Need your thoughts on doing the designs for customers before placing the order!

The very first thing I do is ask how many guests they expect and what their budget is.  This way I know from the beginning if I am even in their price range before I make any kind of sketch.  This will save you time from even doing a sketch in the first place if they aren't even able to afford you.

I have the customers email pics of cakes they like and tell them I can do something similar. I also direct them to my website so that they can see the kind of work I do and am capable of. I will also give a verbal description of what the cake could look like. 

If I am having a consultation in person, I may do a sketch if they ask. But I also charge for consultations.  I  do NOT give out sketches until I get a non-refundable deposit. This way you are getting paid for your work.
 

Generally, I prepare a sketch for every order, but it is shown to them in person at the consult when they come in to PAY for said cake. On the rare occasion they need to think about things or aren't ready to commit, the sketch stays with me. If they book, they can have a copy, no problem there. If I need to email a sketch first, I watermark it with my logo right across the middle with a blurb about original artwork property of me, not for reproduction by other decorators, blah blah blah.

I do a written description of the cake on the contract, but I don't sketch anything anymore. If someone has booked me and really wants a sketch I'll do it, but I prefer to wing it as I'm putting the cakes together.

I don't show my customers sketches (mostly b/c I have no drawing ability and my 3 year olds pictures look better!). I do sketches for myself to make sure colors work together and to figure out the layouts, but they are for my eyes only :)

As far as wasting time on customers who don't place orders that's hard. I usually write back and provide a few options based on the info I have and give the corresponding range of prices. I end the email stating that if they would like to continue with the order I can work up a full invoice provided they finalize what options they would like. I don't give a firm quote and provide the detailed order form until all details have been hashed out and usually by that point it's clear whether or not they are serious. And even then there's just a written description, not any type of design sketch.

Sadly, I can spend a decent amount of time working up that initial email and options so when someone doesn't follow through it stinks. Not sure there's a way to avoid it, even stating minimums and putting prices on the web site doesn't guarantee they read it or pay attention to it (or think it applies to them...).

I do not do sketches for cakes under 100 servings, I don't sketch buttercream cakes unless there is some super special detail to them, and if I need a sketch, I use photoshop to make a composite from real photos after they have signed a contract and paid my retainer.  My days of loosing orders due to my chicken scratch or not having the absolute perfect shade of pencil on hand is over.

Yes, I have lost commissions because I refuse to sketch at the consultation.  But chances are pretty great I wouldn't book those people anyway.  I always say (at least it's my sales pitch), "I'm a baker first, a sugar artist second.  People that can sketch your dream cake after meeting with you for 30 minutes must be great fine artists - but it says nothing about their ability to replicate that sketch in sugar and have it taste good.  I prefer a more organic approach and get to know you and your event details a lot better before I design your perfect cake - and this can take several weeks after your paid booking".

It helps to have a big portfolio to show examples of your work.  If you don't have this, I suggest getting some dummy cakes and start adding to it.  The more real life examples you can point to, the less you'll have to prove your vision with a pen and paper.

I had a consultation yesterday where I designed about 4 cakes, same general idea. The weird groom cared way too much about what the cake looked like, and kept throwing a wrench into our beautiful cakes! He wanted TOO MUCH DETAIL!!! I finally suggested they do 4 different 8" so he can have all the damn design he wants, just not all on one cake! But then they took the drawings with them...What would be a good thing to say to them? I make beautiful, delicious cakes, but I am not always great with words, but can generally avoid ticking people off, but I want to make sure! 

In my day job (not a baker) we work up 3D renderings of custom items. We will be happy to show & review it with the potential customer but tell them that the designs are the property of the company until they put down their deposit. If they really want the renderings then we charge 10% of the quote and they can take with them. If they choose to sign a contract & pay a deposit then we will credit their invoice the amount that they paid for the drawings. We usually say, very pleasantly and with a smile on our face, that our trained team of designers worked hard on this proposal and we don't want it copied. If they balk at the comment we then tell them how many times a week someone comes in to our store with another designers drawing wanting a lower quote. Usually when you explain that it is a work of art , etc the customer often understands & if they don't then they were probably going to take my drawing to a competitor in the first place. I have however done sketches for potential cake customers but only customers that want soemthing very specific & I no longer send them without a deposit. HTH

Just though I'd drop this in here, so you can all marvel at my awesome drawing skilllllllllllllllz.

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.404703616226710.100812.110414962322245&type=3

And yeah, even if I am chicken scratching, they're MY ideas, and they are definitely not walking out the door unless they've been paid for. Except the monkey cake, that wasn't really mine, I just moved some elements of another cake around a bit for that particular cake. But I've never lost a sale to a chicken scratch drawing. Usually people laugh and say they get it when I say something like "obviously the pink will be darker, but I don't have a hot pink pencil, so work with me"....

Read the comments too....lots of people feel like they should be embarassed that they can't draw. God gave me a couple of talents, and drawing is not one of them. Thankfully, I don't need to be.

Have you thought about using paint?  Someone else had reccomended it.  It's super simple so you don't have to spend too much time doing epic designs and you can probably save a few "base" pictures to decorate for future clients.  I did the princess cakes in my gallery in paint and the one i attached. 

I wish someone would design a cake decorating system like Flying Colors.  Best design program ever and so easy. 

HA!  I found it.  It's only the demo but you get the idea: (link below)

http://www.magicmouse.com/h_flyingc.html

See super quick drawing I just did attached.