The photography client experience begins long before the session itself—it starts from the very first interaction a potential client has with your business. One of the most debated aspects of this experience is whether to require a phone call before booking. Some photographers swear by it as the best way to convert leads, while others find it unnecessary or even a barrier to securing clients.
So, should you require a phone call before booking? In this post, we’ll break down the pros and cons of booking calls and explore alternative ways to provide an amazing client experience—without the extra step.
What Is a Photography Booking Call?
A client booking call (sometimes called a discovery call, inquiry call, or sales call) is a phone conversation with a potential client before they book a session. Instead of listing full pricing details on your website, you might provide a starting rate or average spend and encourage interested clients to schedule a call.
The purpose of this call is to:
- Build rapport and trust with the client.
- Answer their questions about pricing, locations, or logistics.
- Help them select the best package or collection for their needs.
- Confirm dates and details without endless email back-and-forth.
- Address any concerns about the session.
At the end of the call, the goal is to send over a booking proposal, allowing the client to finalize their session.
In this episode, we’ll discuss the pros and cons of this approach to booking in you photography client experience, how to decide if it’s a good fit for you, and talk about alternatives as well to still get really aligned clients, minimize confusion, and create an quality client experience.
Listen on Apple Podcasts | Listen on Spotify
The Pros of Requiring a Client Phone Call
Many photographers believe phone calls are one of the most effective ways to convert leads into bookings, and there’s a good reason.
1. It Builds Connection and Trust
Clients who get on a call with you are more likely to feel personally connected to your brand. Hearing your voice, answering their questions in real time, and providing reassurance can go a long way in establishing trust and confidence. I need to add the fact that pretty much every single time I get on the phone with a client they convert. And that’s worth something.
2. Simplifies Planning
A call allows you to handle multiple details at once—session type, date, location, and concerns—without the delay of back-and-forth emails. It streamlines the process and reduces confusion.
3. Creates a High-Touch Experience
For photographers who want a luxury, high-end feel, personal interaction is key. A call elevates the photography client experience by making them feel valued and taken care of from the start.
The Cons of Requiring a Client Phone Call
While phone calls work well for some, they can also create barriers that prevent clients from booking. Here’s why some photographers skip them:
1. Scheduling / Your personal availability Challenges for you
For 9 years of my story growing a family photography business, I’ve had either an infant or toddler at home with me. Childcare has been sporadic and unpredictable, sometimes changing season to season, or week by week. I knew that to make phone calls part of my process that worked well, I needed to have my attention and focus fully on my client in that moment – and there was rarely a time when I felt I could confidently guarentee that. My ability to plan on specific times to coordinate calls was – in most cases – not an option – and maybe that’s the boat you’re in, too.
2. Your level of comfort / personality
If you hate being on the phone or feel incredibly nervous communicating this way, OR if it takes you a lot of prep to pump yourself up for this kind of call – that’s a major con. Like anything, it’s a skill you can get better at, but also, it generally serves you to lean into your strengths and what naturally feels good. If you’re not confident when speaking in a client call, the chances of it converting well go way down.
3. Scheduling / Availability for your clients.
Not everyone has the flexibility to schedule a call—especially busy parents, who make up a large portion of our family photography clients. They’re working around their own work schedules or have little ones afoot demanding their attention, so getting on a planning phone call feels like a big barrier to entry.
If they can’t find a time that works, they may give up and move on to another photographer.
3. Hiding Information Behind a Curtain
Many clients are hesitant to inquire if they don’t know the cost upfront or at least have a general sense for what to expect. If they have to book a call just to get pricing details, they may assume it’s out of their budget and never reach out in the first place.
Alternatives to the Client Booking Call
If you want the benefits of a phone call without the downsides, here are a few ways to create a great photography client experience without requiring calls:
1. Give Clients the Choice
Instead of requiring calls, let clients opt-in. On your contact form, include a question like:
✔️ Would you prefer to chat by phone?
- “Yes! Call me.”
- “Email is better for me.”
This allows clients who prefer phone calls to opt-in, while those who don’t can still easily move forward.
2. Develop your brand
Build familiarity through a newsletter, clear copy, and elements that allow potential customers to connect with you well and understand your angle well upfront.
