A message arrives with a photograph saved from somewhere, no size, no placement and the words how much.
The artist cannot answer it. Ten exchanges later there is still no information, the enquirer has lost interest, and an hour has gone into a conversation that produced nothing.
Step 1: publish what you need before quoting
Idea, placement, approximate size, whether it is a cover up, any existing work nearby and reference images. Six things that turn a message into a brief.
Step 2: explain that size and placement change everything
The same design on a forearm and on a rib costs differently, takes differently and looks differently. Enquirers assume the picture is the job.
Step 3: publish how you charge
By the hour, by the piece, by the session or with a minimum. And what the minimum is. It is the question behind every enquiry.
Step 4: publish the consultation format
Whether it is in person, by message or by video, how long it takes and whether it is chargeable. People will not book something they cannot picture.
Step 5: explain the deposit
What it secures, whether it comes off the work, what happens if they cancel and whether it is transferable. It is the most disputed part of the process and it should be written down.
Step 6: explain the design time
That custom work is drawn before the appointment, that this is real work and that the deposit pays for it. Enquirers do not know it happens.
Step 7: explain the revision policy
How many changes are included, when the design is shown and what happens if they want something different. Publishing it prevents the redraw argument.
Step 8: explain the waiting time honestly
Weeks or months, by artist. People assume a week and plan around it, which is the expectation problem in tattoo booking enquiries without a design or size.
Step 9: explain multi session work
How large pieces are broken up, the interval between sessions and how it is priced. People commit to one appointment and discover it is five.
Step 10: handle cover ups separately
Different constraints, different limits and an honest assessment of what is achievable. Publishing that it needs photographs first prevents a wasted consultation.
Step 11: match the enquiry to the right artist
By style, which is what the enquirer is really choosing, and which portfolio pages should make obvious, as in design consultation enquiries and what artists need.
Step 12: say what you will not do
Styles you do not work in, placements you decline and anything outside your practice. An honest no with a suggestion earns respect.
Step 12b: explain what happens on the day
First timers want to know how long they will be in the chair, whether they can eat beforehand, whether somebody can come with them and what to do if they need a break. Publishing it removes the nervousness that makes people postpone an appointment they have already paid a deposit for.
Step 13: capture the brief at any hour
Because these enquiries arrive at midnight with a photograph, and a structured capture turns that into a bookable consultation, the same qualification as implant consultations and the questions before booking and an AI receptionist for architects in a different trade.
Getting started
Publish what you need to quote, your charging basis and the deposit terms, then capture briefs and photographs at any hour. SpideyChat for studios and salons answers from your published pages, plans are on the pricing page, and the chatbot ROI calculator works through the numbers.