Hello everyone,
I am a marine consultant with nearly a decade of experience. In my time, I have seen every client relationship hindered by this barrier between the consultant and the client. The consultant wants to keep their secrets and charge as much as possible. The client wants to get everything and pay as little as possible. That makes it hard to freely share honest information and opinions.
To help matters out, I created a series of YouTube videos: How to Hire a Marine Consultant. This is honest advice and general information covering everything from what a marine consultant does, to how you should evaluate your options. No sales pitch. No BS. Just straight advice. I cover the following topics.
[ol]
[li][B]Why[/B] we need a marine consultant?[/li][li][B]What[/B] to expect from your consultant?[/li][li][B]When[/B] do you need to hire a consultant?[/li][li][B]Where[/B] to find a consultant?[/li][li][B]Comparing[/B] the different sources for a marine consultant.[/li][li][B]How[/B] to evaluate your options for a marine consultant?[/li][/ol]
I will publish a new video to this thread on Monday, every two weeks. Check back often to see the videos, and see what everyone has to add. As I say in my videos: this is my own advice, but I’m not a universal expert. Add your own expertise and opinions on this forum. There are plenty of people who can benefit from your knowledge.
To kick things off, think over the times your hired a marine consultant. Maybe it was general design support. Or a specialist. Maybe just project management. What are the top three things you liked about them? What makes you come back to your favorite marine consultant? Please share.
You face a conundrum when hiring a marine consultant: how to select the right one? We typically hire consultants to add expertise that we need. But how do we evaluate a consultant when they are the experts? What questions do we ask? Where do we find marine consultants to select from?
I answer these questions in a new video series: How to Hire a Marine Consultant. I take my experience from nearly a decade in the consulting industry and peel back the veil of marketing. I cover all the questions that you want to ask a marine consultant. Where you should look to find them. And much more. No commercials or favoritism. Just honest advise about to find the right marine consultant that fits your needs.
For the first video, we start with the most basic question: Why do we need a marine consultant? After all, engineers are expensive. What value do we get in return? As the video explains, it comes down to three basic problems: ships sink, ships are expensive, and ships are complicated. Watch the video to get the full details.
[video]https://youtu.be/5tbFaop5W90[/video]
If you liked the video, please like it on YouTube or subscribe. Don’t worry. I don’t market to you. This just gives me the motivation to make new videos. Even better, give me your suggestions of any topics you would like me to cover in the future.
Thanks.
Nick the Naval Architect.
Time for another video.
Even if you find the right consultant, there is still a strong chance that you will be completely unhappy with them. The good news is that you can change it. A common problem in consulting relationships is that the client, that’s you, doesn’t know what to expect from the consultant.
It’s very understandable. After all, the consultant is the expert. They know their own capabilities and expertise. They know the consulting business. That’s why you hire them, for their expertise. But this isn’t a simple oil change. Marine design is very complex, with myriad opportunities for misunderstanding. How to avoid those mistakes and ensure everyone walks away satisfied?
Watch the video below to learn reasonable expectations for a marine consultant. This video describes critical knowledge like the expertise of your consultant and their staff.
[B]- Naval architect[/B]
– Ship integrator
– Hydrodynamicist
– Stability expert
[B]- Marine engineer[/B]
– Piping/HVAC
– Structural expert
– Fire safety
– Machinery integration
But the consultant can’t provide the whole package. They are only the design element of a ship. There are other elements.
- Marine consultant: ship designers
- Shipyard: construction expert
- Owner/Operator: maintenance and operation expert
I cover all this and more in the video. Watch to get the full details. It is important to understand how to best use your consultant so that they become the most important role: a problem solver. The marine consultant can solve your physical problem, but they also understand all your constraints. They recognize that money doesn’t grow on trees; budget constraints are important. They know that time and tide wait for no one. They can provide schedule estimates with enough safety margin to ensure your vessel leaves on time. All this goes into the problem solving that your marine consultant provides. When they work in this role, you can amazing value from your marine consultant.
[video]https://youtu.be/8js1j146FPE[/video]
I received some negative feedback about posting here for the videos. Someone interpreted that as spam. To avoid alienating anyone else, I will simply direct you to the website: www.dmsonline.us
You can find all the latest videos for How to Hire a Marine Consultant at the website.
[QUOTE=nickninevah;196162]I received some negative feedback about posting here[/QUOTE]
Blatantantly marketing your business on a forum is generally never appreciated. On this forum it definetly won’t work well for you. Now answering questions that are asked is an opportunity, as long as you dont turn it into a marketing opportunity. btw This site is NOT a non profit. Did you ever consider PAYING FOR some ad space on gcaptain?
Thanks for the advice. Can you please explain what made you think I was marketing a business? If you went to the site, you would realize that I don’t offer any service or any products. I don’t sell anything. I am simply trying to provide useful advice. However, I am trying to find ways to make people aware of the resources on my website, without being a spammer.
From the reaction I got here, I can tell that very few people want advice on how to hire a marine consultant. I appreciate that feedback.
Thanks for the feedback. Can you please explain how I gave the impression I was marketing a business? My website offers no services and sells no products. I suppose I am marketing to create awareness for the website and attract visitors. But I really just want to provide useful advice from my own knowledge.
Please. We may not be Architect’s but we’re not completely stupid. Go away.
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