It’s exciting to get a new interior photography client! And while you’re working out the fun details of that first shoot together, it’s important to also remember what you need to do to get this new client set up in your workflow. This is called on-boarding.

What is on-boarding?

On-boarding a client involves things like contract signatures, setting up contact info, creating folders, establishing connections for payments and communication. It essentially means that you’re bringing a new person into your business and getting everything set up for them so they can seamlessly work with you… and it can look a little different for each business. So what exactly should it involve and how can you make sure that you’re covering all the bases?

Client Contact Info

Before anything, you want to put your client’s contact info into your systems. Often, this means putting them into whatever CRM (Customer Relationship Management) system you use. These systems could be as basic as your email contact, it could be adding them to PayPal, it could be adding them to your Shootproof or 17Hats contacts… heck, I don’t care if this means writing their info in a notebook! However you do it, do it. Do it early so that you’re not left wondering what their email is again, or what was their cell number vs office number, or what area are they based in again…? Plus, having their contact info in your system will make creating documents for them super easy. Which leads us to…

Legal stuff

One of the things to absolutely take care of are contracts. This goes back to how you have it set up for all your clients - whether you have a client sign one “terms contract” to cover all work you do together, or you have them sign a new contract for each shoot. Not sure what you need to have? Here’s a starting point. If you’d like to really get off on the right foot, check out the Architectural Contract Templates in The Grove Shop! Be sure to take care of signatures right away so that your legal bases are covered!

For reference, I do a general terms contract before the first shoot. This contract covers all the terms of how things will work for anything we do together moving forward. This contract does NOT have a property release. This contract does NOT have shoot details. After that contract is signed, the client gets an optional property release to sign and the invoice with shoot details for each shoot we do. I honestly do this to keep my paperwork simpler, but it also makes it feel less burdensome for the client! So I make sure that the general terms contract gets signed no matter what when onboarding. I let my client know that this is the document that allows me to go on location at all (if needed, I explain that it’s because of liability).

The easiest way to make sure you can take care of this quickly is to have templates set up. If you’re not sure what to include in your contract, read field note: "these 10 items are a must-have". Once you have a contract and (if needed) property release, save them as a template on whatever platform you use (or start with these handy templates in our The Grove Shop!). That way you can easily return to it, modify a few parts, and quickly send it to your new client!

Get to Know Your Client’s Needs

Yes, you should know what your clients need for this shoot. But do you know what your client’s needs are overall? Do you know how their business is doing? Do you know what their brand feels like? Are you familiar with their website? When you do interior photography, you’re providing a commercial service. It’s B2B (Business to Business), and so you’re providing a service that is meant to help their brand. To help their brand, you need to know it! The more closely you can deliver what their brand needs, the more helpful you’re being to their business, and the better your service is received.

So what does this involve?
First, ask them questions. Start with questions about their shoot request:

• What spaces do you need covered?
• Do you have an idea of how many images you want to walk away with?
• Are you working with a set time frame or limited access?
• What sort of use do you have in mind for these photos?
• Do you have other vendors or subs involved that want access to these images?
• Where is the project located?

Pssst! Want more insights into this crucial first call? Download our freebie Discovery Call Guide today!

Once you have the shoot details worked out, ask them about their business. Things like:

• How long have you been in business?
• Were you always a designer or did you move from a different career?
• Are you native to this area or did you move from somewhere else?
• How have your past photo shoots been? The good? The bad?
• Have your professional photos in the past been helpful to your brand? If not, how are you hoping these photos help your brand/business?
• What type of projects do you do? (residential, commercial, hospitality…)
• What’s the biggest thing you want people to know about you and your business when visiting your website or seeing your social feeds?

Asking these questions will get you to know your client AND their business needs. The more you get to know them, the better you can serve.

Finally, you want to do your own research. Now, this may be good to do before you ask them questions so that you can give more input or suggestions. Doing your own research involves going to their website to see what their photos look like now and then going to their social feeds to see how active they are and what the vibe is. If they’re active on social media, that’s something to keep in mind when getting shots. You also know they may want to walk away with more photos so they have more polished content. If they’re not very active on social, then you want to really tailor their needs to what will be on their website or marketing pieces. Imagine that you’re getting ready for a job interview with them (because you sorta are!) and get to know them as much as possible. You’re looking to help elevate and propel them in any way you can. You want to become pivotal to their growth.

Prepare Them for Your Process

Part of the conversation should absolutely be about your process. What can they expect at each step of the way? I like to break it down into simple steps, and be sure to only tell them about THEIR steps. For example, they don’t need to know about the paperwork prep that you do or any editing steps you’re doing. Your clients want to know what the involvement will be on their end.

Here’s an example of what I sent to new clients about my personal process:

“Process:
A quick rundown of my process - I like to keep things simple!

Step 1.  When I get the green light to schedule a shoot, we'll first find a date and time that works for everyone. For interiors, I typically love shooting midday when the sun is bright and directly overhead. 

Step 2. I send digital paperwork. You'll receive:
1- General terms contract. This is a one-time signature, and sets the terms for any shoot we do moving forward.
2- Property release. Releases are always optional, but super appreciated so I can share the beautiful spaces with the world!
3- Invoice for the shoot minimum. Any extra images are chosen and paid for through the final gallery.

After the first shoot, you'll just get the property release and invoice for each location we shoot.

Step 3. We shoot! 
If needed, I'm happy to do a walk-through before the day of, although I find that walk-throughs are rarely needed. 
I do recommend that you or another team member arrive early to style the space so that once I'm there we can jump into shooting! 
Throughout the shoot time, I'm always happy to give input for styling, too!
As for time planning, I typically plan for about 1-1.5 hour per room so that we can get some wide shots, vignettes, and details.

Step 4. Within one week from shoot, you receive a link to an online gallery! From this gallery you select your final images. All images in the gallery will be fully edited for you, and the process is all automated through the gallery. This means that you get your final photos immediately! This is the time when you get any additional images that you want.” 

This breakdown lets them know exactly what the process is: what paperwork is involved and when, how to plan for the shoot day, and the timeframe for the gallery of final images. It does NOT mention my process of transferring files, editing rounds, payment details (that is mentioned when I tell them my rates), or anything else that doesn’t directly affect their expectations. So when you tell them your process, you’re actually telling them THEIR experience of your process.

Of course, if they want to know more about how involved your behind-the-scenes process is, do share! Most clients, though, really just want to know what they’ll see or experience at each step.

Conclusion

Onboarding in itself is a process that takes time to develop. You may not have a smooth onboarding process worked out for your business just yet, but that’s okay! Like pretty much everything in life, it’s a work in progress. Just be sure that you’re covering your bases legally, you record their contact information somewhere, you get to know your new client as much as possible, and you familiarize them with your process. However you do these, do them! Your business (and sanity) will thank you.

Want to learn more about the onboarding process? Watch an in-depth interview with Molly Rose about her own setup for serving clients throughout every step of onboarding in our Field Note "Building a Successful Client Onboarding Workflow".

xo,

Natalia