#3 – 5 Business Skills To Work With Clients

 In addition to technical skills like food styling or photography, there is a lot that goes into working with clients & building long-lasting relationships.

It may require getting our processes in place, educating ourselves, learning a new technical skill, like an editing application, or even soul-searching, asking who we are as a business, as a brand ourselves.

Working with brands includes both, good technical skills as well as people skills.

As someone who has always had returning clients, & worked on annual & long-term contracts, I’m sharing the top 5 business skills that have guided me to build trusting and long-lasting relationships with clients.

1. ALIGNING VALUES

 As individuals, we all have values & it is equally important to have business values. We should know what we stand for & who we support as a business.  As much as we want new work, it is important to find out whether we’re the right fit for a brand & vice versa.

One of my values is gender equality. I like to support women-owned businesses but also work with brands who do not believe in any kind of bias.

Let me give you an example.

I once had an opportunity to do a photoshoot for a whisky bar in downtown. I was excited at the idea of shooting whisky & the interiors of their space. So, we scheduled a meeting to discuss the requirements.

From the moment I arrived at the bar, I felt uneasy. For one, I was the only woman there. The crowd was all men. Having my glass of water, waiting for the owner, my client to show up, I was getting a lot of attention. It was uncomfortable.

The lack of any women made me question whether I was the right fit for them. Firstly, it did not align with my values, and secondly, the owner seemed okay with that culture in their bar.

As someone who stands for inclusivity, it was enough for me to understand that the brand & myself were not a right fit. No matter how lucrative the job would have been, I needed to stay true to my values & politely declined the job.

The right clients always notice & appreciate that. 

2. HAVING YOUR PROCESS IN PLACE

So, you reached out to a client. They said yes or they agreed to meet you. What do you do next? And if you get the job, what do you do after that?

You need to have your process figured out so you can inform or educate the client. Often, clients expect us to tell them how we think the project can be executed, which is why, we need to have a grip on what it takes to execute a shoot, a realistic idea of where our technical skills are at & whether we can create the kind of photography the brand needs. This also ties into seeing whether we’re a good fit for the job.

For example, I was once asked by a client whether I could do levitation photos for them & I courteously refused because I had no experience with that style of photography. Sometimes, we need to take difficult decisions & it’s the right thing to do.  

We also need to have a realistic understanding of what our turnaround time is to deliver photos, file formats we share with clients, contract terms, and of course, the fees!

Being comfortable & confident about our own process not only makes us feel secure walking into a client meeting but it gives the client the confidence that we know our job, we know what we’re talking about & their product is in good hands.

3. INTERPRETATION & CONCEPTUALISATION

This is such an important step while working with clients.

Other photographers might do this differently but coming from an architecture background, I’ve carried this practice with me to photography & found it very helpful.

As creators we have a lot of responsibility on our shoulders. It’s not just about setting up a camera & taking a photo. It’s about understanding, getting into the skin of the brand & creating photos that establish a visual identity for our clients.

How do we do that?

By asking the right questions, interpreting them creatively & offering solutions through our photography concept.

We need to ask the right questions to our clients. What is their messaging, who is their audience, what is the purpose of the photos & so forth.

Once we have their response, we need to interpret & develop the client’s requirements.

Through our questions, we need to understand what they envision for their product. If they don’t have a mood board, we create one. If they don’t have a concept, we create one.

Interpreting your client’s brand language & providing a powerful concept to match it by asking the right questions is a critical step in differentiating yourself in the market & also building trust with a client.

Which is why, as creators we have a lot of responsibility on our shoulders.

Imagine if you were the client & you were working with a photographer who brought this to the table. Wouldn’t you just love to work with them?

4. VERSATILITY

Personally, I think the idea of “finding your style” is a bit oversold in the photography world on social media & sometimes it creates undue pressure on us to develop a signature style rather quickly.

In my journey, I did not try to find my style very quickly, but I did try to understand what photography style I related to & what came naturally to me. While I have my own style today, I think the one skill that has opened doors for me is, versatility.

As much as I have clients who leave the entire art direction & photography to me, I also work with brands who have strict guidelines. Being able to create different styles from editorial, advertorial to commercial, has given me the opportunity to work with a range of brands.

Many a times I work with very specific lighting style & even colours. It is all part of the job & staying versatile. Staying open minded & flexible can really enrich our professional portfolio.

We might have our own style but being able to create different styles for different clients by embracing their language, is a real skill. Even if we don’t relate to their style, if we can create it for them, we are a good fit as long as we connect with their values.

5. INTEGRITY

Integrity is what brings returning clients.

Being completely honest & transparent in our interactions with our clients is essential.  We build trust not with our words but through our actions. By keeping our client’s best interests in mind, we give them the trust that we are rooting for them, that we are in their team, that we are one team, they can depend on you, rely on you & you’re looking out for them.

Always going an extra mile or more than expected not only adds to the surprise & delight factor but it also gives that personal touch. It makes you look passionate about your work & shows that you are dedicated to delivering a good product. Of course, it must be genuine & come from a place of integrity.

Last year during the lockdown I received an emergency call from one of my clients saying that they were trying to print photos from a photoshoot we had done months back & the photos were blurry. I was shocked. I went back, checked the photos & when I went into the details, realized he was right.

I had rented a lens for that shoot & the lens did not focus properly.

Without a blink, I immediately offered to do the entire photoshoot again. In the middle of the lockdown, the chef dropped-off all the ingredients & I spent the next 10 hours styling & reshooting everything again. At no cost. It was my mistake, I took responsibility & in 48 hours delivered the entire batch of photos again. 

Our clients appreciate that.

They don’t want transactional photographers. They want honest, dedicated, truthful & creative photographers.

Integrity also comes with client confidentiality. As you work with different clients, on new campaigns, restaurant concepts, new seasonal menus, you’re in the inner circle. It is important to not share details of their recipes or concepts with anyone, even your social media or portfolio until there is a clear understanding between you & the client, until they’ve approved what, how much & where you can share.  It’s a good idea to have this as a clause in your contract with the client.

CONCLUSION

Those were my top 5 business skills to work with brands & these really are a make-or-break kind of a deal in the business world. Being confident in our own process, keeping an open mind, being honest & aligning with our clients, work like magic.

Hope these skills help you as much as they have helped me in my professional journey.

If you’re looking to come up with your own photography process, streamlining your workflow, getting efficient & saving time, checkout my free guide called the 10-step photoshoot right here.