The Contract and Fee-Setting Guide for Consultants and Professionals
Fee-setting and contract negotiating are more than just a legal necessity … they are as intrinsic to your sales profile as a well-wrought proposal. Consciously or unconsciously, your clients’ expectations go beyond the need for your specialized knowledge or skills. They’re also looking for the satisfaction that comes with knowing that they’re in the hands of a confident, seasoned professional. And while your track record and proven expertise may win them, sloppy contracts with unclear terms, like overcharging or undercharging, can lose them—often to less qualified competitors. The Contract and Fee-Setting Guide for Consultants and Professionals is a distillation of Howard L. Shenson’s more than twenty years as a business consultant, renowned lecturer (more than 100,000 people have attended his seminars on consulting and professional practice marketing), and author. In it you’ll learn how to charge and to get what you deserve for your unique contributions, through fee-setting and the skillful negotiation of contracts that are fair and profitable for you and your clients. And, just as importantly, you’ll find step-by-step guidelines to writing winning proposals. The first major section of this book is devoted to all you need to know about determining market value for your services, establishing fees (at per diem or per-project rates), calculating overhead, and the pros and cons of various fee-setting and billing strategies. Ensuing chapters follow a functional flow diagram that takes you through every phase of managing a successful consulting project, from a step-by-step guide to writing winning proposals, to tips on final reporting. Numerous sample contracts and forms are provided, and there are in-depth discussions of such issues as the six major goals of every contract; negotiating the contract and avoiding legal pitfalls; when and how to use letters of agreement and letters of engagement; and when not to use formal contracts in your practice. An indispensable tool for both novices and seasoned professionals, The Contract and Fee-Setting Guide for Consultants and Professionals helps you to maintain your clients’ confidence in you while securing you the fees you deserve.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.