Level up your client experience to increase your bottom line!

Client Experience Determines How Much Your Clients Are Willing To Spend!

In our industry, client experience is not just an extra—it’s a key indicator of how clients perceive the value of our work and how willing they are to invest in it.

And when I sayinvest, I mean more than just money.

Money is part of it, of course, but true investment comes when a client willingly gives you their time, their energy, and a bit of themselves in the process. Those intangible contributions are what transform a portrait session from “just pictures” into an experience they’ll treasure for life.

Here’s the truth:

The less you require of a client (within reason), the less likely they are to see your art as valuable at the level you envision.

Luxury, artistry, and connection often come from the intentional effort we ask of our clients—because that effort bonds them to the process and deepens the emotional value of the final work.

In other words, we want them to have "skin in the game!"

Staging the Experience

Think of yourself as a director. You’re setting the stage for a memorable experience from the moment they first inquire until the day they hang their portraits in their home.

Personal touches: Handwritten notes or even a simple welcome messsage in your studio.

Refreshments: Think about champagne for a milestone family session, tea, hot cocoa or coffee for a winter session, or sparkling water served in elegant glassware all year around. Upscale snacks beautifuuly displayed on a tray are also a must!

Engaging all five senses:

• Sight – Beautifully styled gallery and front room.
• Sound – Curated background music that matches the session mood.
• Scent – Light, pleasant fragrances in your studio. We use an aroma diffuser with scent oil to have a consistent scent throughout the day.
• Taste – Gourmet snacks or local treats. 
• Touch – Soft, comfortable seating.  

The “landing strip” idea: Create a warm, welcoming space that transitions clients from their busy, everyday life into your world—a slower, more meaningful place where they can relax and take a breath.

Follow-up: A thoughtful thank-you gift/card, a behind-the-scenes video or stills, or a message about their their portrait session.

 Easy vs. Effort: Designing the Balance

Part of crafting a luxury experience is deciding what should be effortless for your client and what should require a little intentional effort on their part. Here is how we break it down:

Make it easy to:

• Schedule sessions
• Pay deposits
• Know exactly when and where to arrive
• Pick up finished artwork
• Handle the logistics of bringing clothing and props

Require effort:

• Carving out time to meet face-to-face for consultations
• Sharing their personal stories and vision with you
• Sending snapshots of their home so you can design art to fit perfectly
• Shopping for or coordinating special outfits
• Attending an in-person sales (IPS) appointment to view and select their portraits—because this is where the emotional connection truly happens

When you create an experience where clients have both ease and investment, your art naturally takes on greater significance in their eyes. They see the process not as a transaction, but as a personal, emotional, and meaningful collaboration.

And that’s when they stop thinking of it as “just a picture” and start treasuring it as the art—and legacy—it truly is.

We have found that the more we "require" a client to do before the session, the more they feel part of a team ...they buy in and the result is often an amazing client plus a budding friendship that lasts for years.

As summer draws to a close, we are gearing up our teaching and coaching, anticipating a bright and exciting 2026. Check out our opportunites here:

https://www.timwalden.com/coaching

Have a wonderful week!

Bev

We created a special guide of our favorite places, restaurants, coffee houses, etc. in Lexington for our out-of-town clients as they are often here overnight. Click image below to read.