Talent consultants generally work in the entertainment industry and serve as point persons for hiring talent and giving advice to clients. Their services can be contracted for one project or on retainer. It is the responsibility of the talent consultant to find the most appropriate talent for a music show, film, voice-over, or any event. They scout performers and communicate with the client to make sure the talent is an ideal fit for the given situation. There are a few key factors to become a talent consultant: networking connections, oral and written communication skills, and digital media skills.
The ability to network is vital to become a talent consultant. Many talent consultants start as performers or promoters in the entertainment industry, building contacts through time spent in the field. Due to the cutthroat tenacity of the business, to become a talent consultant is almost always a part-time endeavor at first. After you spend sufficient time in the field and make further networking connections, you increase opportunities to evolve into a full-time consultant.
Many gigs for consultants come through word of mouth. The more people you network with, the more “ins” you will have with important persons like venue owners and industry professionals. Persons impressed with your services will refer friends and acquaintances to work with you. To become a talent consultant, it is smart to build close relationships with the people in the field.
Oral and written communication skills are crucial to become a talent consultant. Staying in touch and helping out hired talent or potentially hired talent earns the consultant credibility among entertainers. If you can gain the trust of the client and talent, you will put a friendly and successful business model in place. Offering snippets of free advice can gain trust with clients. You should use e-mail and other fast communication techniques to supply quick responses to inquiries you receive.
New digital media skills are extremely important to become a talent consultant, and keeping an online presence via Twitter, Facebook, and other networks will increase name recognition. As nearly all talent have bios or portfolios posted somewhere online, you should be readily aware of the digital networking tools available. Online communication often leads to more gigs for performers and consultants. A consistent web presence will keep you on the radar for new opportunities. Having quality name recognition around the talent scene is an important step to become a talent consultant.
