Client Experience Tips for Photographers with Rachel Traxler

Photographers will learn how to build a client experience workflow using guides, questionnaires and email templates timed to meet clients where they are in their journey, and why this is the main thing that sets one photographer apart from another in a saturated market. Rachel Traxler also explains how a simple step like a client phone call can turn inquiries into booked, ideal clients.

Rachel is a wedding and elopement photographer, educator, coach and entrepreneur who came to photography by accident after leaving a job in the medical field. After a wedding that felt chaotic and left her questioning whether she was cut out for the job, she rebuilt her client experience from the ground up and says it has been the single biggest factor in scaling her business and raising her prices.

About Rachel Traxler

Rachel Traxler is a wedding and elopement photographer, educator, coach and entrepreneur. She previously worked in the medical field in oncology before moving into photography full time, and at the time of this episode had just launched a podcast called The Gold Biz Podcast, a bundle of client guides and templates, and a group coaching mastermind program.

Key takeaways

1. A bad wedding led to rebuilding the whole client experience

Rachel had a wedding where communication broke down and nothing felt aligned, and she left in tears thinking she was not cut out for the job. Once she calmed down she realised the miscommunication was on her as the service provider, so she stripped down her workflow and rebuilt it from scratch.

2. Client experience is the main thing that sets photographers apart

In a saturated market, your personal brand and the experience you provide is the one thing no one else can copy. Rachel says elevating her client experience has let her increase demand and pricing at the same time.

3. Use separate guides and workflows for each type of booking

Rachel recommends having different workflows for weddings, elopements and engagement sessions, with separate guides such as a pricing guide, welcome guide, what to wear guide and delivery guide. Each one should go out at the right time rather than all at once, so clients are not overwhelmed.

4. Match your photography style to your personality

Rachel points out that clients choose a photographer based on both the work and the person behind it, so the two need to align. If your images look warm and joyful but you come across as quiet and reserved in person, it creates a mismatch for clients.

5. Client phone calls build connection before booking

Rachel calls potential clients before they book to get to know them and build trust, and says couples have booked her specifically because she took the time to call. These calls also let her suggest ideas the couple did not know they wanted, like hiking to a nearby bluff for photos.

6. Write your client journey down on paper to find the gaps

For photographers starting from zero, Rachel suggests writing out the full client experience step by step and imagining yourself as the client. Seeing it on paper, or walking through it with a friend, makes it easier to spot what to add, cut or streamline.

7. Nail down your systems early rather than waiting

Rachel says her biggest regret is not prioritising client experience sooner, since it ended up being what scaled her business fastest. Her advice is to start building a simple process now and keep tweaking it as the business grows.

Favourite moments

"I think it's the only thing, in my eyes, that sets you apart from other photographers, because it's the personal brand and experience that you provide to your clients."

Rachel Traxler

"I built my client experience from scratch just as I rebuilt it, just to fit what worked best for me, and I've been tweaking it ever since"

Rachel Traxler

"I think from going, from having such a schedule and routine with a job, just straight into working for myself, it was kind of easy for me because I already kind of had a routine established."

Rachel Traxler

"I would say sit down and, like, write down on paper the walkthrough of the experience that you provide now, and then imagine yourself as the client and what that journey looks like and feels like."

Rachel Traxler

Listen to the full episode

Watch the episode above, or listen to Client Experience Tips for Photographers with Rachel Traxler on Apple Podcasts, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts.

Keep reading:

• A photographer's pricing guide
• A what to wear guide for photography clients
• A photographer's guide: How to book your first wedding

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