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How do I Create and Use the Simple Sales System App?
How do I Create and Use the Simple Sales System App?
Maryanne avatar
Written by Maryanne
Updated over a week ago

The Simple Sales System App is designed to help photographers harness the benefits of an in-person sales strategy without the time and hassle of actually conducting in-person sales.

The app guides your client through a 3 step sales process:

Step 1: Your client is welcomed into a gallery with preview images, available for a limited time, and 3 packages that they can purchase. Each package can include a certain number of high resolution downloads, a photo selection request, a slideshow download, and/or print credit to spend in the shop.

Step 2: Your client purchases their package straight from the gallery.

Step 3: Their full gallery is opened. They can browse all of their photos and select the contents of their purchased package.

There is also an optional package upgrade that you can set up for your client.

Access the free training Annemie created with a more in-depth look at the benefits of the system and the philosophy behind using it to elevate your business.


Add the Simple Sales App

1. To begin, first access the Sales & Automation tab from your Main Dashboard.

2. From the Automations tab, click the + More Automations icon.

3. Select the Simple Sales System app, and click Install App.

4. Name your app, and click Add Automation App.

Outline the Campaign

5. First, create the visual display for the packages by clicking on the first pencil icon.

6. Here, you can add a Packages Banner Title to display in the gallery above the three packages. In addition, you can use the Packages Banner Sub-Title to add a description or additional instructions for the three packages.

Then name your three packages, add a description, and price for each. You can also change the product banner image by clicking on the pencil icon to upload your own JPG image. Click Apply when you are done.

Here is an example of how the packages will display in the gallery:

7. After you click Apply to create your three packages, a price list with the three custom products will be added under Settings > Store Pricing. This price list will be used to present the package purchase options. If you want to edit your packages later on, you can do so within the app itself.

Package Content Setup

Next, set up your three packages.

Your package can include a set number of digital downloads, selection workflow, slideshow download, and store credit or other discount. These will become available to the client after they have purchased the package.

Please Note: If the gallery has multiple Main Clients, the purchased collection and assets will be available for all main clients.

Downloads

8. Set the Number of Digital Files Included in Package 1 by clicking on the pencil icon.

9. In the download settings, you can Allow free Web-Size downloads and/or free High-Res downloads. Any additional downloads that are not included in the free allowance will be priced per your store pricing. To learn more about the download options, click here. Click Apply when finished.

Selection Workflow

10. Set up a Selection Workflow if you want your client to select a specific number of images after they have purchased the package. This can be used for them to select photos for products such as an album, or wall hanging set, or for image retouching. You can open a selection request for any reason of your choosing. Selection workflows can also be created manually in the gallery outside of this app. Learn more here.

11. In the Selection workflows, you can create up to 3 different selection requests. Name your selection request and set the number of photos you want your client to select. Click Apply.

Please Note: Your client will not be automatically emailed notifying them of Selection Workflow in the Simple Sales App. If you set up a Selection Workflow via the app we recommend giving instructions to your client about making selections in your announcement emails for the package. You'll learn how to set up these emails below.

After the client purchases a package, the selections will appear as normal in their account. Learn more here.

Please Note: If the client decides to purchase a package upgrade, the existing selections will be closed and the selections from the new package will be opened. If a client already added some photos into the first selection and wants to continue, you can reopen the closed selections in the gallery’s Workflow tab.

Slideshow Downloads

12. Set the Slideshow Downloads availability included in package 1 by clicking on the pencil icon.

13. Checkmark to Allow free Slideshow downloads, and/or enable the slideshow for purchase. You can also add a watermark to the downloaded version of the slideshow. Click Apply.

Store Credit

14. Set up the amount of credit included in package 1 by clicking on the pencil icon.

15. Here you can modify the discount, description, code, whether you want to apply free shipping, whether you want to have a minimum order amount for this coupon, if you want to allow discount stacking or if you want to limit the coupon to specific products.

For the Simple Sales System, the $ Off coupon is generally used in order to give store credit for the client to spend. For more information on other discounts you can offer, click here. Click Apply when you are ready to save your changes.

Please Note: If you offer Upgrade Packages in the Simple Sales System, the system will block the client from using their print credit from the package to purchase an upgrade.

