4 Lessons Every Photographer Should Learn From The Book The Five Love Languages
Let’s face it, our clients are coming into sessions with expectations and it is our job to not just meet, but exceed these. Many photographers are under the impression that the way to do this is to agonize over the photos in post-production, but I am here to say that the EXPERIENCE we give our clients can be the difference that sets us apart from the rest. It can make them feel like they aren’t just another client on our agenda and reminds them that their story really does matter.
The book The Five Love Languages is intended to make a difference in marriages by discovering the way your spouse feels loved, then giving love in that ‘language’. Since we often only have an hour or a day with our couples, I am not suggesting we learn their individual languages, but I believe through combining a couple approaches we can transform our client experience and help our clients feel confident in front of our lenses.
1. Words of encouragement are not spoken nearly enough from the photographers.
Take a moment and imagine how you feel in front of the camera. If there is a long silence you might fall out of the pose, or worse, insecurities creep in and you start questioning if you’re doing something wrong. Constant reassurance and compliments are vital to making your clients comfortable as well as giving clear posing instructions and affirmation when they’re killing it! Compliment, compliment, compliment.
In the book, Gary Chapman reminds us, “Love makes requests, not demands”. Give gentle descriptions and never, ever say the words “not like that”. This makes the client nervous to do something wrong again in the future (and let’s be honest they thought they were doing what you asked of them).
2. Gift giving.
Gifts don’t have to be extravagant. In fact, some of the best gifts you can give clients are free—delivering a gallery earlier than expected, adding a couple extra photos to their gallery, and keeping your client up to date with the next steps they need to take. Always underpromise and over deliver!
3. As far as acts of service go, always go above and beyond what you have to do.
Sometimes on a wedding day photographers take on a role beyond the photos. We are expected to keep up with timelines, often asked to help with unrelated tasks, and the list goes on. The best advice I can give is to embrace this role. The other vendors will love you and thank you for it. Plus, is it really that much more work to stay on top of things and be pleasant to the people your bride and groom love most? This is called loving and serving your client well and it speaks volumes.
4. Finally, speak their praises even when they’re not present.
Assume everything you say about the couple will come back to them. Always talk highly about your clients to everyone you talk to. You would never want to hurt their feelings and diminish how they feel about their photos because of something they heard you said. Keep in mind, how they feel about their experience reflects how they feel about the photos.
Some of these things take practice and time. Chapman himself said, “When an action does not come naturally to you, it is a purer expression of love.” As photographers, high-pressure situations are often put on our plates. This is often because the days we are present are really important to the clients. Go above and beyond even when no one is watching just to be a good person and make this special day everything it should be for the couple.