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Lesson Info

Policies: What to Include

Yesterday, we talked about projection sales software. Make sure when you're deciding on a software that you analyze what it can do for you in your business, will it pay for itself quickly. Do you need to use just a ny pad or a computer? You know, will it be mac and pc compatible? Will it sink with your accounting software? Okay, well, it, you know, work with any student management's offer you have doesn't have back end workflow options, and do you want that? Okay, so when you're analyzing the different software's out there on that workbook has a couple of examples of the different software, when I used pro select, I'm kind of a geek in that, but there's, several different ones and all kinds of price points, so I really want you to examine those, but, you know, the questions you should be asking yourself is, will it grow with you? You know what happens when you need to upgrade because of your business growth? Can you do that? Do you want to hold, learn a whole new system? I'm in one of ...

those believers and buy it once, you know, don't buy cheap equipment because you'll have to buy it again, but obviously, if you can't afford it, then you need to start off with something that's more in your price range and there's lots of options for that. So those are just some of points that I wanted to make, okay? Policies seems kind of boring, doesn't so I was like, no policies. They can be hard to figure out how to write, especially when you're I have no experience with it, like you haven't one hard fought lessons. So what we're going to learn in this segment today is what policies do you actually need? And why do you need them? Okay, we're going to talk about communicating your policies to your client. How do you you know, see it? Touch it, hear it for them. How to draw your line in the sand when a client pushes back on your policies. Okay, how to make your sandbox and okay? Being here or not? I don't care. How do you say that? Comfortably nicely to someone without being the bully on the playground. Okay, why problems happen and how to analyse. Usually it's something that you messed up on nine times out of ten it's, not your client. Usually it's you and I know that's hard to accept sometimes you just want oh, stupid client. I mean, how many times in my head and I called my sister when you will not believe what this client did way through that, but really, when you, when you step back and get outside of your frustration, you realize, oh, I screwed up, but you shouldn't have, so we're going to talk about that. And then also, sometimes the hardest lessons are the most you are the best ones, the ones where that client did kind of get upset with you or the ones where you're going to learn the most that's, where you fall down and you just keep getting up and you get a couple's pop, a couple bumps and bruises, and you just keep going, okay? So it's just good business practice to have policies, okay? And often times it will get you out of a lot of trouble not to say that I, you know, a client challenge is something of a bolt in the policies you read and signed it, you know, that's not what I'm don't say to my clients graphic, I've never said that to a client, and if there is ever a problem, you're darn moshe, I'm gonna fix it because usually it's my fault, even if it's not my fault, I will fix it. But you bet your bums a new policy will come. Okay? Especially when I when I have to eat a couple hundred dollars because I made an error or because there was an error that the client, even that the client made and I have to pay for. Ok, so good policies air like a solid pre nuptial agreement. They really are. And the pre nuptial part of it is the key in advance. The client should know the policies before money is exchanged and before you shoot. Simple is that policies lay the groundwork for a solid relationship, and they set expectations on both sides of the coin for both the client and for you. When you go over policies with a client, you often learn a lot about their personality. And that will help you down the road with this client on how to approach them, how to communicate with him. What's going to be best for them. I tell you, businesses like psychology one. Oh, one. If you can get in the heads of your clients and how they think and everybody's different and learn how to deal with each one of those personalities, you're gonna be miles ahead of the game, okay, austin, excuse me, aaron johnson is one of my favorite. Comic strip guys and he gave me permission to use these but what the duck is kind of a famous little comic strip in the sky says you know have you had a chance to look over my contract clients yes what do you think I can't complain as explicitly covered in section sixty four dot three thirty to be very cute we have a couple of those as we go throughout so and it's true you know your policies can be a little bit convoluted and tough to read and you know your clients probably won't read them if you just give it to them and expect them to read it they won't people don't read stuff that's why I'm kind of worried about giving you guys this twenty five page study guy because I was like darn it they're not going to read it you know? But then I also know that there's so many people out there who are devoted they really want to learn this stuff and giving them that kind of information is a good thing so you know to each their own this is our session from yesterday they're just so cute I had to show him one more time so policies you're the types of policies you're going to have our session policies you're going tohave design policies so graphic design work you're gonna have payment policies ordering policies and delivery policies okay but is writing furiously out of it you got it right though. See here do you're saying that you're hearing it and you're doing it? You're writing it down that's awesome. So