Please Note: When you unassign the app from the gallery, the system will expire that coupon code and it will no longer be active. Reassigning the app will not carry over the discount.

Email Communication for Package 1

16. Next, set up the email communication for Package 1. The Announcement email will be received by the client after they have purchased the particular package. Here you can instruct the client on how to download their images, make selections per your Selection Workflow and instruct how to spend their Store Credit in the shop.

Click on the pencil icon next to the Email Send Time to adjust the timing. To learn more about the Optimized Schedule, click here.

17. Hover over the email and click on the pencil icon on each email to edit it.

18. Begin by adjusting the banner image. Click Change Image.

19. You can upload your own image, choose to use the cover photo of the gallery or choose one of the pre-made images provided by Pic-Time.

20. Once you choose your banner image, you can modify the E-mail Subject, message Title, email Message and Button Text. You can learn more about using dynamic text tokens to customize your emails here.

21. Once you have reviewed your text, click Apply to save your changes.

22. Repeat the same steps for Package 2 and Package 3, setting up the client’s download settings, photo selections, store credit, and emails.

Package Upgrade

23. You can enable or disable the option for your client to upgrade their package to a higher package after they make their initial purchase. If an upgrade package is purchased, your client will receive the discount in the Upgrade in addition to the discount in their original package. For example, if your client has a $200 store credit from their original package, and then purchases an upgrade with $300 store credit, they will have $500 credit total.

Please Note: The upgrade packages will automatically be excluded from the original package discount, so the client will not be able to use their store credit from a package to purchase the upgrade.

24. Set up the package upgrade display for the gallery and shop by clicking on the pencil icon.

25. The client will have the option to upgrade from Package 1 to Package 2, from Package 1 to Package 3, and from Package 2 to Package 3.

Please Note: we recommend that your package upgrades increase in value from Collection A to C so that upgrades behave correctly.

Name your package upgrades, add a description, and price for each. You can also change the product banner image by clicking on the pencil icon to upload your own JPG image. Click Apply when you are done.

Package Upgrade Store Credit

26. Then define the additional Store Credit from Package 1 to Package 2 by clicking on the pencil icon.

27. Here you can modify the discount type and amount, description, coupon code, whether you want to allow the client to apply the discount to the shipping fee and whether you want to have a minimum order amount for this coupon. You can also choose if you want to allow discount stacking or if you want to limit the coupon to specific products. For the Simple Sales System, the '$ Off' Discount Type is generally used in order to give Store Credit for the client to spend.

Package Upgrade Emails

28. Next, set up the email communication for the Package 1 to Package 2 upgrade by hovering over the Announcement email and clicking on the pencil icon. The Announcement email will be received by the client after they have purchased the package upgrade. Here you can thank your client for upgrading, and instruct the client on how to spend their Store Credit in the shop.

Click on the pencil icon next to the Email Send Time to adjust the timing.

29. Repeat for the Package 1 to Package 3 upgrade, and Package 2 to Package 3 upgrade.

Package Campaign Setup

30. Now let’s set up the Welcome email. This email will be sent to Main Clients instead of the general Gallery is Ready email from the gallery’s Share tab. This email invites the Main Clients to the gallery to view their preview scene and the three package options. We recommend you include instructions for your client on entering the gallery and purchasing one of the three packages.

Welcome Email

Hover over the Announcement Email and click on the pencil icon to edit the email. You can also add the Reminder 1 Week email to set a reminder if your client has not yet logged into the gallery.

Please Note: The Reminder 1 Week email will only send if the client has not logged into the gallery, otherwise it will be skipped.

Gallery Preview Duration

31. Then set up the Gallery Preview Duration. This will be the amount of time the client can view the preview scene after clicking through the Welcome email to enter their gallery for the first time.

32. Adjust when the gallery preview will close and click Apply.

Gallery Expiration

33. Then set up the Gallery Expiration. The gallery will expire from the time the package was purchased. Click on the Pencil icon to edit.

34. Select the number of days and/or months you would like the gallery to expire after the package is purchased and click Apply. This date is not editable when you assign the app to a gallery.

Price List

35. Then set the price list to display to the client after they have purchased a package by clicking the pencil icon. This will be the price list that they can spend their Store Credit on.

