Ruth, On a related note, how do you handle it when the situation goes the other way -- when the client continually delays, unable to respond with deliverables and approvals? For instance I was dealing with a person who, according to our contract, was the main contact for the project and responsible for al deliverables and approvals. However, it turned out she needed to get a consensus of all the partners in the company, approximately 10 people, to make any decision, even on small things such as a homepage blurb or colors. Do you build in penalties into the contract for the failure of the client to live up to the agreed schedule? Lee At 04:44 PM 10/16/2002 -0400, you wrote: >On 10.16.02 2:32 PM, "Carl Friedberg" <friedberg@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote: > >> As a consultant, when I get a new client, I always insist on billing my >> first day's time immediately, and wait for that check to be cashed, >> before I put in any serious work. After the first check, with most >> companies, subsequent payments tend to come out on a more-or-less >> regular basis. It's the first check that can raise the red flags. > >Likewise, in a recent experience I had with a "difficult" client (who >happened to also be long distance -- Paris), I stated clearly in the >Statement of Work that work would not commence before receiving payments in >hand (as per the payment and production schedule) AND that any delays in >payment, client deliverables, and feedback would result in a delay in the >deadline -- no leniency on this point. > >On a tangent, this was the same client who wanted to penalize me for >lateness -- I had posted about that a few weeks ago. The specific request >for the penalty structure was set forth during our first encounter and >entailed a "discount" for each day the project was late; the client left it >to me to define what this "discount" would be. (mini-rant: do I look like a >masochist??) > >Further to that demand for a penalty structure, I increased my prices >(without actually letting him know), stated that my pricing was not >negotiable, and insisted that I create the schedule including all milestones >and deadlines. I offered choices in terms of project scope enable him to >control costs and deadlines, but did not budge on prices and policy. In the >end, although my client was apparently more comfortable with my hard-line >approach (I suppose he believed that I truly intended to deliver on my >commitments), I still walked away from the business because I had a strong >suspicion that things would not go well down the road. I had collected a >$100 down-payment prior to writing the proposal, which I kept as >compensation for the strategic consulting inherent to the proposal/SoW I had >produced. I'm not sure how one would formalize that kind of down-payment. He >just handed me a crisp $100 bill over a cup of tea, as a sign to proceed >with drafting the proposal. There was no paperwork. > > > >.............................................................. >Ruth Kaufman >212.828.6386 >917.623.7423 (mobile) >ruth@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx >http://ruthkaufman.com >.............................................................. > >__________________________________________________________________________ >To unsubscribe send a blank message with unsubscribe in the subject to >webproducers-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx > >To access our webform (instead of sending e-mail) for popular commands >including subscribe, unsubscribe, digest, and vacation visit >www.WebProducers.org. You can also access the list archive at the website. > >Questions and comments are welcome just e-mail me, morry@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx __________________________________________________________________________ To unsubscribe send a blank message with unsubscribe in the subject to webproducers-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx To access our webform (instead of sending e-mail) for popular commands including subscribe, unsubscribe, digest, and vacation visit www.WebProducers.org. You can also access the list archive at the website. Questions and comments are welcome just e-mail me, morry@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx