The Contract and Fee-setting Guide for Consultants and Professionals - Hardcover

Über die Autorin bzw. den Autor

About the author Howard L. Shenson, CMC, is one of America's most respected experts on running a consulting and professional practice. A highly successful consultant in his own right, he heads a top California consulting firm, in Woodland Hills. A renowned lecturer, his famous seminars on marketing a consulting or professional practice have attracted over 100,000 people. He is the editor and publisher of the Professional Consultant and Information Marketing Report and he has authored a number of bestselling books, including The Consulting Handbook and How to Strategically Negotiate the Consulting Contract.

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Expert advice on how to strike a fair deal and command a fair price ? The Contract and Fee-Setting Guide for Consultants & Professionals No matter how knowledgeable you are in your field ? No matter how great your track record ? No matter how expert your advice or impressive your credentials ? you jeopardize your client base if you do not instill every phase of your practice?from proposal-writing to final reporting?with a consummate professionalism. And for sharp clients, the first clear signs of such a savvy professionalism are the ability to develop a well-wrought and compelling proposal, set fees at a fair market price and offer credible, straightforward contracts that protect both you and your client. This book teaches you, in a few days, what it traditionally took people half a lifetime to learn through trial and error. In writing it, the author drew on his more than twenty years as a business consultant, lecturer, and author to offer you tips on writing winning proposals, asking for and getting the fees you deserve and establishing contract terms that are in the best interests of you and your clients. Throughout he shares his insider?s expertise on:

• How to determine market value for consulting and professional services
• How to establish appropriate per diem or per-project rates and how to calculate overhead
• Advantages and disadvantages of various fee-setting and billing strategies
• Six major goals of every contract
• Negotiating the contract and avoiding legal pitfalls

Aus dem Klappentext

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.