Re: Client hemming and hawing over payment

Subject: Re: Client hemming and hawing over payment
From: Sue Ellen Adkins <sea -at- best -dot- com>
To: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com>
Date: Sun, 6 Jan 2002 09:30:26 -0800

At 3:08 PM -0800 1/4/02, Andrew Plato wrote:

"Brian Hooper" wrote...

Has anybody else experienced how potential clients can talk you to death
about a project and then get quiet or evasive when it comes to
discussing your compensation. I just had a meeting with a potential
client who took 2 hours and 2 lattes to defly explain her business. Then
when I broached the topic of compensation for all of the fabulous work
I'd be doing for them, she hesitated. And then informed me about 30-day
payment terms, etc., which I specifically indicated I did not want, but
that I wanted 7-day payment terms. Why do they do that? Does anybody
else have stories to share that are similar? Or just me on a rant.

Ha! Welcome to contracting. They always have time to tell you about all
the work they want you to do, but when it comes time to pay - they're
busy.

First rule of contracting - its all talk until contracts are signed.

30 day terms (NET30) are very normal. You are not likely to get anybody to
pay you on 7 day terms. Also, be prepared to fight for you money,
especially if it is a large company. We have clients that routinely go
into 45 and 60 day cycles. Of course we drill them with late fees, but
that doesn't stop them.

Also be prepared. AR/AP departments will lose things, forget who you are,
and generally drag their feet at every possible turn. AR/AP clerks are
without question some of the most incompetent and lothesome humans in the
world.

<snip>

If possible, develop a contact within the company who is willing to help push your paperwork through AR/AP. If your contract is with a very large company, the normal processing time can be so long that it could cause you financial problems. When I was a Business Manager for an aerospace company, I would personally work with AR/AP to make sure that my small contractors were paid; I didn't want to have the contractors refuse to do business with us.

--
Sue Ellen Adkins

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References:
Re: Client hemming and hawing over payment: From: Andrew Plato

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