let's start off right away and approach these in detail session policies you want to set the length of the session? There will be that client who says, can you just do more? Okay, so if you lay it out in the beginning that the session length is no longer than two hours or until we feel we have accomplished what we need to during the time with you. No, that that's good session fee restrictions. What does the session if he including what does it not include? The session fee does not include any prints or product. The session fee includes the time and talent, the photographer, the pre consultation appointment, thean person viewing appointment and our time spent enhancing and processing the images to make them of our quality standard. What does that imply all that? That I just said that it was included? What does that say to the customer? My time is valuable and we're putting a lot of time into you right there, the session fee and everybody says that they were like people complain to the sessions, he doesn't include anything you know, they've complained because the session he doesn't include product well, are you really outlining to them what the session feed does include because if you spell it out specifically your client's going to go oh, wow. They are putting a lot of time and effort into me. This is cheap for that. Because really, we make our money. I mean, I guess it depends on your structure. A lot of people do include product with their session fee. But if you don't include product with your session fee and you know, my newborn session is to twenty five that's cheap, I make my money on the back end of the appointment. I make my money after the clients seeing the images and likes them, you know? And I point that out in our marketing products as well. So you also want a cancellation policy? What if they cancel the session on you? What happens? Is the fee refundable or not? My session fee is nonrefundable. Once you book your book, you've set an appointment on my calendar. I've set aside two and a half, three hours for you. And if you decide to cancel on me that's a session that I could've filled with somebody else, okay, so you can always reschedule. Um, people who canceled too close to the to the end you know, people who cancel now newborns I'm a little bit more lenient with this because you know, mom may have had a c section the baby can end up in the nick you there's all kinds of things that can happen so I'm really lenient with my newborn sessions but if a family session cancels at the last second, I'm sorry they've lost their session they they're gonna have to re book am I always that you no hard line in the sand about it? No, but it's in my policies, okay? In fact, I've never said that but it's in the policies so that they read and they understand hey respect my time okay? Payment policy is the session feed you in advance or do they pay the day of the session? I always take booking fee in advance is a matter of fact I highly recommend that because it's a commitment to the session on the client then model release so you're gonna have him sign a model release? Does everybody have to sign him on a release or is an option? I look at it as having an option because I have several clients who are private investigators, they're criminal psychologists, they're people who don't want their children's images up, especially with them you know that I have a dad is a criminal psychologist and he testified against the accused on their mental state okay, so obviously he had a baby I'm not going to go putting his picture with his baby's picture up on the internet somewhere and he asked that I didn't so of course not that's not gonna happen do you see my point there's going to be times when the model release is critical that you should not be able to use those images and you need to respect that rescheduling policy sick kids come in all the time I don't want sick kids please don't bring him to me I mean, I say I outlined that very clearly in our policies on def I don't mind if you reschedule with a sick kid that's that's one of the situations that you can't help we'll gladly reschedule there's no fee for it I want your child happy because if that child is not happy and coming into me sick there's no way we're gonna get good images ok? Liability? Do you have a liability release you better and I hate to be stern about this but you better okay? There are so many things that can happen and we talked about that first day that there's a wedding ah, I don't know the name o r I just heard of the situation and honestly I heard it over the net so goodness knows if it's true or not but it is a possibility that it could happen a bride's day after her wedding trust address session was standing ankle deep in water near a waterfall and her photograph is being taken trash the dress session the dress which normally wait twenty pounds got so soaked with water that it sucked her under imagine a twenty pound dress soaked with water how heavy that would be little tiny petite thing you know what weighed seventy five hundred pounds easily with all that water soaked and she got pulled under and drowned it's a possible scenario could happen it's dramatic but you know I actually heard that it did happen you know who knows but the point is that that liability release will help you now will help you against negligence no if you're negligent, it won't help you but it will protect you in some way shape and form okay? And I strongly recommend that you find someone with you find some legal counsel and have a liability release written up by someone who knows what they're talking about. Okay? Pet animal policy can pet come e used to photograph dogs almost exclusively fighting dogs are not acceptable and we'll be kicked out of the studio immediately or misbehaved dogs for that matter people want to bring in their newborn with a dog and honestly it's not I kind of I say no because it worries me he's most new parents don't