The Contract and Fee-Setting Guide for Consultants and Professionals (Paperback)

by Howard L. Shenson (Author) "Determining your fee structure is probably one of the most important steps in building and maintaining a consulting practice..." (more)
Key Phrases: key district decision makers, information passing component, vocational education delivery, United States, Repeat Tasks (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
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 with a consummate professionalism. And for sharp clients, the first clear signs of such a savvy professionalism are the ability to set fees at a fair market price and offer neat, straightforward contracts with clearly delineated terms. 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 how to ask for and get the fees you deserve and to establish contract terms that are in the best interests of you and your clients. Throughout he shares his insider’s expertise on:

• Determining market value for your services
• Establishing per diem or per-project rates and calculating overhead
• Advantages and disadvantages of various systems of fee-setting and billing
• Six major goals of every contract
• Negotiating the contract and avoiding legal pitfalls

From the Inside Flap
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 the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Wiley (January 2, 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0471515388
• ISBN-13: 978-0471515388
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.8 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #301,369 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great for startups or exisiting businesses!, May 2, 2001

By	Joseph Lopez "joepez" (Austin, TX) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

As an experienced consultant I've found this book to be extremely useful when I stumbled across it. I've recently started my own consulting practice and have found this book to contain some really useful information and steps on setting up your fees along with developing contracts. It reads very easily and walks you through the process step-by-step. Wish I had found this book while I worked for a larger consulting company, it would have helped out a number of times when trying to walk through the process, or as an education for anyone developing proposales, fees, and contracts. Highly recommend it for anyone in the consulting field (either solos or working for one of the big boys).

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What a GREAT resource!, October 31, 2001

By	James Carter (Castro Valley, CA United States) - See all my reviews

I first picked up this book at the library when starting my consulting agency. I found it so valuable as a second and third read and as a resource, that I ended up paying almost $20.00 in late fees. I should have just bought the book, as should you. I highly recommend it.

There are MANY of these types of books out there, but this is definitely in the 'Gotta have it' section. I bought it and continually use it as a resource.

The greatest part is that it covers some VERY difficult material well. I found fee setting and the interim and final reports extremely difficult to do before I bought this book.

It is important to note that this book is not just for independent consultants, but for anyone selling consulting services and other professional services.

If you are not sure whether you want it, get it at the library and take a look. Just remember to take it back!

18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very useful cookbook, February 2, 2001

By	Don Steiny (Santa Cruz, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

My company does software development for Web sites. Making a proposal that sells and setting fees correctly has been a daunting task. This book has step-by-step flow charts for determining the proper price and creating proposals that sell. I have a number of books in the general area, but this one is our bible.