Win-Win Negotiation for Consultants and Trainers
Numerous elements of engagement agreements are subject to negotiation. Here’s how to handle many of them.
As a consultant and trainer, I present my clients with simple written agreements to record the details for each of my speaking and consulting engagements. These usually work fine, but occasionally the client will push back on specific terms. Sometimes, the client’s legal department ignores my simple agreement and sends me a massive document to sign.
But I don’t just sign that contract. A contract is naturally written to the benefit of the entity that created it, so you need to watch out for any terms that are unacceptable to you. I read the contract carefully, looking for anything that makes me uncomfortable. It turns out that many of the terms in a boilerplate contract can be adjusted if you aren’t happy with them. This article describes some typical categories where you might need to negotiate with a client to reach a mutually acceptable agreement.
I’m in the midst of such a negotiation this very day. So far, this client is proving quite flexible on my requested changes. For instance, the client’s standard services contract demands that the consultant take a drug test, something I’ve encountered only once before. I explained that I…