realize that yes, there dog is great with them but with a seven day old baby that the dog hasn't adjusted to yet there that is that's the dog's mind that's a new member of the pack coming in that he might want to show dominance, teo or, you know, and in a new situation in new environment with a dog's not comfortable, that could spell trouble. Okay, so think about these things carefully when people ask you, what will you provide in the session? I'm going to provide so many hours of photographing, I'm gonna supply this many images for you to review enhanced images, etcetera, etcetera, my full devotion and creativity in your session, you know, highlight the positive things that you're going to provide to the claim as well ordering policies when and where when are they gonna order? How long is it going to be after the session? Where they going to do it? Okay, I say my clients will come back to the studio for a personal, in person viewing appointment with the artist. It will take place no more than two weeks after your session. It will be scheduled at the time of your session, and then you have to have who needs to be there all decision makers who would have some kind of saying how much money is going to be spent need to be there should kids be there? I always tell my clients that kids are welcome, but it may be better for you to easier and better for you to focus if they're not with you and we want your undivided attention at this very important appointment additional ordering appointments, the classic scenario that I came up with for you no hard one lesson, so to speak, you know the wife would show up, but the husband wouldn't and she sees the images, you know, all forty of them or whatever, and then all of a sudden goes, I can't do this my husband needs to be here. Can we schedule again? Oh, my gosh, that's like a train wreck waiting to happen and what do you say? I mean, seriously, what do you say? No, you have to order right now. What do you say? Think about what you could say I would put them online, but now I know why, yeah, camping in my line no way that's giving away your work for free. It would be like you're supposed to say, do you always make your house? I make the decisions oh, interesting that's kind of a hard sell, isn't it? You always make your husband did a decision oh, my gosh, that's a little he'll never do that, you know it's a little insulting when I say is this is so rehearsed? It's ridiculous. You guys would have found you will be able to tell about this resort river rehearsed, but what I say is your session fee includes the session, the time in town of the photographer, the enhancing of enhancing and editing of all your images and this in person preview appointment. I'd be more than happy to schedule a new to our block of time for you next week. Additional ordering appointments are one hundred dollars each. I have availability next friday. Would you like to come in then? In other words, sure, but you got to pay for it, and they usually go know. Okay, I'll figure it out now, but what does that do? And of course, that's outlined in advance in my policies, so nobody ever asks for it anymore, okay, but what does that say to her? That basically says my time is valuable and you're paying for my time and my expertise, and when you sit here and tell me you can't do it, you need additional appointment. Well, then you're gonna have to pay for it. If you went and sat in a psychiatrist office for an appointment and said you couldn't talk right now, can you come back? He would say, sure, it's gonna cost you two hundred bucks, right? It's the same thing with you and you're in your business your time is valuable make sure you stress that okay so that's a nice little chunky policy that you guys can take home with you unlike calorie restriction I say I mean client truly if they're both there and they can't make a decision and they're having in hi ng and doing what these guys did yesterday a little bit I would say that if you really can't make a decision I'm happy to put your images online for two days there is a nonrefundable six hundred fifty dollars image released deposit required if you do not order within two days you forfeit the deposit otherwise it applies towards your order I'm very strong about this one and if they say to me oh my gosh that's so intense I say well, the truth hurts I'll say something like you know I understand but we have had to institute this policy because in today's digital technology age it is just too easy to right click or screenshot an image and steal our work and I'm not saying that you would do that but if I didn't treat everybody like that it wouldn't be fair and we're just trying to protect our livelihood so I really hope you understand and of course they understand and if they really are hemming and hawing and I just can't decide they'll gladly pay the six hundred fifty dollars to have the images online and then they can go home and relax about it and look and they'll think about what we discussed and I won't let them go home until we've come up with some ideas and then they can go home and make a decision and the sail is always at my average when that happens okay they just truly need some time to decide so that does happen keep that in mind and have something in place to help your client but also something that you can live with and that deposit and the two day gallery is something I can live with and I'm sorry but if they could make a decision in two hours sitting with me to days is plenty of time and why is it so short because I don't want tohave things drone out my clients are in a very strong system throughout the studio and if one of these guys out liars gets popped out here things are going to fall through the cracks and I'm gonna miss stuff and it's waste you hard to be on this conveyor about constantly looking over there going oh my gosh they did they were to get did they order yet because I'm dealing with this kind of this