The Importance of a Good CRM for Photographers

Portrait Photography Tips in Elk Grove, Ca.

Running a successful photography business takes a lot of time and effort and requires a lot of moving parts prior to and after a photo session occurs.  There are emails, phone calls, price sheets, package proposals, invoices, contracts, scheduling of the session, editing, uploading to a gallery, order processing, social media posts, and more.  For clients to have a good overall experience and to be fully satisfied, a photographer needs to have a good way to manage all their clients in such a way that nothing gets missed or misunderstood on the part of the clients. 

As a photographer the last thing I want to be worrying about is:

• Did I send that invoice?

• Does that contract still need signed?

• Have I arranged that in-person sales session?

• Did that client pay for the extra prints she ordered?

• Why can’t I find her phone number?

• Did they get their welcome pack?

• Where are all my invoices for the accountant??

• Not to mention having to go back and forth with clients and potential clients - emailing pretty much the same thing to different people over and over.

Thankfully, there are digital tools that can help streamline and simplify things. One of the most important tools for photographers is a CRM, or customer relationship management platform.  What exactly is a CRM or customer relationship management platform? CRM software or platform is a system for managing relationships with customers.  A CRM is a powerful tool for any photographer. By utilizing a software or platform, it allows the photographer to easily develop their business, manage their calendar effectively, keep all communication with clients in one place, sign contracts, manage a project, and so on. It will help them stay up to date on the status of all the tasks for their sessions and clients and manage their business 24/7. Many CRMs have built-in billing and transaction saving features. Modern CRM systems make life much easier and automate part of work processes, helping to save time.  The benefits of a good CRM are undeniable. This tool will help you automate marketing, and manage customer relationships. If you want all business processes to be systematic and orderly, you need CRM.

What type of CRM should a photographer look at?  I believe the biggest points to look at when deciding on a CRM is if they offer the following:

Client Portal or Workspace: 

For me the biggest reason I utilize a CRM is the ability to communicate effectively with all my clients in a timely way and have all communication and files related to that client in one location. I’m able to manage their booking, send out proposals, invoices, contracts, and guides, as well as answer any questions they have.  A CRM keeps all the communication for a client in one workspace and allows me to see everything that I’ve sent to a client in one location. This way I can stay on top of each client’s needs and service them effectively to ensure they have the best overall client experience.

Schedule and Calendar Management:

An essential feature of any photography CRM is the ability for a calendar tracking and management system. It is important for me to be able to create a schedule of session dates and times to send to clients for them to easily schedule their photo session.  A good CRM also will integrate their calendar into Google calendar as well so everything about my schedule can be on one calendar and it keeps me updated on when activities and sessions are.

Automated Workflows:

Workflow automation contributes to productive business development. A good CRM system can provide the ability to manage your work process. By setting up my CRM system well I can use it to automate much of my client and job workflow.

• All my potential and actual client information is within the CRM client workflow along with every task associated with them.

• Invoices, contracts, email sequences, questionnaires are all stored in the client workflow and can be sent out for me at each stage of the process.

• I’m able to keep track of my schedule and task lists and the system integrates my bank so I can take payments online.

• Plus, a huge benefit of a good CRM automated workflow is the creation of a lot of bookkeeping and accounting reports.

Task Management:

A CRM that offers a task management system can help track the overall status of each client and the project or session type for that client.  I always know which tasks are done, which are in process, and which are next. Also, a convenient feature is the ability to prioritize. In general, a To-Do list is a must-have for a good CRM and to keep my photography business running smoothly.

Invoicing and Payment Acceptance:

A huge feature for utilizing a good CRM is the ability for invoicing and payment processing. I can create an invoice or have an automated invoice sent to a client and the CRM works with my bank to accept payment on behalf of the client and credit my bank account with those funds.  This is great because it lets me know that the money for either a retainer or session was credited to my account before the actual session date.

Reports Building:

As I mentioned before, to keep my photography business running smoothly and efficiently, I need to rely on analytical data to make future decisions. A good CRM has functions for generating various project reports and financial reports.

Website Integration: 

A big bonus for a good CRM is connecting my website into the CRM platform so that the CRM becomes a secondary part of my website.  I can create a contact form which resides on my website that will feed into my CRM.  When a client fills out my contact form, it will create a new project with all the client’s information and sends me an alert that a potential client has contacted me.  From there my automated system of emails and welcome guides will be sent to the potential client.  I also can customize my CRM site to mimic my website in style so that my brand stays cohesive.

There are many CRM’s out there for a photographer to use.  I did a lot of research prior to selecting my CRM and found that Honeybook was a good option for me.  It offered all my top “must haves” for a CRM platform.  They keep improving the offerings and Honeybook has really allowed me to service my clients well and give them an overall great client experience. 

I recently had some feedback from one of my clients regarding their experience that let me know that by using my CRM I was affectively servicing my clients in a timely way and meeting their needs.

“The initial booking process was one of the easiest experiences I've ever had.  her website had all the information needed it was easy, accurate and honest pricing. Shawn made the experience so easy and was extremely professional but at the same time so warm. When you're taking family Photos you want to have a level of comfort, she made us feel very relaxed and we had fun it was more than just family Photos it was an experience and we're so grateful for that. Shawn you were so welcoming and every question that I had, you answered for me. When we met in person it such a warm welcome.  I don't think we could have had a better experience. We were so grateful to find a photographer who understood the style of photos that we wanted, and you really went out of your way. To meet our needs and get the photos that you knew that we wanted, and they turned out absolutely beautiful.” Sandra Payne

If you are one of my clients, please know that my goal is to give you amazing service and an awesome experience.  That is why I use my CRM so that I make sure nothing gets missed and that I have an easy way to take you through the process from first contact to picking up your final images. 

If you are a fellow photographer who has yet to start using a CRM for your business, consider using Honeybook.  I have a referral code that will give you 20% off of your first year at Honeybook. http://share.honeybook.com/shawn482675

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