Part of having a great client experience is making sure your clients walk into their boudoir session feeling confident and prepared. After all, many of your clients have likely never done a professional photoshoot before – let alone a boudoir session! It’s on you as the photographer to help guide them.
So, how do I prepare my clients for their boudoir session?
There are so many things you can do to prepare your clients! I like to send a Boudoir Client Experience Guide that maps out everything they need to know. Having all your session preparation tips in one PDF makes it easy on you and your clients. Not only does it prevent countless middle-of-the-night emails freaking out in the days leading up to the session. It also ensures your client is going to feel more confident when they walk into the session because they understand exactly what to expect.
Not sure what to include in a client experience guide? Here are 5 must-have preparation tips to get you started!
Explain Your Boudoir Process
When a new client books you, they’re going to be filled with excitement and questions. All. The. Questions! It’s important to set expectations and explain your process. Of course, you’ll want to remind them of basic information like when the session will begin, where it will take place, and how long it will last.
Then, go into detail about how your time together will be spent from start to finish. If you provide hair and makeup, tell them exactly how long they can expect to be getting glammed up before stepping in front of the camera. Make it clear how long their actual time in front of the camera will be, and how many outfits they can wear.
Get them excited all over again by assuring them you’ll be popping bubbly, playing their favorite songs, and enjoying themselves. (After all, that’s what they’re there to do!)
Most importantly, explain when they can expect to see their photos. You’d be surprised how few people understand how long it takes to edit photos. If you’re an IPS photographer, go the extra mile by setting the expectation that the reveal session will also be an ordering session. That way your boudoir client feels completely prepared to go in, ready to make a purchase.
Send A Pre-Session Questionnaire
Boudoir photography is a very intimate art form – more so than any other type of photography. Your client needs to feel comfortable with you. Part of that is you knowing how to make them feel comfortable. This is where a pre-session questionnaire can be helpful!
In the questionnaire, you’ll ask “getting to know you” questions. Ask them what their favorite songs are, their favorite beverages, their hobbies, and their “why” behind doing the session. You can use their answers to help tailor your session to their preferences. For instance, if your client is a huge Beyonce fan you can have their favorite songs queued up and blasting when they arrive. If your boudoir client is more of a Bobba Tea fan than a champagne drinker – stop by your local shop and grab their go-to order. These little details may seem small to you, but they’ll make your client feel seen and cared for. (Which means their photos will be 100x better!)
Provide Wardrobe and Styling Help
Even though clients sign up for a boudoir session, it doesn’t mean they have a lot of lingerie sitting around. And they certainly don’t know what type of accessories to bring to style a look! That’s where your expert guidance comes in. You will need to explain what to wear, where to shop, and what accessories to bring. The more options you have, the better. I like to include an entire styling tips section in my Client Experience Guide. If you don’t provide hair and makeup, you may also want to provide tips on what type of look will work best for all their outfit choices.
Give Clients Personal Care Tips to Prepare
Boudoir shows off a lot of the body whether your client is fully clothed or not. Even though your client seems excited, the closer you get to the session day, they may feel self-consciousness creep in. We can’t have that! You want them to feel confident and love their bodies on the day of the photo session. So, it’s important to provide body-related personal care tips to prevent things like mass dieting ahead of time or the dreaded unnatural tan lines.
You can provide light-hearted tips reminding them to get their nails done ahead of time, book a massage session afterward, explain the dos and DON’TS of spray tans, or even give tips on what foods to avoid the day before. These will all help your client prepare for their session.
The 24-hour Check-In Email
Ideally, you’re going to be booking clients at least 30 days in advance. A month is a looong time. That’s why it’s a good idea to create an automation that sends every boudoir client a 24-hour pre-session email. Use this email to check in with your client. Express how excited you are to work together, offer to answer any last-minute questions, and remind them of the session start time and location. (That last part! Trust me, better to remind them than realize they never put it on the calendar and get a request to reschedule.)
The 24-hour email also has another purpose. Remember, those pre-session jitters may be kicking in. This is a great time to reassure them that they’re going to be beautiful in their photos. That you’ll be there to help direct their posing and get all their best angles. A little boost of encouragement goes a long way. Plus, it will help them feel connected to you more, knowing you’re going to make them look amazing.
Prepared Boudoir Clients Radiate Confidence
There’s nothing sexier than confidence. You can’t convince me otherwise! With so many options on how to prepare your clients, there’s no excuse NOT to! But, it’s easier to read all these must-haves than to translate them into a helpful, well-written, well-designed guide. I get it. If you want to skip the writing and design process, check out my Boudoir Client Experience Guide template. It has everything mentioned in this post and more. All you have to do is add your brand colors and drag and drop your photos into it. I’ve included all the advice I give to my own boudoir clients, so you can pass it on to yours.
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