How to run a photography ordering appointment

An ordering appointment is your chance to help a client decide what they’d like to do with their photos. By the end, you both want to know which images they’ve chosen, what they’re ordering, and what happens next.

Here’s a straightforward way to work through it with IPS Viewer.

1. Have everything ready before they arrive

Prepare the photos, set up your products and prices, and check the display you’ll use. Let your client know what you’ll be choosing together, whether that’s gift prints, a wall portrait, or images for an album.

If you edit in Lightroom Classic, export the photos and import the folder into IPS Viewer. Open a few images to check them before the appointment.

2. Look through the photos together

Give your client a first look, then start narrowing things down. Use Yes, Maybe, and No to keep track of their reactions. When two photos are close, put them side by side. You can come back to the maybes once they’ve seen the rest.

3. Add the products they want

Choosing a photo and ordering a print are two separate steps. A client might like five photos but want a 16×20 of one and two 8×10s of another.

For each product, record the image, size, quantity, price, and any finishing notes. Use a price-list item or enter a custom item in Quick Order. The order-item guide explains the controls.

4. Read the order back together

Go through each item while your client is still with you. Check the photo, product, size, quantity, and notes, then confirm the discounts, tax, total, and balance.

If your client needs to see a framed arrangement on their wall or an album layout, use a separate design tool. IPS Viewer doesn’t create those previews.

5. Take payment and save the order

Collect payment through your usual payment provider, then record the amount, method, and reference in IPS Viewer. Recording it in the program doesn’t charge the client.

Save the session manually and use View PDF to create an order summary. Check the PDF and save a permanent copy in your client records. Then agree on production and delivery using your studio’s policies.

How to save a session · How to save the PDF summary

See the process in IPS Viewer

The demo shows how to compare photos, choose favorites, and build an order on Windows.

Watch the demo · Buy IPS Viewer — $189

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