Consulting fee?
 

I have a specific marketing question. I need to explain my location first.

I live in Uvalde, TX (pop. 25,000)

I would not think you could charge a fee simply to meet with a client. If I were in your situation I would do as much phone screening as possible and have a terrific website for the prospective clients to view examples and read about how your process works. Then I'd schedule perhaps one or two trips a month into the city and plan your meetings around those dates.

I agree with Michele.

This is where having a website and a hard-copy portfolio are essential. You want to qualify prospects before expending any real time consulting with them.

I usually refer any inquiries to the website first, and then follow up by phone. If they are still seriously interested, I'll send a portfolio if they're not here locally. Or I'll have local prospects meet here at the studio or I'll go to them if they can't. Nowadays, anyone who is really interested usually makes that decision off of the website alone.

I only travel any distance to a client once they are signed up and on board.

I've seen a few artists advertise a consulting fee, but I find it off-putting when I imagine myself in the prospect's shoes. I'd think twice about working with an artist who'd charge me merely to discuss my paying them several thousand dollars for a painting.

Responding to inquiries is a natural part of the business, like anything else.

Got to agree with Tom and Michele. Portraiture is a "service" industry and people want you to go that extra mile. If the commission is anywhere in my state, I don't charge for travel expenses. To me, this is part of the service I provide. I have done several commissions out of state and we have been able to meet once when the client was here and then do everything else by phone, website and email.

The distance commissions do require extra communication on your part to let the client know what is happening. I usually create a client-view-only webpage on my site for the portrait and I take periodic shots of it as it progresses and type messages to them. Every time I update the page, I send them an email to let them know to go out and look at the updated page. It works pretty well. :)

Michele, Tom & Michael,

OK, I hear you all, and I will take your advice.

Thank you for your answers.

I seriously do not know where else I could have asked this question, so I appreciate it.