Kind of. I'm a CEO coach and don't do sales meetings. I hate meetings when consultants hint at what they might do for you if you hire them. I like to just get to work.
My offer is, let's meet and afterward the meeting, if you decide the meeting was worthwhile, I'll charge you for it and we'll set a second appointment. If you don't, I won't charge you and we'll shake hands and part friends.
Looks like you got good advice from everyone. I have never charged anyone for an estimate for the prepress work I do. Though I don’t dart off to who knows were without doing my homework first. Usually it’s a local persons project that need a one on one. The meeting is usually to feel you out and make sure your not a runner. Most of my out-of-state clients are happy to receive a PDF, seeing my work is mostly digital.
Initial consultations are a benefit to both parties to explore possibilities. If you are truly interested in helping people (and if you're not, you're in the wrong business), then a complimentary initial discussion is a great way to convey this. Contrary to what some may think, exploring is not offering services. Thus it's very difficult to find acceptance in charging for no services rendered. Don't be thinking someone has the "privilege" of working with you. You have the privilege of working with THEM.
We do not charge for initial consultations, usually the initial is more like a sales meeting and less of a true consultation I feel unless you're really consulting on their needs and providing lots of knowledge, in that case, I would charge for it. Consulting is usually included in our packages so we operate a little different.
We do not pretend to literally be mind readers and many times people ask to talk around the real problem and it is much easier start out generalized and then focus on is their problem or problem. Even when we find out we know it is going to take another session focusing on the areas they talked about and many times it takes bringing in addtionl personnel.
I don't charge for initial consultations because I feel that the initial consultation is about finding "fit". When working with a new business, fit is key and works both ways. I need to be the right fit for the client in order to interpret their vision and they in turn need to be the right fit for me.
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Answers (1-10)
Kind of. I'm a CEO coach and don't do sales meetings. I hate meetings when consultants hint at what they might do for you if you hire them. I like to just get to work.
My offer is, let's meet and afterward the meeting, if you decide the meeting was worthwhile, I'll charge you for it and we'll set a second appointment. If you don't, I won't charge you and we'll shake hands and part friends.
Looks like you got good advice from everyone. I have never charged anyone for an estimate for the prepress work I do. Though I don’t dart off to who knows were without doing my homework first. Usually it’s a local persons project that need a one on one. The meeting is usually to feel you out and make sure your not a runner. Most of my out-of-state clients are happy to receive a PDF, seeing my work is mostly digital.
Initial consultations are a benefit to both parties to explore possibilities. If you are truly interested in helping people (and if you're not, you're in the wrong business), then a complimentary initial discussion is a great way to convey this. Contrary to what some may think, exploring is not offering services. Thus it's very difficult to find acceptance in charging for no services rendered. Don't be thinking someone has the "privilege" of working with you. You have the privilege of working with THEM.
We do not charge for initial consultations, usually the initial is more like a sales meeting and less of a true consultation I feel unless you're really consulting on their needs and providing lots of knowledge, in that case, I would charge for it. Consulting is usually included in our packages so we operate a little different.
Never. Actually the customers that first have a consultation with us, are the ones that save time, money and get great value on each order.
I recommend to have a consultation with your printer, even before you start with a graphic designer.
I do not charge for a consultation - however, I have learned that in my industry I have to be careful about giving out too much information.
I do not. I limit the consultation to three meetings.
No we do not
We do not pretend to literally be mind readers and many times people ask to talk around the real problem and it is much easier start out generalized and then focus on is their problem or problem. Even when we find out we know it is going to take another session focusing on the areas they talked about and many times it takes bringing in addtionl personnel.
I don't charge for initial consultations because I feel that the initial consultation is about finding "fit". When working with a new business, fit is key and works both ways. I need to be the right fit for the client in order to interpret their vision and they in turn need to be the right fit for me.