kind did they order yet I got order I mean that is just drives me crazy so that two day period is for my benefit so that things get moving and get done quickly okay, your business your time is valuable things have to stay in order and they have to stay organized for you to provide good customer service to your client and if they ask in a wise that's so short say those reasons say everybody has a flow we have a very strong system of how we deal with orders and if things get out of line are out of order it really affects the way we deliver customer service and we don't want you to be a victim of that. Okay simple is that I know everybody's always wants to can my words can you record that? I could say it over and over again yeah question came in from online hunt said what if they say hey, you know, no need for an appointment I'll call you with my order want to make a decision things it's required okay? It's just I mean, how do you how do you how do you say that? Let's record it right at the beginning, okay, right when they're booking it's a really great question right at the beginning when they're booking, we talk about the process, we say okay, well, you're more than welcome to come in for a free consultation if you'd like to meet us, see what we have to offer get to know us see if it's a good fit they booked the pre consultation at the pre consultation I tell them okay you're going to be coming in for your session there's a few things that you need to do for homework you need to examine your home see where you might want to hang out while portrait if that's the goal we're aiming for and then two weeks later after your session you're going to come back to review the images in our studio and when you walk in my studio it's very open I mean it's like a big open space you can see everything from all from each area of the room and the viewing appointment area is tucked in the back and so when you walk up the stairs into the dressing room you know when we give the tour of the place we point out well, this is where you'll come back to review your images we have a big projection screen it's really fun it's like watching a movie of your family and they see that they get all excited they want to come back for the viewing appointments okay? So if you just lay it out from the beginning and say ok, this is how it works you're going to come back to review your images and you will be placing your order at the organ appointment they get it they don't mind when you have taken my knows me they don't mind when you when you lay it out in front of them in advance and when you're switching from online to in person it can be very intimidating to startle its process but you just have to reagan step outside yourself look at everything from the client's perspective and what is going to make it clear to you that the rules are the rules but in a nice way with me I would say with a smile on your face okay, moving on any other questions before I move on here digital fire restrictions can they oh sorry yes if you had kind of a sense of where photographers go wrong because we don't treat ourselves like psychiatrists where you have to come in yes, where does if you know or have any theories where they screw up, where that where that starts? Where did that idea come from? Because I saw a short video on youtube where people went into a video store and were like, but really can I just get it for eight dollars and like tried to talk down the price, you know? So it's a really good question and it really starts with your self worth I mean, I'm not talking about you, but everybody in general it's truly about valuing yourself and sometimes have to fake it till you make it you know and feel in your heart that you're you're you're worth it and not so much that juror worth it, but that the time and effort you put into something is worth it. You know what I'm saying? Like any business out there that's trying to make money? I mean, think of the big corporations in the world, they're not going to give deals and you're just a cz valuable of the businesses they are, no matter whether you're making money or not, I'm sorry. It doesn't matter your time and your effort and the and the the gusto and the brainpower and the physical effort that you put into do everything has a monetary value. We all have to get paid. We all live in this world, and that process has has money attached to it. If you were working for anybody else, you get paid a salary for your time, right? I worked in tv news, I got paid x amount of dollars. I was salaried, I had to work time whenever when I didn't want to I mean the ice storm of ninety eight I was talking to somebody that were upstate. I was in upstate new york at the cbs affiliate, and we had six inches of ice across the northeast, and we were in the studio for five days straight broadcasting, sleeping in sleeping bags on the floor and editing tape two take linear editing by candlelight nonstop for five days people were dying left and right because of carbon monoxide poisoning generators in their house I mean, you know, the whole story with this ice storms and how this goes and I was being paid seventeen thousand dollars a year to do this job peanuts you get to talk about me more than I did, but my time still had some value and I put a lot of time and effort into it with passion and purpose because I believed in capital j journalism I'm writing the first draft of history I'm going to change the world that was my purpose back then and I didn't mind being paid I still felt like I deserve to get paid for my talent and you guys deserve to be paid for your talent to you look at yourselves, you're here, you're educating stephanie spent a lot of money to get planes they couldn't come up here, you know, this is value in time that you're putting into this, so when you put that time and physical effort into something for your client, they expect to pay you for it and for some reason photographers don't think