dream clients that dream of you
hello
I was wrong about who my dream client was. That’s how I started my business. I thought a dream client was someone who had pretty flowers, a five course meal, and an incredible diamond ring on their wedding day. But I was wrong. My dream client may have all those things, but those things don’t define her. I know now that she has a love for the details, but she loves the people in her life even more. I know that she wants to encourage the people in her life and create a place for memories. She isn’t concerned about all the what-ifs in the end. In the end, she really is ready to be just married. She may not know how to be wild and free, but that’s certainly the life that she wants. I know now that she wants wedding photos that call her to a beautifully elegant wild and free.
hello there!
Yo u r d r e a m c l i e n t s a r e a c t i v e ly l o o k i n g f o r y o u . If you’re not booking them and only them, then we need to dive deep into the mind of your dream client and the heart of your business. There are two main questions that we are going to answer here:
meet the photographer I’m Jordan Brittley, a fine art and documentary photographer living in Missouri. My friends call me “Jo.” I believe that your business should bring life to you. You believe in digging deep, putting in the hard work, focusing on your strengths, and loving well. You're ready to leave behind the things that hinder you. You’re ready to run without chasing.
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What do you need to do to make your dream client fall in love with what you do and who you are?
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What do you need to do to hug your dream client before they ever meet you?
Go ahead a grab a pen and a piece o f p a p e r ! I want you to write down your answers to the questions throughout this guide. It might take some hard work to get to the core of it all, but it will be worth it when dream clients feel like a secondary consequence of running a business.
2016
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“It will be worth it secondary consequence
when dream clients feel
like a
of running a business.�
What do you need to do to make your
dream client who you are?
fall in love with
and
Focus on your current clients and share about your dream client online. This may seem counterintuitive, especially if your current clients feel far removed from your dream client. If you can identify the similarities between your current client and your dream client, you can start marketing with ease. We are going to do this by telling stories. F i r s t , make a list of every characteristic of your dream client. Really, get that pen moving and make a list! N e x t , think about the clients you currently have. Do any of them have any of the characteristics that you named? My guess is that they do. There was a reason that you booked them in the beginning.
what you do
strategy 1
strategy #1
Think about a time when you saw your current client(s) display the characteristic of the dream client. I wa n t yo u to s h a r e t h at s to r y o n l i n e . Here are some questions to get you thinking: Do they travel? Do they eat at home? Do they eat out? What music do they listen to? What stores do they go to? Do they encourage other people? Are the soft spoken? Are they bold? Do they love flowers or prefer succulents? What kind of lotion do they wear? W h i l e i t ’ s o n y o u r m i n d , w r i t e t h e s t o r y d o w n . You don’t have to have all of the writing skills to start telling stories (aka marketing). I just want you to describe the similarities between your current client and your dream client. I want you to share why that meant something to you. I have implemented this strategy and am now only booking my dream clients. Here’s an example of how I shared who my dream client was on Instagram: “If only you could have heard the laughter and the sounds of joy that filled these rooms! These two believe in doing what matters. That's why they spent an hour of their wedding day loving on their friends at the nursing home. Originally they were hoping that they would be able to attend the wedding. But when it didn't work out, Julie and Aaron decided to go to them.If only you could have heard Julie and Aaron ask for wisdom in these rooms. If only you could have seen the tears in my eyes as they hug ged every last friend before they headed into the sunset.” @jordanbrittley See the image on page 6! O v e r t i m e , y o u w i l l b e g i n a t t r a c t i n g the clients that have those characteristics in abundance. Talking about your current clients like this is encouraging to them, improves their client experience, and gets them talking about what they love most about you!
2016
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strategy 2
Strategy #2
Let’s take a look at your current clients who are also dream clients. What experience were they looking for when they booked you? = •
Did they want fast-paced or slow and steady?
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Were they looking forward to a gift or surprised when you sent one?
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Did they want to meet in person or was a phone call just as personal to them?
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What did they want to see on your website?
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What made you stand out to them?
L o o k a t t h e s t r e n g t h s t h a t y o u a l r e a d y h a v e in attracting your dream client. Make those strengths bigger. Give them a prominent place in your online experience. I want you to take whatever originally attracted those dream clients to you and make sure that you hit “repeat” on the process. •
What made them feel drawn to you?
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What questions did they have about your life?
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What did they want to talk about with you?
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What did they already know about you?
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What part of your story was significant to them?
L o o k a t h o w y o u r d r e a m c l i e n t s interact with you. Look at the conversations that you have and what they want to know about your life. Whatever that is, share more of it online. The rest of your dream clients are wondering those same things!
2016
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What do you need
hug your dream client ever meet you?
to do to
before
they
When does a client hug happen? It happens when they first see you working at a wedding. It happens the moment they see a sneak peek or read about you on instagram. It happens when they first scroll through your blog or look through your website. It happens the moment they hit “submit” on your contact form. Hugs happen when you show your client you were expecting them. Hugs happen when you say, without saying, “I knew you were going to arrive.”
hug your dream client
Four strategies to hug your dream client 1) Hug them when they see you working
Without ever introducing yourself, handing over a card, or starting a conversation, you can attract your dream clients. The easiest way to do this is with what you wear. I think it’s important to dress like a guest! If the reception has chandeliers, it’s a good rule of thumb to always wear a classy dress. If it’s outdoors, something a little more relaxed might work just fine. I always err on the side of overdressed.
2) Hug them when they see a sneak peak It’s easy to hug a potential client through a sneak peek. It’s likely that it is a photograph of their friend and you should treat it as such. What do they love about their friend? Your dream client loves the same things about your current client that you do. If you’re implementing strategy #1, you already have this covered! I also love using hashtags so that they can easily view a social media gallery of my work: #jordanbrittleyweddings.
2016
3) Hug them when they read about you on Instagram What is the tone of your writing? Is it personal or professional? Maybe a mixture of both? I prefer to write the same way that I talk. I want my clients to feel like they already know me and not be surprised when we meet face to face! And remember, when you share a photo of yourself, don’t always look down or away! People love to see your face and your eyes.
4) Hug them through your website Whether they are scrolling through your blog, viewing your portfolio, or hitting “submit” on the contact form, communicate that you were expecting them. Is it a user-friendly experience? Is it difficult to navigate? Are the contact fields in order as they fill out their information?
H o w c a n y o u s ay, “ I knew you were coming” w h e n t h e y a r r i v e at your site?
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be free
Be free, friend! A s y o u c o n t i n u e to dive into the heart of your dream client and your business, I want you to know that it’s okay that you don’t have it all figured out. Don’t worry about comparing your business to someone else. Don’t worry about what other people are doing. E a c h w e e k I email photographers all over the world. I share business experiments that I’m trying, photography & marketing tips, and how my faith touches every part. Go ahead and add me to your contact book so that you never miss an email: jordan@jordanbrittley.com. We’ll talk soon! M y h o p e i s that you will use all of the information in this guide to build a business that you love and that brings life to you! If you want to share what you loved about this guide or have any questions, I would love to hear from you. Fi n d yo u r p h o t o g r a p h i c v o i c e and run wild with it! Don’t chase after the next trend or follow along with the crowd. I want to hear your creative voice. Go hug your dream client before they ever meet you and be wild and free.
2016
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copyright jordan brittley photography 2016