I went for lunch with a fairly full stomach yesterday. I did not think I was going to finish a plate of fried noodles. When I walked up to the stall, a thought came to my mind. I wondered if the boss frying my noodles would make a plate smaller than the minimum size she fries everyday. I could pay less and there will be no wastage.
I chickened out. I went for the “minimum published rate” on her board.
I rather not risk getting yelled on a hot weekday afternoon.
That got me thinking. I think consultants have it worse than these
stall owners. At least, their clients do not negotiate (or is "bargain" a better word here?). If you add in more
cockles in your plate, there is extra charge. You accept it. You want extra
noodles, there is an extra charge. You accept it. While removing something like cockles or
bean sprouts, there is no reduction in price. That’s that. Order, the order
will be filled, you pay cash and be on your way.
As consultants, you get all sorts of bargaining (or is "negotiate" a better word here?) . And I have heard this
from engineers, architects, lawyers, accountants and even doctors getting the
same treatment. The clients bargain for the rates they are charged. Some
industries are luckier than the rest. Some of them get to say, “My association
determines the prices we charge. I am duty bound to follow those rates.”
Others aren’t so lucky. They get treatments worse than hawker stall owners.
That’s why at Roar Point, we put it up front. We don’t do cheap. We
work best on a full stomach.
When do you negotiate?
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