait photographer, I wanted to give you a FREE GUIDE: The Senior Session Emergency Kit! Want to make sure you’re prepared for your Senior Session? We got your back! No matter who you choose as your senior photographer, we want you to be prepared for anything with this guide of 10 things to bring to your session in case of an emergency!”

So there you have it! THAT is why I don’t do phone consults with potential clients! Want a bonus reason?!?! Because if anything ever happens and we end up in court, a phone conversation is NOT admissible evidence. Why? Because there is no record of what was stated during said phone call. The client could say I promised them 25% off and I’d have no way of proving I never said that.⁣

So tell me… do YOU offer phone consults to non-booked clients? If so, is it working for you? Maybe its time to try something different!

*And don’t forget – you can always create a HYBRID OPTION! Call them to introduce yourself and let them know to expect your magazine and freebie! Or, call them after you’ve sent the inquiry guide to answer any questions they may have!

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