We spend a great amount of time romancing and convincing prospective clients to take advantage of our services. Many times, a prospective client will even approach one of us (and we know who we are) and begin to "pick our brains" on an informal (i.e., unpaid and generally thankless) basis, complimenting us on our expertise, experience, wisdom and other fine things which substitute for "currency" or "fees" in the lexicon of the cheapskate and the would-be consultant with low self-esteem.
My familiarity with the field of economics tells me that you cannot make a living dispensing advice or services for free. Ask your physician. Ask your lawyer (but then hang up the telephone quickly). Even ask your personal fitness trainer. Your expertise, efforts and time are worth money. When you speak with somebody, you are actually investing in him or her. If he or she is a serious client, he or she will invest in you, as well. It is a fair exchange. It is commerce, as well as conversation.
Here are my suggested steps for qualifying a prospective client:
1). Limit the amount of time you expend discussing technical issues or technical advice. Giving a preview of a plan, campaign, tactic or strategy is more than sufficient;
2). Advise the individual that you do what you do professionally, and that others actually compensate you for it;
3). Give the individual a homework assignment which requires that he or she spend several hours of serious thinking, and that the answer is to be given to you in the form of a brief report. If your prospective client either refuses to do this assignment (presumably for the purpose of helping you to learn more about the issue involved in a the possible engagement), or just never quite gets around to doing it, don't waste another minute. Move on. Don't speculate with your future and your fortune. Don't walk on eggshells -- it's better to do a quick flamenco and get refused outright than to go through a fruitless courtship (these latter two words, taken together, are now politically incorrect - I apologize) that consumes too much of your time and too many of your resources.
Save your talent for someone who values it.
Remember: It is often a thin line between doing a friend a small favor or allowing yourself to be taken for a ride to poverty.
Don't be a miser. Just don't be a fool.
Make time your friend instead of your adversary.
Faithfully,
Douglas Castle
http://aboutDouglasCastle.blogspot.com
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