Ipad for client gallery review and order taking

mrhoni

I'm just getting started in business, so I haven't tried the process out yet and wonder about print order creation.

I have serval apps on my ipad to handle various tasks.

Quick Sale is setup to invoice for session or anything else I might charge for.
Photographer Contract Maker for contacts and model releases

After i have loaded photos to the Clients gallery in Smugmug I would have a face to face meeting with the client to review the photos and take their order.

My Smugmug account is setup with price lists and shopping cart feature.

So here is the Question:
If I meet the client and review the photos with them on the iPad, that seems easy and they can see a decent size photo and we can zoom in as needed.

From what I gather, if we put items in the shopping cart and don't finish the purchase, then the cookies are on my iPad for the shopping cart and later the client could not continue on my own. Also, I would think that their credit card details might be stored in the iPad?

I wonder if it would work best if I enter and place the order for them, I pay for them, assuming that I can ship to them, and then use Quick Sale to invoice for print purchase.

Later, they can logon and order more prints or download on their own.

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What are your thoughts?
Thanks.

mercphoto

mrhoni wrote: »

I wonder if it would work best if I enter and place the order for them, I pay for them, assuming that I can ship to them, and then use Quick Sale to invoice for print purchase.

That sounds like the easiest solution to me.

Angelo

Question #1: why wouldn't you complete the sale in the first go-around?

mrhoni

I would have the client pay for the session up front, but I assume that after they view the finished photos is when it would be discussed which photos (how many) they want complex touchup. Maybe after seeing all the photos they decide how many collages they want and the style they would like.

With the Quick Sale software, I can charge at the same time I build the invoice for the session, but didn't think that is when the client would know this particular answer for additional.

I am using print credits, so I'm not forcing them to buy any particular quantites and sizes.

I have thought about creating a separate price list and assigning that list to the special photos that I would put into the library, but I this may not be a practical solution.

mercphoto

Angelo makes a good point to get the final order and the payment as early as possible. Time is the enemy to sales. OUr last portrait session went like this. Pay the sitting fee up-front. Go to portrait session. Come back in one week to see what the photographer selected for us to see. Roughly 35-40 photos. All mostly post-processed already (do NOT show unedited photos!). We made our order then and paid for it. Came back in a week and a half to pick up our order.

Face to face sales and presentation. Order placed quickly and money taken up front.