Photographers, who remembers the total disaster that was the mail during Christmas 2020?

 

I do. It was the year I became Santa Claus. 

 

One of my clients had ordered an album from her boudoir session as a gift for her partner.

 

The only problem? The mail was nuts. Her album was lost or delayed…lost and delayed…who knows. It just wasn’t looking good. We didn’t think there was much of a chance that this gift for her hubby was going to arrive on time.

 

Finally, her album arrived at my doorstep on Christmas Eve. I was driving  to my hometown that evening for the holidays (which is where this client also happened to live) so I called her right away:

 

“I’m coming! I have your album!! Do you want me to wrap it and drop it off for you?”

 

You bet she did!

 

Santa Clause, that was me. 

 

Boo, listen, you do not have to literally wrap your client’s album all cute with a ribbon and put it under the tree for her to offer a 4-figure boudoir photography experience.

 

I mean, you CAN, if you want to, but you don’t have to.

 

There are, however, a few things you really should consider doing if you want to charge $2500+ for your boudoir sessions and have clients who are more than happy to invest in that price point because it’s worth every penny.

 

Here they are.

 

1 –  Schedule hair and makeup for your clients. Can you imagine walking into a room and having makeup and hairstylist professionals on hand just for you, and you didn’t have to lift a finger, make one phone call, or juggle any schedules to make that happen? Do this for your clients. It’s such a thoughtful way to make this day totally about her and take every little detail, worry, or to-do off her plate.

 

I recently was going to book a boudoir session for myself in another state, but I backed out because I would have had to find and schedule my own hair and makeup! I don’t know anyone in the city I was traveling to, and the stress and time of trying to find the right stylists gave me cold feet. 

 

2 –  Have a client closet with lingerie options to choose from. Similar to tip number one, when you can provide a client closet, it’s one less thing for her to worry about. The average woman probably isn’t an expert on lingerie! That’s where you come in. Make it part of your job to help her choose something to wear that makes her feel comfortable, brings forward her natural beauty, and helps her feel like the goddess she is. If you’d like a crash course in Lingerie 101, my  Free Beginning Boudoir Ebook goes over each lingerie option in more detail.  

 

3 –  Go above and beyond to make your client feel special before, during, and after her session. How can you do this? Here are some ideas: Before the shoot, send your client a prep guide so she feels confident and knows what to expect. When she arrives for her session, offer her something to drink and snack on! After the shoot, send her a gift that further enhances her self-pampering experience (I like to help my clients turn their shower into a spa with a scrub and shower spray). Step into your client’s shoes and think of little ways you can make this day even more special and memorable for her. 

 

4 –  Prioritize a fast turnaround. Waiting weeks and weeks to see your photos is the woooorst! Your client is excited, she’s finally done this for herself, so why not keep that momentum going by showing her her photo gallery on the same day as her shoot? I schedule my boudoir sessions for the morning, complete a soft edit on the images while my client treats herself to lunch out, and then we go through their edited gallery together when she returns. This creates a true VIP day experience for them. Later on, I’ll do a full retouch before ordering prints or albums. 

 

5- Offer quality products and privacy. Boo, your clients do not want the high school boy working at their local Walgreens to be the one who prints their boudoir session photos. You feel me here? To offer a 4-figure experience, you be in charge of handling the printing and product orders for them. Two things will happen: 1 – you’ll be able to offer them higher quality prints and albums, and 2 – You’ll protect their privacy since only you and your printing lab will see their prints. (No awkward exchange at Walgreens required!)

 

Do you have tips for creating a 4-figure boudoir photography experience for your clients? Share them in the comments!

 

******************************************************************************

If you’re ready to dip your toes into the world of boudoir photography, start with this free Beginning Boudoir Ebook, then bring all your burning questions to a one-time coaching session with me! We’ll map out your action plan together, so you’ll know exactly how to get started and can feel confident and happy offering boudoir to your clients!