that they have in han they go oh no, we're through my work's not good enough oh, here you go, just take it for this man because I need the money yeah, you need the money but just make sure you say say hey I'm worth it but in a kind way to your clients and they will truly respect you if they will and they actually will respect you more when they have to pay for it when they have to put physical cash in front of you and say I want you for this it's a sign of respect okay sorry I always want what's with me digressing all time okay? Digital file restrictions are can they use him in commercial purpose can they use print for this size or that side those kinds of things image archive policy how long you gonna keep their images? Everybody always asked that you heard them here like oh can we come back and order something later you know that's like nine times out of ten I get that I get that question in order employment in fact almost every single order employment someone asked that they never come back and order anything I know darn well they're not going tio okay but we do have policies in place for archiving images and we take them very seriously because I don't want to be responsible for those images after one year particularly the wedding market you have to do this because years down the road people will want something for an anniversary or whatever and if you're supposed still responsible for those images they're going to get really upset if you don't have him and you know, hard drives fail and crash and the wedding ended ten years ago do you really remember it? I mean where is it can you find it? It was always like no minimum order some photographers like to have a minimum order in place I don't my creator collection system has a soft minimum in it already so if they have to follow the steps and create a collection and that lends itself already to a minimum of soft minimum okay, so I don't like to say every session requires five hundred dollar minimum order or whatever because I think it implies the pressure to buy andi if they don't like the images then and they have to spend five hundred dollars that to me is that that's what the client's going to think when they see that when they see there's a five hundred dollar minimum order with each session to go well what if I don't like the images that mean I don't get anything and I've paid the session fee but I have to spend five hundred bucks no matter what do you see that you see other client would go? Mmm I don't know if I should book you never want that question their head because of that trivial thing especially something that you can easily change and then again what will you provide in the order? What kind of images, what quality? What guarantee all that stuff okay design policies if you're doing design albums cards you know image boxes anything like that requires photoshopped work are you going to provide an hour hourly rate for it when I paint I haven't hourly rate they have to order a minimum twenty by twenty four canvas and it's one hundred dollars an hour for me to paint and it usually caught it cost anywhere from ten to fifteen hours for me to paint a piece I know you usually stop at certain points in the process you know teo say okay we're at this amount do you want to stop here revisions? How many revisions are you willing to do and are you well unwilling to let those revisions revisions be approved via email or only in studio? I told you my lesson. I probably have to say it again peress nation policies what if your client procrastinates on sending you information you need to provide them with their product if they don't get you information on a certain amount of time again it's the conveyor belt they're going to be standing out here off the conveyor belt you're gonna have to check it out check in on them every ten minutes it's going to drive you crazy so do you have a procrastination policy and again what were you providing the design? What you what will you be giving it's a contract? What will you be giving to them payment policies when his payment due is it do at the border appointment? Do you want to do a fifty fifty thing? I don't I'll do a fifty fifty thing like fifty at the appointment in the fifty when delivery but I don't like to do that because then they stall picking up their order if they pay for it all in advance they're going to pick it up quick, get it out of here I've got a mom bless her heart and no barring her baby got really sick so she couldn't get in but her kids seven months old eight months old she still hasn't picked up our new morn or yet ok, bless her heart she's a total sweetheart, you know? And so finally I'm just gonna call her and go, ok, you want me to ship this? You know what I don't like doing that? Because again, it's getting off the conveyor belt in the post office packaging up etcetera, etcetera. I try to stay on liking very about as much as possible order changes what's your order changing policy classic scenario client goes home from the war department, then calls you the next morning and goes, we changed our mind oh stephanie's saying yeah, been there done that got the t shirt, what do you do? Do you change it? Happy usually it's like well, I saw the pictures thank you for delivering the digital images like they've already paid I'm just ordering the prince and I but I really didn't like the way my eyebrow loads could you fix that in photo shop and I've already ordered the prince and I want them to be happy and so I have like a folder of like you know wayward prince you know the ones with prince yeah, you know like a fill in somewhere someday I'll find some collage purpose for it or something I don't know I know what you would give it to my children to like I know what haste with it here's another option on your invoice form are ordering policy is payment is due at the organ appointment should you make changes on your order effort is placed it is subject to a fifty percent cancellation