Below are 3-JOB DESCRIPTIONS> Marketing/CSR/Accountant, Studio Coordinator & Photo Assistant.

MARKETING-CUSTOMER SERVICE-ACCOUNTING

Our customer service and marketing rep/accountant is often the initial point of contact…from telephone conversations to customers coming to the studio. (There are similarities between this and our studio coordinator; however, they are two positions with some overlapping duties.)

Customer service rep: consults with, schedules, sells to and follows up with wedding, portrait, and photo-restoration clients. Many of our clients use our website for “pre-consultation,” so thorough familiarity with the site is important.  In weddings and bar-mitzvahs, the service rep will become thoroughly familiar with area venues, their sales staff and coordinators, and their offerings. S/he will communicate with this key group in order to provide them with sample photos of their venues, ensuring reciprocal recommendations.  Our portrait clients need assistance with image size and frame selection, after which the service rep installs the prints into the frames (cleaning the glass and using a staple gun.) Our latest digital technology allows us unbelievable results in photo-restoration…soon the service rep will be able to estimate approximate job costs for restorations.

Marketing: assists in the development and design of print pieces and the website. For individual clients, letters are composed and sent for “care for portraits,” appreciation and referral requests.

The service rep plays an important role in attracting new commercial clients, by attending Manatee County Chamber meetings and making calls on potential customers, as well as assisting in the development of marketing strategies and print materials. Commercial clients, who are individuals and companies needing photography for advertising, internal publications and headshots, would include catalog companies, developers, architects, banks, interior designers, publications, manufacturers, etc. Once a client has booked an assignment the service rep organizes the requirements of the shoot: personnel (who is involved, such as a stylist/models/additional assistants; who is selecting and paying for these people; each person’s name, position and contact information); communication of the scheduling details to each participant; and invoicing/collection following the assignment. Sales of our extensive stock photography selection are an important aspect as well. Our marketing has greatly expanded with both paid & content based web-presence. Maintaining these accounts and determining new venues that are cost effective are important skills.0

Accounting.  All employees use it, but the service rep is the Peachtree Wizard! It is used to maintain our client database, invoice clients, create statements, collection, pay and post bills, and complete certain tax forms (e.g. state sales tax, state unemployment, federal 941s and their related deposits.) 

Advanced client service is important to success.  For example, a client or client’s relative is in the news, so a card of congratulations or sympathy is sent and the database is noted if necessary.

The successful candidate for this position will be outgoing and friendly, with a professional and warm demeanor.  S/he will be organized, visionary, self starting and extremely detail oriented, with excellent writing, computer and math skills. Multi-tasking will be the key to success.

Areas of expertise that would give an applicant a competitive edge, but are not expected: website placement and maintenance to increase traffic, and E-Bay sales with follow up.  

This is a part time position with potential growth into full time. Studio hours are Monday thru Friday 9-5:30 with some weekend and evening appointments (like bridal consultations). Hours are somewhat flexible, based upon mutual needs.

                        Studio Coordinator:

Our studio coordinator is often the initial point of contact…from telephone to customers coming to the studio. Your primary focus is in the consumer arena, with wedding, portrait, and photo-restoration scheduling/consulting/selling/and follow up. Many of our clients simply use our website for the “pre-consultation” so it’s important to know it thoroughly.   Each of these sales areas has additional knowledge requirements. In weddings and bar-mitzvahs, you must be or become familiar with area venues, their sales staff & coordinator as well as their offerings. Our portrait clients need to be helped with size and frame selection (and you’ll be putting the prints into the frames which means cleaning glass and using a staple gun.) Our latest digital technology allows us unbelievable results in photo-restoration…soon you should be able to estimate approximate restoration job costs.

Gary usually handles our commercial clients...which means the companies that need photography for advertising. These are catalog companies, individuals and companies needing our 4 color printing products, developers, architects and interior designers, and magazines needing pictures for publication. Awareness (knowing the requirements of the shoot, who the players are (such as a stylist/models/additional assistants are needed, who they are, who is paying them, and how to reach them), scheduling, name recognition, and invoicing can be part of the studio coordinator’s job. Also see "Big Mailings" below. We have an extensive stock photography selection as well, so it's good to know what's there so that an inquiry can be answered immediately. 

We use Peachtree Accounting. Everyone in the studio needs to know how to access/invoice/maintain clients for billing and product delivery.

Hours are Monday thru Friday 9-5:30 with some weekend (like bridal consults) and evening appointments.

STUDIO PHOTO ASSISTANT- DIGITAL IMAGING TECH.

Many of the Studio Coordinator skills are necessary for every employee to possess. One must be able to use Peachtree to access customer records, determine their balance, take a payment, process a credit card, help with a frame selection (both easel backed and wall frames) and install the prints in the frames (cleaning the glass, putting on hangers or wire), prepare prints for delivery or shipping (which would include creating a UPS/DHL/USPS shipment.) Every employee need to know what product lines we offer, be familiar with pricing and approximate delivery time. Every employee should be able to make and confirm an appointment…for example knowing when we do beach portraits. One gets extra points for helping to maintain our client database (again the awareness issue…if you see someone in the obits that’s a client…get out a sympathy card and adjust the database.) That awareness should extend to see the engagement ring on a saleswoman’s hand and you asking her if she has chosen a photographer for her wedding…and then handing her a card and inviting her to view our website. Awareness is a key quality in all facets of the job.

