How to Win and Keep Clients...

I have great friends in Keith Groover and Laura Koelle Pyle. They are the cello and guitar duo shaking things up in Upstate, South Carolina known as Wirewood. (Hire them for your next event, seriously. They can do everything from rock to classical. https://www.wirewoodmusic.com ) Sometimes getting a client just means having a friend in need or establishing good rapport. Sometimes those same clients decide to test the waters with other service providers.

I've shot Keith's family numerous times and have shot promotional images for Wirewood only once. They loved the images. The images served their purpose. Fast forward a couple years and the need for new images surfaced. Wirewood had a tight budget and decided to ask multiple top drawer photographers in our market for bids. I later found out that everyone said they could deliver the images for the budget allotted. Who to choose?

I know all of the photographers' work and they're all really great photographers, not a slouch in the bunch. Keith later told me they picked for one reason: passion.

It boils down to this:

GET EXCITED ABOUT YOUR CLIENTS' PROJECTS!

Be excited to work with them. Bring Ideas to the table before you've won the bid. Do great work. Love your Customers.

Then, make sure you follow up! The follow up was the nail in the coffin. I brought new ideas that meshed with their ideas. I was overjoyed to work with them again. And then I followed up to see if I could be of any further assistance.

Keith, not on LinkedIn for some reason, (hint,) had this nice testimonial to share about me.   

Matthew Carter is an artist and a professional. He has an eye for detail and gives fantastic instruction to his clients during sessions. He can guide even the most un-photogenic of you into a shot where you will look your absolute best. He knows his equipment, knows the tricks, can anticipate problems, communicates well in correspondence and in person, and will get your shots to you in a timely manner. He's creative and full of ideas, but will listen closely to your thoughts and work with you to find something that is perfect for you. Plus, he's hilarious, and will keep things light throughout your session. I highly recommend him, and I often recommend him.

- Keith Groover (Wirewood)