Make More Money With Your iPad

<p>Many music retailers use iPads daily but don&rsquo;t realize the full potential of the device. At 2014 Summer NAMM, Joe Dorsey of Hoggtowne Music revealed the iPad&rsquo;s hidden power to help retailers make more money and grow their businesses in ways they might not have considered.<br /> <br /> <span>&ldquo;The iPad does a great job of allowing you to take your sales out of the store,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;We can go to our customers and take the game to them.&rdquo;</span><br /> <br /> <span>Dorsey added that the iPad can integrate with a POS system without a significant cost for hosting services or initial software.</span><br /> <br /> <span>During the session, he discussed several money-making ideas that can be done easily with an iPad. Highlights from the video:</span><br /> <br /> <strong>Band camps</strong><span>. At a high school summer band camp, Dorsey set up a table where he could introduce his store to parents. At a Florida Gators band camp, he manned a pop-up tent and covered the event by himself. This kept him from losing these customers to online merchants.</span><br /> <br /> <strong>Rental nights</strong><span>. Using free apps, band rental items can be scanned into an iPad. Retailers can also approve rental contracts on site, take customer deposits and send receipts. This provides customer emails for follow-up and promotions.</span><br /> <br /> <strong>Mobile booths</strong><span>. Set up a mobile booth at art festivals or anyplace where local crowds gather. More than once, Dorsey&rsquo;s iPad became a conversational piece, especially with children. That&rsquo;s a plus for building future customers.</span><br /> <br /> <strong>Self-checkout</strong><span>. Build a small display of items to promote, program them into your iPad and set the device on a stand at the counter. Then, let customers handle the transactions by themselves. Dorsey said he saw success with All-State band kids who came in and knew exactly what they needed. This is another way to help customers speed up their transactions.</span><br /> <br /> <strong>In-store clinics</strong><span>. If you host in-store clinics, download the free Our Guestbook app, which lets you collect information readily and easily. Dorsey suggested asking customers to register as they come through the door. Program the information you want to accept, such as if they play an instrument. When he used the app, he gave everyone who registered a raffle ticket.<br /> <br /> ​</span><span>&ldquo;Once you get it working for you, the iPad is going to save you real time and money and will let your customers shop you in a different way,&rdquo; Dorsey said.</span></p>