Gary usually handles our commercial clients, once we have them or at their original inquiry to us. These are catalog companies, individuals and companies needing our 4 color printing products, developers, architects and interior designers, and magazines needing pictures for publication and advertising. But you are encouraged and rewarded to get commercial clients as well. You see a new building go up…you make notes about the builder/architect/client….perhaps the ID firm. Then make the contacts and Gary can do the presentation…or they check us out on the web.  Awareness (knowing the requirements of the shoot, who the players are (such as a stylist/models/additional assistants are needed, who they are, who is paying them, and how to reach them), scheduling, name recognition, and invoicing/collection are the studio coordinator’s job. We have an extensive stock photography selection as well.

The Very Important Other Stuff! (We don’t expect everyone to know all of this, but the more the better…as job duties are often by skills rather than position)

In Studio: The minimum is learning nomenclature of studio items. Ability to set/strike backgrounds & lights for DigiPix session or portrait. Charge battery packs and flash units.  Do load in/out for commercial shoots. Be on set for fashion shoots. Keep digital media organized. Get model released signed, copied and to client. Enter time and other relevant billing data.

Commercial Assisting: What equipment and  where? Models? If so who pays them? Volunteers or Pros? What are they wearing? Stylist?  Caterer? Do we need a crane or bucket truck? Does the location need proof of insurance? Call our agent…get it faxed over? Check to see if it really happened. Are there access issues? (this is a big one…can you think of some potential problems here?) Security? Get phone lists and weather delay plan. Deadline? Format? Has Gary covered rights of usage? These are many of the questions you must be able to answer. Also you will be toting lights/backgrounds at amazing speed…..really you will!

Wedding/Mitzvah Assisting: If you have “shooting skills” you will be able to capture some PJ images and often reception candids. Sometimes you’ll go ahead to the reception to get “still lifes” and “overviews” before the guests destroy it and while Gary is still at the church doing the formals. If we haven’t done it in advance, you will set up the easel with the formal bridal portrait (photographed many weeks in advance) At the wedding and reception, you’ll hold the second light source, set/strike lights, know the key players names, help move grandmothers, be aware of requested photographs, know our usual series of photographs so you can help organize people, all with a smile moving very quickly and dressed as a guest…and a the end of the night, you’ll have the satisfaction of knowing you helped create an AWESOME wedding album for an appreciative couple who didn’t have to endure some slow, dis-organized photographers that kept them from their guests and family. We are very different and it feels wonderful to amaze clients at EVERY wedding on how efficient it really can be and still create outstanding imagery.

Post Production Digital Work> Photoshop CS post-production. File adjustment. CMYK or RGB job?  Critical Color correction and importing of files. Back up files. Naming and CD burns. Contact sheets, retouching, album ordering. Helping get images to client…after selections are made, file prep and/or lab orders. Know which lab to use (speed/quality/costs). On a time sensitive shoot…Make sure they got it. Make sure they printed it. Make sure it shipped. Track the shipment. Get it to the client. Make sure it gets billed (which means keeping track of Gary's time, your time and any ancillary services that were billed. Get the studio coordinator or the Marketing Rep details for the follow up.

Graphic Design: We often do post card and direct mail pieces for our non-agency clients. Do you have any design skills?  Maybe you can help with our internal advertising as well.  

Web Work: Our site is built in Frontpage. It needs to often be updated and added to. Can you help? What about E-bay sales?

Framing:  Know what we sell, what would look good (the blend of the portrait vs room in which it will live), and do we have it in the right size. Then the installation, glass cleaning. Doing touch up of scratched frame. Do any faux painting? Staining?  Tightening corners, assembly of metal frames. Using staple gun. Boxing and shipping prep. Can you cut mats? Double ones? How about cutting glass? Can you dry mount? Every run a compressed air spray gun? All our portraits are carefully coated with multiple coated of protective lacquer, that eliminates the need for glass.

Big Mailings: Everyone puts stamps and address labels on…and you might be the one asked to take them to the Manasota Bulk mail facility.

Studio housekeeping. Helping if necessary...and it probably will be!

Office hours are Monday thru Friday 9-5:30 with some weekend and evening appointments. Weddings, Mitzvahs & Event coverage rarely happens then. 

Hourly plus commissions on wedding/portrait/commercial sales. Drop off, mail or e-mail resume. Word.doc format preferred.  

Part Time: Commercial Photography Sales & Marketing Rep 

Mr. Sweetman has created outstanding, innovative commercial images for local, regional & national clients since 1971. In today’s “belt-tightening” environment, all too often photography & design are brought “in-house.” It costs just as much to produce, print and distribute a mediocre photograph as a great one. That is the message that this self motivated rep will carry. The Suncoast has lots of independent manufacturers…often very small. This commissioned position would be a great part-time additional source of income for an intelligent, personable sales rep. 

Qualifications:

An understanding of marketing methods and materials (and alternatives such as web), printing processes, and potential media sources (such as trade magazine, local publications, etc) is essential. This would be a great job for someone such as a printer’s rep/ paper rep/advertising rep who is already calling on many of our POTENTIAL clients. An arts background can be helpful. Why? If the rep cannot see the difference in our product vs. mediocre competition, it will be hard to convey those differences to the clients. No college degree is necessary. It is a commissioned position where the rep uses his/her own vehicle. There is no minimum sales quota to generate. Hours are totally flexible.