fee should you make shouldn't order already be sent to the lab? The order is deemed non refundable remember what I said to you about how much time it takes things to get to the lab for me. So the next morning it takes thirty minutes so the next morning when they call me on a saturday morning going, we can't do it and I don't get the phone much is still monday I say we've submitted your order on friday and I am so sorry would you like us to redo it? I'm glad to order you the next print it cost, you know, I'm saying so that way I don't want renegade princeton around my studio, tiffany complaint enough as it is that the place is a mess and I don't have enough storage for things. So, you know, I I I'd rather just give it to him, but if they want the new print, I will re order it at cost also, which is double cost. So I still account for my time to make that new print and that's what any other business would do, right? They would say to you, yeah, we're happy to change it for you. We did already order your print, but we'll get the next one for you at wholesale, if you like. So it's a fifty percent discount and that's ok, about fifty percent discounts kind what I say them order returns. Do you do accept returns? I certainly is. Heck, don't for digital files. No way, jose, you cannot return digital files. I'm sorry not gonna happen. The other way to avoid this is to have people check the order when they pick it up to make sure it's what they like and sign for it, so don't package everything up super pretty I'm not a stingy about this policy but it's an idea on dh let them see it and approve it and then sign for and say yes I'm taking this order it is damaged free I accept full responsibility for it now that I have in my possession and etcetera etcetera you could do something like that and then of course, digital orders you know, what's your policy on digital orders for payment and things like that delivery policies how long will it take to deliver an order? What should they expect under promise? Over deliver okay, shipping policies are you going to ship things? Are you gonna charge shipping? Is it gonna be exact exact cost or a flat fee? Unless you live a certain amount of distance away or whatever whatever. Pick up in order approval again, do you want them to approve it when they sit down and look at the order? Any guarantee? Do you offer a lifetime guarantee on your prince? You got to take into consideration or they're gonna put it in bright sun, you know? Are they gonna subject it to humidity and moisture? If that's the case, do you want to be replacing a print every five years? But on the other hand, that lifetime guarantee really gives your client's a feeling of oh, this is good. This is a safe investment digital delivery how are you going, teo deliver digital images are you instruct these people on how download I mean I can't tell you about the number of times were an older couple has come in for a session and they're so you know they don't technology ages and it's quick for them like how I don't know this guy spent half an hour telephone helping them figure out how to download stuff etcetera, etcetera. So do you have any policies on that anything that takes your time or your money you should have a policy for and at the same time you need to provide to your consumer what you're going to give them a sandbox ok when you come in here we're gonna have a rocking good time but just make sure you follow my rules because I own the sandbox simple is that it's my sandbox and I love you and I want to play with you and you're so cool this would be a blast and we'll have a fantastic time and I promise I'll be your best friend but follow my rules that's all you're saying ok don't be mean to me don't believe me really that's the only thing you're saying okay, so communicating these policies that's critical this is our little leo thank you mom is so beautiful I see I saw her walking and I just about oh you're going to find a photograph communicating your policies look at his little lips doesn't that sorry I love baby communicating your policies it's the key to get your policies understood I mean really and don't expect your clients to read your policies on their own they won't okay, they won't it's way too much lingo you know it is do you actually read when you when you install software on your computer do you actually read the terms of service and you just click agree and you move on right? I do it all the time okay? You need to read that stuff I never will I never do adobe could put in some random thing in there that says I have to give them my firstborn and I would click I agree okay, so keep that in mind your clients won't read them so what do you have to do beat your clients over the head about your policies? I don't mean literally beat them I'm just getting in that regard. I mean, I'm trying to drive the point home that you need to drive the point home about your policies. Okay, so how do you do that? Yeah, alicia, answer my questions. Okay, I think you're going to answer my call yeah, you know, rock stars used to put things in their policies like you have to have a bold on lee green eminem's and the reason why they did that was because they knew that the people had red actually read it because then they called back then what what's with this green eminem's oh you find you throwing anything in your post somewhere where you know that's really funny I should do that no I don't know what a great idea to make sure they read it some off the wall things you read my policy is if they don't mention it a chance are they haven't read it right it's like long as you do something funny yeah exactly something funny something silly and something funny that's totally off the wall that's not even realistic on but your client might laugh about I don't know I'd have to think of something but you know you must stand on your head and count to ten when you come in the studio you know I mean silly things