RE: OT - Do you charge consultation fees?

Every customer engagement is different. You need to

#1 - Determine if the customer is serious about their inquiry.
#2 - Does the customer have a budget to support their request?
#3 - Make sure to make it clear to the customer that your time is
valuable and you expect to get paid for your services. Don't be rude
about this, just be straight forward with the client. They will
appreciate this.
#4 - Do you have the skills necessary to handle the engagmenet?
#5 - Set expectations and ground rules with the customer (refer also to
#3).
#6 - Check previous vendor interactions/references of the customer.

This should help you build a good expectation of your own. :)

thanks,
Brad Ellis
CCIE#5796 (R&S / Security)
CCSI# 30482
CEO / President
CCBOOTCAMP - Cisco Learning Solutions Partner (CLSP)
Email: brad_at_ccbootcamp.com
Toll Free: 877-654-2243
International: +1-702-968-5100
Skype: skype:ccbootcamp?call
FAX: +1-702-446-8012
YES! We take Cisco Learning Credits!
Training And Remote Racks: http://www.ccbootcamp.com

-----Original Message-----
From: nobody_at_groupstudy.com [mailto:nobody_at_groupstudy.com] On Behalf Of
Gregory Gombas
Sent: Tuesday, December 15, 2009 11:09 AM
To: Martin Kiefer
Cc: GS CCIE-Lab
Subject: Re: OT - Do you charge consultation fees?

So you mean the first two meetings are free, then you charge for the
3rd meeting? Do you ever get pushback for that?

On Tue, Dec 15, 2009 at 2:03 PM, Martin Kiefer <martin_at_kiefer.dk> wrote:
> Hi.
>
> I would definitely charge them a consultancy fee (and I do), this is
no
> longer presale work, this is actual design work.
>
> I roughly says that the first meeting I can accept as a presale
meeting
> maybe meeting number 2 where I (and a salesguy) presents the offer,
but
> after that the following meetings, that it is consultancy.
>
> Usually the offer only draws out the design in headlines this does not
> include and detailed design or any technology I may choose to use.
>
> If they require a meeting number 3, and that meeting is not for
signing a
> contract, they will be billed for the time used.
>
> Hth
> Martin
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nobody_at_groupstudy.com [mailto:nobody_at_groupstudy.com] On Behalf
Of
> Gregory Gombas
> Sent: 15. december 2009 15:32
> To: Cisco certification
> Subject: OT - Do you charge consultation fees?
>
> Sorry for the OT. This question is more geared for owners of small
> consulting practices or those who work at VARs, but anyone else can
> chime in as well:
>
> As you know, during the sales process there is a lot of time spent
> prospecting, initial meeting with potential clients, discussing
> requirements, network assessment, follow up meetings with decision
> makers, etc...it often takes 3-5 meetings to make a sale.
>
> Sometimes it pays off and you win a nice project, but lately I've been
> running into companies that are just looking for some free advice -
> basically taking my ideas and doing the work in-house or shopping
> around for a lower price.
>
> I am curious to hear where you draw the line as to what is free? Do
> you charge a consultation fee for the 1st meeting with a client? How
> about the network assessment? Do you vary your approach based on the
> size of the deal?
>
> Thanks,
> Gregory Gombas
> CCIE #19649
>
>
> Blogs and organic groups at http://www.ccie.net
>
>
Received on Tue Dec 15 2009 - 11:22:42 ART