Listen to what the inquiry says about your client.

Every detail they share about who they are, what they value, their vision for the experience, what they need help with, etc. This helps you tailor the email to their needs.

Make your response timely.

I try to respond in 24 hours if possible, but no longer than 72 hours.

Draft your email.

Use a template for general information & then piece together the rest. Save it as a draft so that you can look it over before sending it off.

Customize email & inject your personality.

Just because you draft up your email using a template, doesn’t mean that your entire email should be cookie-cutter. This is the first time you are getting to interact with a potential client, so it’s important that they get a feel for who you are too! Be yourself.

Answer their questions.

Chances are, they’ve browsed your website, but maybe didn’t get all of the detail they needed. This is your chance to fill in all of the gaps. Be honest & clear.

Offer your help.

Let them know that you are on their team & in what ways you can serve them. Share knowledge or wisdom you have, where & when you can.

Give them or point them to resources.

If you have guides, posts, or relative content - send it to them!

Encourage a meet-up, phone call, FaceTime, Skype, or Zoom to chat/hang out.

Sometimes, you just need to get face-to-face or talk in real time to work out details and get to know each other. If potential clients know that this is available to them, it can give them & you so much peace of mind.

Thank them for taking time out of their day to reach out to you.

It’s just a simple way of reminding people that they matter & that you are honored to even be considered for the occasion.

Break up large paragraphs, spell-check, & send your email.

These things make it easier for potential clients to navigate & process information.

Give them time to respond.

It can sometimes take as little as a few hours & up to a week before people roll around to emails. Be patient.

Follow up.

If it has been a week since you’ve responded to an inquiry or your last conversation, follow up with another email just to let them know they are on your mind, that they are free to ask questions, & that you are glad to help however you can. If they have decided to go along with another photographer, send them well wishes, good vibes, kind words, & let them know that you are so glad they connected with the right photographer for them.

XO, Dakota Chasity