Pay for Quality and Expect Quality
If you're spending time obsessively checking the quality of the work of subcontractors, or looking into the legitimacy of their expense reports, or answering question that they should already know the answers to: Get new subcontractors. (And the same for
RFP
One of my clients asked for my help gaining a sole-source recognition with a government agency which has asked if she'd bid on an RFP (request for proposal). RFPs are terrible devices, produced and evaluated by low-level people who then
Can You Hear Me Now?
I've recorded a half-dozen of my books. But some of the publishers have hired actors —voice-over artists—to do this. I'm in the speakers hall of fame. People tell me that they much prefer to hear my voice. But some of
The Peerage
A "buyer" in my terms is someone who has the budget and authority to give you money in return for your value. You need to find out if the person with whom you're speaking can do that. If so, establish a
Impressions
The first and last person you meet in a good hotel is the doorman. It's important that it be a positive experience. Guests don't generally meet management on arrival. The same applies to a restaurant and the host, or the
There May Be A “Magic Bullet,” but “There Is No “Magic Software”
Of seven people I know who invested substantially in software creation for their businesses to sell to their customers and prospects, two did so successfully and one of those successfully sold her business with that increased value. Five abandoned the
The Folly of Hourly Billing
I pioneered value based fees for consultants in the late 90s and my book, Value Based Fees, (Wiley) is now in its third edition and on audible. I first published the concept in the original Million Dollar Consulting (McGraw-Hill) in
Self-Interests
Whenever you find yourself uncertain about what action to take with a client, simply ask, "What's in the best interest of the client?" You can't go wrong with that. It's not in the best interests of the client to hide
The Secret of High Fees Is No Secret
I don't mind paying top dollar for top quality. And neither do 90% of the clients and prospects I've encountered. But that means you must demonstrate top quality from the very first contact, and consistently: • Return calls within a couple of hours
Speaking Candidly
Identify yourself as an expert—a resource—not as a speaker or coach or consultant—which are commodities. The former is of great valued worth high fees. The latter three are easily comparable and highly price sensitive. Case in point: You'll hear people talk about