36. Select the Price List from the drop-down menu and then click Done.

Watermark Settings

37. Then set up your Watermark Settings. You can choose to remove the watermark from the gallery after a package has been purchased, or leave the watermark. Learn more about watermark settings here.

38. Checkmark if you would like to hide the watermark, and then click Apply.

Additional Reminder Email

39. Toggle on or off an additional reminder email for your client after they have purchased the package, to remind them to spend their Store Credit.

40. Click on the pencil icon to edit the number of days between their package purchase and the Check-in Email.

41. Select the duration after the purchase for your Check-in Email to be sent out, and click Apply.

42. Then edit the Email send time by clicking the pencil icon, and the contents of the email by hovering over the email and clicking the pencil icon on the email.

Support "Photographer Invited" Users

43. Toggle the option Support photographer invited to purchase package to also include Photographer Invited users in emails and print credit.

If you enable this option, the emails sent from the app will send to Main Clients as well as users listed in the Photographer Invited section of the Share tab. The print credit will also be shared between Main Clients and Photographer Invited users.

Pro Tip: If you would like your Photographer Invited users to also be able to download photos included in the collection, be sure to adjust your download settings in the app so that Main Client and Photographer Invited users can download.

Please Note: If you are using the Selection Workflow, the Photographer Invited users will not receive a Selection Request nor be able to make selections in the gallery. The Selection Workflow is reserved for Main Clients in a gallery only.

44. Finally, leave any internal notes for yourself and click Save.


Assign to Galleries

1. To assign the Simple Sales System app to your gallery, from your Main Dashboard select your gallery from the left sidebar, or click Client Galleries to search for the specific project.

2. From the gallery's Automations & Discounts tab, click + More Automations.

3. Select the Simple Sales System App from your list of active apps.

4. Hover over the emails and click the pencil icon to edit them. This way you can further customize the Welcome Email for each gallery.

5. Click on the pencil icon to select your preview scene. The preview scene you select will be visible to your client alongside their three package options until the gallery preview duration is done.

6. Select the scenes that you would like to be visible during the preview, and click Apply.

7. If needed, you can adjust when the app will begin. Keep in mind, if you want the app to automatically send the Welcome Email to your client, you'll want to make sure your gallery is updated with the three parameters listed below. Then click Apply to add the app to the gallery.


Sending the Welcome Email

Please Note: The Welcome Email in the Simple Sales System will invite your clients to the gallery, and therefore override the Gallery is Ready email. There is no need to send the Gallery is Ready email from your gallery when using this app.

The Welcome Email will only send when all three parameters are met:

1. The Simple Sales System App is assigned to the gallery.

2. The Main Client details are saved in the Share tab.

3. The gallery is Online.

There are a few different workflows to achieve this:

  • Gallery is Offline → add main client email → assign app and nothing will happen until the photographer marks the gallery as Online → announcement email is sent out

  • Gallery is Offline → assign app → add main client email → click 'send to client' → Gallery becomes online and announcement mail is sent out

  • Gallery is Online → add main client email → assign app and announcement email is sent out

  • Gallery is Online → assign app → add main client email → move to another tab and the announcement email is sent out

1. To add your Main Client's details and turn the gallery Online, go to your gallery's Share tab, add the client name and email click the Send to Client button.

2. When you click the Send to Client button the gallery will be turned Online and your Main Client details saved. If the Simple Sales System app is assigned to the gallery, the Welcome Email in the app will send. Click OK.

And that’s it! Your client will now be able to see their gallery preview, purchase their package, and shop straight from their gallery.


Gallery Expiration

After the client purchases a package, the gallery will be automatically set to expire according to your app settings. You can update these gallery expiration settings for the gallery at any time in the Gallery Setup tab. If you want to customize your expiration emails or other emails sent to clients, you can update them with Email Packages.


Advanced Options

Packages purchased outside of Pic-Time

1. If your client purchases one of the three packages outside of Pic-Time, you can manually mark the package as purchased and open up the gallery for them with the applicable inclusions. From the project’s Automations & Discounts tab, click on the three dots to the right of the app. Under the Advanced Options, choose which package they purchased.

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