It just seemed timely to have an episode like this in the midst of Mini-Session season! Here is a glimpse into how I prep the week of Mini-Sessions. Your prep week doesn't have to be frantic or stressful, but before diving in I do have a FREE class that targets the marketing for mini sessions. Be sure you check that out and let it be a help to you this mini season! Ready to learn how I prep the week of mini-sessions?
Prep Your Gear
The very first thing I do is get my gear ready. I charge all my batteries and clear my SD cards. I always bring two batteries on my mini-sessions day. I usually never need the back up, but I don't want to panic if the battery in my camera has an issue! And a good rule of thumb is don't wait to charge the night before. Get them done early in the week then test it out to make sure it's fully charged. I do this because I had a bad experience and for some reason my batteries didn't charge completely and I was trying to charge in between sessions... not fun! I like to shoot on 32 gig SD cards and I bring two for the day as well.
Prep the Google Calendar
I like adding all my clients' sessions into Google calendar. It helps me stay organized and know who is up next. Something I've been doing with that is including their Client Questionnaire in their event! It's genius because in case I forget details about them or their particular session I can quickly open it inside my Google calendar. I use Dubsado which is awesome for this purpose too. Dubsado actually adds sessions into my calendar and I manually add in the Questionnaire afterward.
Client Questionnaire
When it comes to Mini-Sessions you are limited on the amount of time you have with your clients. So, rather than using up precious minutes with questions like what's your name and tell me about yourself I have a Client Questionnaire! This is another 'how I prep the week of Mini-Sessions' tip. Read through all your client questionnaires. In that I ask very intentional things like if they've ever done a mini session. I ask specifics about their family dynamic, if they have any special needs, etc. The goal is to serve them to the best of my ability so having this information beforehand is so valuable! Not sure on what to ask? You can actually purchase my Questionnaire HERE!
Final Info Email
Another thing I do to prep the week of Mini-Sessions is send out my Final Info Email. This gives clients last minute reminders, answers questions about location, etc. I used to send it out manually, but now it's an automated step in my CRM - Dubsado. The purpose is to answer any questions clients might have to avoid the monotonous back and forth communication. They'll know location, where we are meeting, time of session, what to bring to the session and a whole lot more. You can also grab that email template along with others in my Email Templates Bundle.
Last but not Least
I check the weather at the beginning of the week when my session is on the weekends. I will be in contact with clients letting them know I have my eye on the weather and will keep them posted. So if sessions are Sunday night then Friday I will check again. By then the weather channel app usually gives an hourly forecast. So, if it's 80% chance of rain or higher that's when I decide to reschedule. If it's like 50-60% chance I let clients know we're going to make the final decision on Sunday morning. I do not have a rainout date upfront because that just complicates things. When I do reschedule I just change the date and keep everyone's time slots the same. If it doesn't work for someone I then find a new time that works for them.
Lastly, I also scout locations in the week of prep. If it's a new spot I go to check the lighting and surroundings so that I'm not surprised the day of! Remember the goal is to eliminate surprises and stress on the day of!
What We Discussed
Prep Your Gear (3:15)
Prep the Google Calendar (5:59)
Client Questionnaire (7:02)
Final Info Email (9:00)
Last but not Least (10:19)
