Know-How Exchange : Strategy

Regarding fees: Best to quote a fixed fee for the project. Of course, you need to first understand (a) what will be involved on your end (i.e., what will you need to do, how much time will it take, how will you present results, etc.); and (b) what this audit is worth to your client.

I would NOT recommend charging on an hourly or daily basis. That just motivates you to be inefficient, and it keeps the client watching the meter as it ticks away your time and their money.

If you want to read more about fees for professional services, there's a whole section on that topic in Rasputin For Hire. The subtitle is An inside look at management consulting between jobs or as a second career. It applies directly to the kind of consulting you're doing.

If you order the book using the link above, you'll also receive a supplementary report titled Experienced Consultants Talk About Consulting. It is essentially a round table discussion with five of the experts here on the MarketingProfs Know-How Exchange. They offer a range of thoughts regarding fees and other subjects of interest to new and wannabe consultants.

How to be successful: Underpromise and overdeliver. Not too much - just a little bit!

Always bill part of the fee upfront - especially with a new client. And then bill monthly, by progress stages, and immediately the project concludes. The client is never happier than the day you deliver the final piece of the project, so get 'em to pay you there and then!

Also - ask them for a testimonial for a project well done - immediately! And for references to people who they know, who may also be able to use your services.

One word of warning about checking rates online: Sites like guru.com and eLance tend to attract web-based service providers often working from low-cost countries who win business based solely on price.

You already have a client who wants to hire you, so price need not be an issue - don't make it one. Just be fair, be up-front and agree the scope - and the fees - before you start.

Also - in your proposal, give the client additional options so they can select more scope for more money if that's what they want.

I recommend you buy the Rasputin for Hire book Michael referenced. Also, next time you're at a bookshop, pick up a copy of Value based Consulting by Alan Weiss.

Hope that helps.

ChrisB

Given this is for physicians, I suggest you buy and read "A Marketer's Guide to Measuring ROI: Tools to Track the Returns from Healthcare Marketing Efforts" by David Marlowe. It's available at Amazon.com, etc.

This will give you some methodology and metrics for how to evaluate PR and other marcom activities (such as health clinics, mailings, advertising/PR, etc.), whether directed at physician groups or consumers.

Best of luck
-Steve