But if you have what it takes you need to communicate that to the people that count – potential clients. And not just that you're the best person for the job. You also need to be able to convince them to pay you a good but realistic fee for your services. After all, if you've decided to go down the consulting road you want to be paid good money for it!
If you lack assertiveness or confidence you need to do something about it. Counselling or courses are options. It always better if someone you know recommends a person or course that they found to be helpful.
Before negotiating for work and a fair fee, you need to know what your goals are. Also you should know what a fair fee is. Research is essential if you don't have this information. Membership of the Australian Computer Society can be useful in determining what rates to charge as well as providing many other benefits, go to https://www.acs.org.au/ictcareers/index.htm.
When applying for a contract you need to communicate how you can assist the potential client to achieve their goals. That means you need to know a lot about their organization. So spend some time to find out information about them. Websites are useful. But don't be afraid to ring the right person and ask questions. This would normally be the person advertised as the contact for the project; it could be the project manager or someone from HR. But find out their name if you don't know it.
Once you've got the right person, arrange a meeting at a mutually convenient time. It will probably be at their workplace. Be confident, assertive and prepared. Have pen and paper with you and take notes. But listen and look up periodically to let the client you're interested in what they have to say. Ask questions about anything you're not sure of. Be flexible. If you can think of a better and more cost-effective way of doing something say so. But the client has the final say, so don't push your opinions too far.
If you need to get back to them on something say so, and arrange a second meeting. You should avoid overcharging and undercharging and agreeing to unreasonable deadlines. If they are going to insist on deadlines that are very difficult or impossible to meet, they may be "A Client from Hell" and you may be better off without their business.
At the end of the meeting summarize the main points and offer your proposal. They'll either say yes, no or let's meet again. Get any agreement in writing. A formal contract is often best. It's probably best to get legal help with your first contract. Arrange another meeting for the signing of the contract. Give them time to read it before they sign.
Gregory Fitzgerald
http://www.getsomebodynow.com.au/
Greg Fitzgerald is a freelance writer who has produced this article for Get Somebody Now, the online database of IT contractors and consultants. Go to http://www.getsomebodynow.com.au for more examples of Greg's work.
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