Asking the billing rate

[Kate Stout <stout -dot- k -at- comcast -dot- net>]

I ask the rate. Always.

A couple of reasons.
First, I just want to know.

Second, I want to know about the customer's expectations If a customer 
is paying $75/hour for me, they may be reluctant to do overtime, or 
think I'm some kind of writing superhero. If they're pay $30/hour me, 
they may have a different set of expectations.

I usually address it like this with the agency: "I'd like to make 
$x/hour for this kind of work. What rate do you have to bill the 
customer to make this work for you?" And then ask "Do you think the 
customer would accept that rate?" This puts me and the agency on the 
same side - what can we get from the customer.  There's still 
negotiation with this approach, of course.

I've only dealt with smaller, more personal agencies. They've always 
told me. Don't know what it would be like with the big contract companies.


Kate

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Now Shipping -- WebWorks ePublisher Pro for Word! Easily create online
Help. And online anything else. Redesigned interface with a new
project-based workflow. Try it today! http://www.webworks.com/techwr-l

Doc-To-Help 2005 converts RoboHelp files with one click. Author with Word or any HTML editor. Visit our site to see a conversion demo movie and learn more. http://www.componentone.com/TECHWRL/DocToHelp2005

---
You are currently subscribed to techwr-l as:
archiver -at- techwr-l -dot- com
To unsubscribe send a blank email to leave-techwr-l-obscured -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Send administrative questions to lisa -at- techwr-l -dot- com -dot-  Visit
http://www.techwr-l.com/techwhirl/ for more resources and info.