Position:Home>Visual Arts> What is a photographic consultant?

While some people may call themselves a photo consultant or call their sales people by this title, an actual consultant can review your portfolio and make recommendations for improvement!. They are not cheap either!.

also, it is a type of certification
http://www!.pmai!.org/index!.cfm/ci_id/1617!.!.!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

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Consultancy (apart from sales) refers to an individual or outside organisation, that goes in to a business to provide impartial and specialist advice!. In photographic terms this can apply to your photography, post production, business or marketing skills for example - or all of them!. The remit can be very broad or very specific!.!.!.

The consulting process would begin with an investigation, which leads to a report based on the clients brief and specific objectives (normally mutually agreed)!. This seeks to explain the business or photographic issues they have been hired to address, identifies the clients causes for concern and produces specific recommendations with measurable benchmarks for improvement!.

A typical kind of measurement would be that a portrait photographer has 31% of no-shows for sittings, that 28% of those who attended sittings went away after placing the minimum order (according to a promotion for example), that only 3% re-booked within 5 years - and that the trend is downwards!. So the consultants job is to measure what's happening, explain it and resolve the problems!.

From this written report, which would be discussed in detail with the client, a second phase would often be expected to follow; an 'implementation' phase in which the consultants recommendations are put into action!. This is something that is agreed between the client and consultant - essentially if the consultant has said 'you should be able to double your bookings' in six months, they are then tasked with achieving the objective(s) outlined in their report, putting specific measures in place to make sure the targets are met!.

Practical outcomes are the aim: such as increased bookings, higher revenues, reduced costs, fewer customer complaints, better quality clients, improved cash flow, improved image quality and better service!.!.!. This is generally how a consultant justifys their fees and, as the fees can be high, the client is generally seeking a major change!.!.!. which will usually be costly or risky to any business, or yield potentially big rewards, usually in a short timeframe!.

Consulting clients are often highly aspirational, or very successful, not just businesses that are struggling and they can be large or small!. As a result, consultants tend to be used when a business is in trouble or when a particular (usually major), or highly specialist objective needs to be met!. Consultants tend to be highly experienced, although many recommendations are based on objective logic and simply having an outside view, which will make some consulting recommendations seem to be 'common sense'!.!.!. others being highly technical or strategic!.

There is often an aspect of coaching or tutoring associated with consultancy when photography is involved and this will obviously include photographic and post production skills!. In this respect the consulting role is similar to that of a tutor or mentor, but with a highly personalised and wider remit, which usually goes in to a very specific speciality, or alternatively into every aspect of a photography business!.

A typical project a few years ago would have been, 'how do I digitise my business when the equipment costs are so high!?' - you'd explain the costs, show how the business model would change and show the client exactly how (and how quickly) their investment could be paid back, through reduced production costs and higher revenues, achieved by working differently!. A narrow remit exercise would simply implement a new digital workflow for the aspiring digital photographer, a broad remit would deal with that and much wider issues impacting the business through the process of digitisation!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

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Well its a new one to me, glad that other person answered!. They know the biz!!

I will add that some sales people at a retail or wholesale level might call themselves a consultant - particuarly at the pro gear level!.

The first answer is grand!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.I have learnt and its wonderful

aWww@QuestionHome@Com

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