You’ve hustled hard and spent hours working out ways to attract more clients. Your hard work has paid off and you’ve just signed a new client! What’s next?

Well, they’ve checked out your website, signed the proposal, and approved the contract. Everything looks great.

Now it’s time to welcome them to your family with a photographer welcome guide. You can do this in a couple of different ways:

1. You can do things the traditional way and send them an email with a PDF download or share a hidden page on your website. 
2. Or if you want to streamline things and make things smoother, you can automate this process in HoneyBook and set up a handy client welcome guide using Smart Files. 

Psst…if you want to check out HoneyBook and receive up to 30% off, click on this link (use code: ALLYBDESIGNS) and create your account today. Need more information before you get started? I have a fabulous blog post that gives you the first steps of getting started.

Wondering how HoneyBook can help wedding professionals and photographers like you stay on track?

Don’t worry, I have the answers you’re looking for. Keep reading for more!

Why should you use Honeybook?

First things first. Keeping all of your client communication in HoneyBook streamlines your onboarding process. That helps save a lot of time and allows you to establish a successful and rewarding relationship with your clients.

Another big perk of setting up a photographer welcome guide in HoneyBook is that your clients will have access to all their received documents in one place. Simple but so effective! If your client needs a refresher on procedures or wants to revisit something, they can easily access their client portal. 

This helps you too — your customers will know exactly where to look for answers and won’t feel the need to reach out to you as often for clarification. It’s a win-win situation.

Now that you know more about how a HoneyBook welcome guide can help you, let’s dive deeper into the process.

When is the right time to send a welcome guide?

If you’ve received your contract and retainer payment and everything looks in order, go ahead and send your client a welcome guide as soon as you can. 

Put yourself in your client’s shoes. When they don’t hear back from you after sending the contract and payment, they may grapple with a plethora of questions, such as whether the payment went through smoothly or if there was a hiccup. They may wonder when you’ll get back to them with more details and feel uncertain.

Sending a super quick welcome email with a helpful photographer welcome guide helps avoid stress and gives your client a chance to connect with you. Think about it — they might be slightly overwhelmed, thinking about the money they shelled out to work with you. 

It’s in your hands to get them excited and keep that momentum going. How? You can put their minds at ease and impress them with a detailed welcome packet from HoneyBook.

The platform allows you to create a handy digital brochure and highlight all the essential details that your client needs to know about working with you.

What to include? 

This is an important question that deserves a comprehensive answer. I’m going to lay out all the steps for you, so you’ll have no trouble creating this branded document that will make its way to every new client who books your services. 

Remember — your photoshoot or next crucial project with your clients will be a massive hit with the right elements in your welcome guide.

Without further ado, let’s get started.

When you create your welcome guide in HoneyBook, you should make sure it includes:

• A heartfelt welcome note: Start with an earnest note that welcomes your client to the family. Thank them for booking you and don’t forget to include a call to action that encourages your clients to read the welcome guide thoroughly and complete the necessary steps to ensure you have a fun and long-lasting working relationship.
• An “about” section: Your client may have booked your services, but keep in mind they booked you. An “about” page in your guide will allow you to connect on a deeper level with your new client. This packet component will let your personality shine as well as your expertise. 

• Office hours and communication policy: Let your clients know your typical office hours (even if you work remotely) or when you’re available for calls and emails. If you don’t prefer text communication, make it a point to include that here. Lay out your boundaries for communication — whether you are strict or super laidback and have no problem responding to texts at 8 p.m. on a Saturday, your new client needs to know this before proceeding further.

• Client portal details and client expectations: Explain to your clients how to find all communication and assets about their project right within their HoneyBook portal. Make sure to mention how they can log in and where they can find everything they might need. Also, include any client expectations you have. For example, do they need to arrive 15 minutes early for their photoshoot? Or when do they need to send you their preferred design ideas, color palettes, and other details? Give your client access to all the relevant information in this part of your welcome packet. This will ensure that both of you will have a smooth and hassle-free experience. 
• The next steps: Let your client know what to expect. Will you touch base with them a few months before their wedding to finalize the menu? Or how much time will it take to plan the wedding and finalize all the little details? Your client will appreciate knowing what to expect and how to move forward. 
• Final payment information: If you accept deposits or take final payments later down the line, remind your client when final payments are due and the best way to complete them — via PayPal, a cheque, or debit and credit cards.
• Must-know tips and inspiration: You can provide a style guide, inspo galleries, or other specific information that your clients will appreciate. You can even add fun tips that your client can refer to. Ask yourself — have you added helpful suggestions that can help provide the best experience for your clients? This may not seem like much, but it goes a long way. By sharing tips and inspirational ideas with your clients, you’ll add extra value to your services and make an impact. 

• Frequently asked questions: Cover any common questions you typically get from your clients after they’ve booked your services or even later in the process. You may already have an FAQ section on your website, or you can review previous client emails to find common questions for this section. 
• The next phase and a call to action: Always encourage your customers to log into their client portal and add information as soon as they get more details. A step-by-step checklist of what you need them to do next will guide them and make things much easier.

Are you intrigued by what you see and feel ready to jump onto the bandwagon? If the answer is yes, elevate your client experience with HoneyBook and sign up here to get start creating your photographer welcome guide.

The best part? You get access to HoneyBook for up to 30% off for one whole year! Don’t forget to check out my referral link. (use code ALLYBDESIGNS)

To be honest, I could go on and on about all of the things I love about HoneyBook and how it has completely transformed my business. I am proud to say that I am a HoneyBook Educator, Honeybook Template Partner (you will even find a photographer welcome guide template for sale in my partner shop), as well as a HoneyBook Pro. I will sing their praises until the end of time, and I am the first to raise my hand to be a beta tester any and every time they are working on something new!

Want to give it a whirl? Here’s a trial for up to 30% off your HoneyBook experience! Use my code allybdesigns.

Sharing is caring!