"Hey is this [name]?" 👉 WAIT
"Hey [name], it's [artist] from [studio]. You were chatting with us about your tattoo so I just wanted to jump on quickly and sort everything out for you — did I catch you at a decent time?" 👉 WAIT
"Just to make sure I've got everything right — we're looking at [design], roughly [size], on the [placement] yeah?" 👉 WAIT. Clarify anything unclear before moving forward.
"For something like that we're sitting around [price range]. Does that feel comfortable for you?" 👉 WAIT. Do not move forward without a clear yes.
"Perfect. I've only got 2 spots left this month and that piece fits exactly into what I've got available — do you want me to get that locked in for you?" 👉 WAIT
"What we'll do is a [deposit amount] deposit — it secures your spot, goes toward the final piece anyway, and gives us the time to get everything mapped out perfectly before anything's locked in. I'll send the details through now and stay on while you sort it — you good to take care of that now?" 👉 WAIT. Stay on the call until paid.
"Yeah totally, look the price reflects [x hours, detail level, etc.]. What I can do is adjust the scope slightly to bring it into a more comfortable range — what were you thinking budget wise?" 👉 WAIT. Adjust scope, never discount.
"Yeah of course no pressure at all. Just so you know I've only got 2 spots and once they're gone I close the books for the month — when do you think you'd know by?" 👉 WAIT. Lock in a specific callback time before hanging up.