The Estimating Challenge – Playing to Win

APA SF proudly presents: The Estimating Challenge – Playing to Win

Anyone will increase their estimating confidence and competence by attending this special event.

© 2014 Maren Caruso

You get that call letting you know that you're one of several photographers being considered for a very special project with a very special client. Your mood quickly soars, but then the dread of having to play the Estimating Challenge game starts to sink in. You've been here before...or maybe this is your first time, and you're excited, anxious, and wondering:

Who else is being considered? What are they going to charge? Are they better than me? Are they more experienced? How do I convince the client that they should pick me? How many times do I have to keep doing this until I feel like I'm doing it right?

We know exactly how you feel. You want to play this game to WIN, and we're here to help you do just that.

Six All Star Estimating Experts have enthusiastically agreed to come together in San Francisco on the evening of Thursday, April 30th at Leftspace to help take all of the guesswork out of this nerve racking process we call ‘The Estimating Challenge’.

Moderator: Bobbi Wendt, Creative Consultant + Licensing Agent
Heather Elder, Artists’ Agent
Dan Southwick, Senior Art Producer, Eleven Inc Advertising
Maren Caruso, Photographer + Publisher of GFF Magazine
Sady Callaghan, Production Manager, Purple Lamb Productions
Linda Joy Kattwinkel, Intellectual Property Attorney, Owens, Wickersham + Ericson

We’ll cover the entire Estimating process from the first phone call to getting paid:

• Efficiently building an effective Estimate which stands out
• When to commit and when you should walk away
• Client requested licensing requirements
• Your advance payment terms for production expenses, and why they are so important
• The Creative Conference Call
• Writing Winning Treatments 
• How and when to follow up on your submitted estimate
• What to do when you don’t get the job
• Understanding Client Purchase Orders, and red flags to watch out for
• How to handle Job Change Orders
• What should you do before you send the invoice to insure that you will be paid quickly

We’ll also discuss Ethical Estimating and how our estimates affect the photography profession. This includes why low balling, or deliberately submitting unreasonably low estimates in the hope of getting jobs, is not only really bad for your business and your reputation, it contributes to the trend of downward spiraling rates.

All this and more will be discussed during our Estimating Challenge event so you can learn how to play to win. Complete event info is on our website here.

Seating will be limited, so register now! Seriously. Don't wait, or you'll be sorry you did. Your competition will be there.

Social networking hour at 6:00 pm, program from 7:00 pm to 9:30 pm.