You have amassed skills and expertise in your field over years. When people ask to “pick your brain” or to “go over a few things” with them, they are asking for your resources and your time. When does advice become consultation? Should they have to pay for this? When should you draw the line and charge them a fee for the services you have rendered?
Picasso’s Napkin
There is an old adage in which the artist Pablo Picasso is approached in a restaurant by a fan who asks him to draw her a picture. Picasso takes five minutes to sketch out a drawing on a napkin and then after showing it to her, asks for her to pay for it. While the number varies with the telling, it’s very large number, at least several hundred. When the lady says, “But it only took you five minutes,” Picasso retorts “No, it took me 40 years.” This story shows an example of your right to charge for your trained skills.
No Such Thing as a Free Lunch
“I’ll buy you lunch” is a common way for people to gain advice from others. During one of these lunches, you might spend very little or quite a bit of time talking shop. You don’t want to seem greedy, charging them for the hour you spend, but are you getting ripped off? A few questions to ask yourself:
- What are they asking for? Is the question directly related to your work?
- How much are they asking? Are they asking for a few tips or an entire roadmap?
- Is helping this person for free related to a business or a friendship? Which takes priority?
When to Provide Free Consultation
Many companies provide free consultation. The idea is that the time and equipment you use to consult is recouped when your skill and knowledge convinces the person to use your service. By providing this first step, people can get an idea of not just how much you charge, but also how vigilant you are with their problems and what solutions you can provide.
A Matter of Proof
Doing favors or pro-bono work improves your reputation. It increases the good things people have to say of you, by both normal “word of mouth” and online in the forms of reviews and social media. Your “social proof” increases when people can go online and see the good work you have done, especially when you give advice online or through printed media. The more people can verify you know what you’re talking about, the more likely they are to use your services.
A Line in the Sand
Whether you decide to give “free advice” or not, you have to create for yourself a line in the sand: the point past which you will stop and say, “We can talk more about this, but I’m going to have to start charging you.” This line can vary, but should come near or at the point where the specialized knowledge they need is something they can’t get for free. If they are asking advice for something quick and easy, or that can readily be found on their own: help them. But if that knowledge is something that requires specific skills that only you would know, or is significant work on your part, it’s time to think about charging.
In the end, you have to weigh several factors. How do you know the person? Do you trust them? How will this advice affect your friendship? How much money would this normally cost? Can you recoup it through future work for them due to the goodwill of this free advice? If you need advice on how to give consultation, how to use it to improve your sales, and when to charge, please contact Salefish LLC. We are a licensed Sandler Training Center and can give you the training and confidence to use your consulting to improve your sales and get you paid for your ideas.
