I've been doing professional photography for 20 years, and every time I break my own rule and I do a photography session without meeting with the client ahead of time; something breaks down and I lose the order or they throw smoke-screen objections at me like, "I need to go home and think about it" and i end up feeling bad because I didn't serve the client.
I have seven things that happen at that in-person consultation--it's really important that I have it.
The biggest thing I do when they say they just can't...I'll say, "Hey, do you ever take off work for a doctor's appointment or dentist appointment?" And I say, "I understand how you feel and others have felt the same way, but what they've found, is that they would come in for their session look at the walls and say 'Oh, but I really want that!' but they're dressed in the wrong thing or in the wrong location. So it's really important that you come in and we plan your session."
It almost always works.
There is a way. If people are valuing photography, they need to come in for an in-person consultation.