like that that they would remark on that might give you a good indication as to whether or not they've actually read it and if they don't mention anything to say did you have a chance to read our policies oh no well we should go over that before we start photographing your sessions so that everything is clear and laid out on the table you know it's good very good idea I love jim funny guy so really how do you how do you communicate those policies? We'll go over them with your client it's a pre consult okay they should sign acknowledging they have read them okay? And if you wanted to this online like we do, you can I go over our policies at the pre consultation and then they fill out the form electronically and sign for them again and they can read them in more detail on their own so I don't actually have them sign physically in front of me it feels a little too formal for me, but I will not photographed recession unless they fill out that form online and you actually have a copy of that form in your packet I basically copied and pasted it I didn't actually pay star policies and their because our liability releases on there and I'm not going to give you guys my liability release, but I do have a way for you to get a full copy of my policies for free, so I'll tell you that a minute as always, I just went really don't have to write all this down getting okay, so create marketing materials that repeat your policies over and over again. I have the website our client information website they signed for them there, but I give him this ordering kit that outlines are ordering policies on one of the cards there it is available to photographers in our sights if you guys wanna go check it out you could you could go to my website figure that out but that packet there you know what I say them very clearly here's what you need to do too you know study up on what you're ordering at your order appointment here is ordering policies in the back on dh so that that ordering kit really again drives the point home with good marketing materials it simply client education and then they signed for the order at the end which outlines a few of our ordering policies that you guys saw yesterday verbalized critical policies at critical moments when I'm when we're finishing up the session and we're at the computer trying to put in their viewing appointment I say them okay all decision makers we ask that all decision makers please be present at the viewing appointment does your husband need to be here for this appointment let's make sure we schedule it when everybody could be here you will be placing your order at the ordering appointment so I want to be prepared this little packets going to help you prepare and help you think about what you want to order and how you want to see these five ten, fifteen years from now so it's very critical that you read through this before you come see us that's literally what I say to them when we're scheduling the viewing appointment okay so as you can see when I'm saying this face to face like get this through your head hello knock knock they clearly remember me saying this to them okay it's it's in their face I'm not just leaving it up to them to figure it all out yeah that rescheduling is going to be additional hundred hundred dollars no sorry I'm sorry you're you're you're getting a little confused but I'm not communicating right? The sessions includes the ordering appointment yes, but but if they can't decide when they're sitting on the couch ordering and they want another appointment to come back and view the images again it's gonna cost a hundred bucks so I only that's in our policies yes it's very clearly lined out and they can read that additional ordering appointments requested incurring one hundred dollar fee but they don't ask for that anymore because they see in the policies and if I do say it to them hey, you know we're happy to schedule a new order equipment for you your session fee includes one additional order employment so one hundred dollars I have availability next whatever would you like to come in then they usually sometimes if they really can't make a decision on that hundred bucks is worth it they'll say yeah let's do that no, I just have a question when you tell that she should be your husband for the elder in upper appointment because she still might not kill you mentioned them oh yes she comes in if we made the order an appointment what about the computer and I said you know make sure your husband's going to be here what's a good time for him to come in and they coordinate they say okay look at our schedules this is when we come in and then she walks into that ordering appointment a week later and says and her husband's not with her I will say hey you know mr smith was supposed to be here is it okay that he's not here are you gonna be able to make these decisions without him and if she says oh yes it's no problem then we'll go ahead and do the organ appointment have there been times when they sat there and go shoot I should have had my husband you betcha then we have the solutions for that we have the additional order an appointment for a hundred dollars or we have that last last resort of putting up an online gallery for two days okay does that answer your question so you try tohave solutions for any kind of problem that says yes on your terms that says yes that values your time it still gives your client what they want questions knew okay if you want my policies here's where you could get him go to our website jule you the letter you education dot com you do have to put in your e mail I got to get something out of this right I promise I'm not obnoxious with emails at all. We send out one about once a quarter, so don't worry about that. But if you sign up for our newsletter, you will get an instant response with a link to our studio policies that you can compare against your own. So there you go, previ, heebie. Enjoy, jule, you education dot com.