The key to any great session is planning!  Knowing what you are looking for, outfits, and locations helps me to get the most poses, truest emotions, and the best photos in our time together!  To do this I schedule a 20 minute online/phone planning session.  During this quick chat we go over things like outfit choices, locations, personal preferences for poses, hobbies, sports, and likes and dislikes!  It also gives us a few minutes to connect, so when we are shooting it is easier for me to get genuine smiles and laughs.