How To Nail Client Gifting

Client experience is everything and client gifting can enhance that experience! You can create the most gorgeous photos, but if you didn’t make your clients feel good throughout the process, how did you really serve them? My philosophy on client experience starts well before they’re even in front of your camera. One of the ways I pump up my clients is by sending my wedding and elopement clients a welcome gift. It says “Hey, you’re my people. I’m thankful and grateful to be a part of this journey with you.”

A perfectly crafted welcome gift tells your clients three things:

1. I’ve listened to you.
2. I’m excited and grateful to be hired.
3. I’m thinking about you.

These three things mean the world for client experience. Client gifting gets your clients pumped to spend the entire day with you and feelin’ all good inside that they made the right decision by investing in you. It reaffirms your value to your clients.

Now you might say “What in the world do I get my clients? How do I know what they like?” Boo, I got you.

Follow along and I’ll show you the four keys to nailing client gifting.

Step 1: Budget.

First things first, know what you’re comfortable spending. It’s easy to get sucked into the world of creating the perfect gift for your perfect clients. Been there, done that $34,405 dollars later at Target. So the first rule of nailing client gifting is knowing your budget.

Your budget should include ALL THE THINGS – the actual gift, packaging, cards, postages, everything. When you go in knowing how much you can spend on an item, it’s easier to hone in your skills of crafting the best welcome gift.

It’s also important to know that client gifting doesn’t need to cost a million dollars. You can do something as small as sending them a $5 e-gift card to Starbucks. I’ve been on the receiving end of that before and it made my entire day. The real message here is that you want your clients to know you’re thinking about them and you care about making them happy.

Pro tip – you can bulk buy packaging from Amazon to cut down on overall costs and save you time from running to the Post Office! I use these boxes and this shredded paper for all my clients.

Step 2: Learn.

During my consults, I try to find out snippets of information about the couple. What do they like to do together? How did they meet? Where was the proposal? Paying attention to small details will make waves when it comes to client gifting!

Pro tip: Include a question on your contact form for your clients to describe their perfect date night. This helps get inside their brain as to what they love doing together!

Here’s some of my previous examples:

• One of my couples was into diving around the world. For their wedding gift, I had a pearlescent clay ring dish made with the coordinates of their ceremony location.
• Another bride loved opossums. As part of their welcome gift, I sent her a cute little opossum stuffed animal and a shot of tequila – it’s called balance, people.
• I’ve had couples that were ranchers so I had a custom tooled catch-all from JP Leather Brand created with their future last name letter.

When all else fails, keep it simple. Find a cute gift set that resonates with your brand. In my case, tacos and tequila were once part of my Instagram bio. During that time, I sent custom margarita kits with my own personal marg recipe cards. Everyone loved them and I’ve even had a bride or two say “This is exactly what I needed tonight!”

Pro tip – if you find yourself given a lot of information (first off, yay!), but aren’t sure how to narrow it down, try thinking about it from the couple’s perspective. What would they BOTH like? Ask yourself – “Is there one thing that they both like to do together or could both use?” The margarita kits offer my clients a good way of unwinding together after a long day.

Step 3: Personalize.

Sometimes we can’t craft a custom welcome gift to each client. Life gets in the way and we need to just have a system in place to make your clients feel special while also saving time and sanity. Even if you have a standard welcome gift, you can make it personal by having a hand written note included. Your note should always make your client feel valued and thought of. You can do this by including details of their wedding date, sign it with a PS “can’t wait to see you in March!”, and/or something you’re looking forward to about their wedding day.

step 4: Surprise.

The art of gifting is 100% surprising someone with something they love. When it’s not a surprise, it doesn’t feel the same. It loses its power. It doesn’t have the same oomph.

Surprising your clients with a little something that says “Hey, I’m thinking about you. I’m psyched for your wedding and you deserve a little moment to celebrate.” It gives your client a way to feel connected to you and get excited to spend their wedding day with you. Your client will feel as though you really listened to them and that you really get them. This is so important because as photographers connection to our clients is the make it or break it of gorgeous imagery. They need to feel comfortable and see you’re making an effort to do that.

Ironically, by writing this article, I’m taking away the surprise to my future wedding couples if they decide to read this, but I feel as though this information is important to help other creatives provide an enhanced level of customer experience!

Now that you’ve read these four tips on nailing client gifting, here’s a list of some easy client gift ideas!

• Starbuck’s E-Giftcard
• Margarita Kits
• Local Craft Beers
• Local non-perishable food items (e.g., honey, candy, coffee, etc.)
• Coffee kits (cups and coffee)
• Movie tickets
• Customized ring dishes/boxes

 

Now tell me, have you received a client gift that you loved? What was your favorite? Do you have a go-to client gift that speaks volumes of gratitude to your clients? Tell me all the things in the comments!

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