You can also use video to create a connection with your face and voice through behind the scenes video of you at work or things like a welcome video that they see on your contact page.
This way, when they do reach out, it’s simply to get on your calendar – they’re already sold.
3. Simplify your client experience overall
If you feel like a phone call is necessary to walk potential clients through all their options, you probably have too many options.
Refine your website and workflow so clients can confidently book without needing all that extra clarification. This can relate to your pricing structure, the types of sessions you offer in general, and any other choice that you’re putting on your client.
Learn more: Episode 39 – My History of Pricing as a Family Photographer
4. Develop your Blog Content
Blog content can support your client experience by giving your potential clients ways to engage deeper with your work and process. Beyond what exists in your portfolio, they can see more about what a session with you may look like through featured sessions, find examples of potential locations, get advice about styling, and more. All of these can be helpful resources that ease their concerns and eliminate questions or issues to booking you, thereby also eliminating the need for a phone call.
I use Showit for my website and blog and have been so impressed with how much easier it makes blogging with the Yoast plugin. I switched from Squarespace years ago and it was one of the best decisions I made for boosting my SEO. I can see a clear difference both in the results of my blogging efforts and the ease with which I produce blog content.
You can try out Showit for a month for free with my bonus code here.
5. Gather needed information via a questionnaire instead
Rather than require your clients to provide a slew of information and “tell you their story” upfront, work on the problem of eliminating the barrier to book first. Then, once they have determined for themselves whether they’re a good fit for your work or not, you can move them through the booking process in a quick and streamlined manner. From there you dig in deeper, knowing that you’re going to be collaborating for these photos and are fully invested in that process from both sides.
Any questions you feel are essential for understanding them, their needs, etc. to create beautiful photos, you can ask in a questionnaire.
It’s true that people tend to open up over the phone in a more candid manner, but you weigh how much that matters in your process or if you can manage with their more brief versions and simply elaborate in person when you meet if needed.
I use Honeybook for managing my client booking and questionnaires through the client experience and have found it super helpful for keeping communication streamlined and maintaining my brand presence.
If you want to try it out, use my referral code here for a free first month and 30% off your first year.
What about those aiming for a high-touch, luxury experience?
If the goal is creating a high touch photography client experience, a call probably is a good bet.
So how can you make it work for you if you’ve decided the phone call really is the best option for you?
- Anticipate some phone tag – you may have to coordinate a bit to get someone one the phone, but if it matters to your process, that’s okay.
- Accept doing these phone calls on the fly – maybe that’s okay, too! Decide whether it supports your brand to be “in it” with them, having these conversations with kids around or in the car, for example. If you feel you can still confidently share and communicate in this context, then allow that to be acceptable.
- If you’re dealing with a high volume of leads, consider ways to filter and have clients self select a little more before they get to the contact page so you’re not wasting time with really cold and unlikely to convert leads
- Build yourself consistent working hours. If you need to have these phone calls on a regular basis in a quiet, full concentrated environment, then setting a predictable schedule (and possibly even a booking calendar for clients to schedule their calls themselves) is essential.
Final Thoughts: Should You Require a Client Phone Call?
Most importantly : Do what works logistically for you.
Don’t try to make something happen that’s going to stress you out. This isn’t an excuse to not try the calls, but simply to encourage you to build the structure of your workflow to align with what feels natural to you. You’re the boss, after all.
At the end of the day, the best photography client experience is one that works for both you and your clients. If a high-touch, personal approach is important to you, phone calls may be a great fit. If you prefer a streamlined and accessible booking process, offering clear pricing and alternative ways to communicate might be the better route.
There’s no one-size-fits-all answer. The key is to find a workflow that feels natural, aligns with your brand, and makes booking effortless for your clients—whether that includes a phone call or not.
Do you want some extra support working on your client experience, finding your unique voice and strengths, and developing a business structure you love all around?
Learn more about 1:1 mentoring with me here and sign up for a no-strings-attached call to get to know each other.
You may also like:
3 Times Photographers Should Shoot for Free + A Case for Generosity
Seasons of Business, Marketing with Intention, & Choosing Education Wisely with Sabrina Gebhardt
