Re: freebies

From: <Christopher>
Date: Sun Mar 14 2004 - 15:16:00 EST

>every day I get at least one or two requests (sometimes as high as 8 or 9)
>to use my knowledge and resources for free.
I get these. Probably every engineering office does, whether or not it's working captive. My solution is twofold. (1) Get money and budget on the table as soon as you can after finding out what's on his mind, and (2) never give away anything that is more valuable to your client than it is to you.

I used to think that broaching the topic of fees was crass, but it sets the tone for the rest of the discussion. Anyone who doesn't have money he wants to spend may be very interesting and a good future connection, but there's no point asking him to give you work that he can't pay for. It'll just embarrass both of you. As a corollary don't expect a new client to bring up the topic of money in a realistic way. No one wants to pay any more for anything than absolutely necessary, so people play their cards close to the vest. The burden is squarely on me to insure make sure the client realizes that money spent with me is money well spent. A discussion of money can help size up client attitude and may serve as a warning if first cost is the only deal breaker. The relative value assessment ties into fees. A consulting agreement only works if both sides have something the other side wishes to trade for--in this case expertise for money.

>Asking for free (or unrealistically cheap) engineering, expecting free
>engineering and doing free engineering is all part of the problem.
I'll quibble with this--it's only a problem if you choose to make it a problem. If your DOD or any client comes back asking for refunds of payments made in accordance with contractual requirements, the only issue is how to write a simple, polite, 'Here's what we agreed' letter and a decision whether the business relationship is worth continuing. As for the chemical company or the oil company with a reputation for non-payment, it's a no-brainer--you can't afford to do business with people like that. They clearly have no respect for you, and mutual respect is a must for a business relationship.

>Before long your time is expected for little or nothing.
I really do feel your pain, but the only way such a client would get an idea that I'd give away engineering services would be if I'd given it to him. Which is not to say that I haven't been known to provide the odd teaser, but sending the invoice is my responsibility.

Christopher Wright P.E. |"They couldn't hit an elephant at <a href="/group/PipingDesign/post?postID=7V75jc3CVtzO4vrmhLAbppWLIkjTDn8EYrU8Olr84oNzTMQYCgx4WIk2kKNh2an7eXhC3OUIb3yBYw">chrisw@skypoint.com</a> | this distance" (last words of Gen.

___________________________| John Sedgwick, Spotsylvania 1864)

<a href="http://www.skypoint.com/~chrisw">http://www.skypoint.com/~chrisw</a> Received on Sun Mar 14 15:16:00 2004