As a matter of policy we do not not provide specific, free advice to non-clients. The reasons?
- It is unfair to paying clients.
- We are in the advice and ideas business. It is how we make money.
- The time we spend dispensing free advice to a non-client is time we could be spending with a client who pays.
- We have invested many years and hundreds of thousands of dollars developing our skills and intellectual property. We want to get a return on this investment.
- In our experience, free advice given to someone is not as highly valued as paid advice. Indeed, we find that the more a client pays, the more they listen.
As a first step, non-clients who are seeking free advice are invited to:
- Read the free articles and blog posts on this website and subscribe to my email newsletter.
- Attend our free workshops and seminars. Invites to these are sent out to all my newsletter subscribers.
For prospective interested in exploring a client-consultant relationship, the process is as follows:
- Videophone consultation by Skype. This a time-effective means of meeting face-to-face, but without the logistical or travel hassles. This consultation will give us time to know each other a little better, see if there is a good fit from a values and relationship perspective, and allow us to understand your needs better.
- If there is the opportunity to work together we will outline the various ways in which we work with clients, and then send a copy of this outline to the prospective client post-consultation, together with a simplified proposal and terms of agreement.
- Prospective client reviews material sent to them, after which we meet again to go over finer details. Depending on the size of the nature of the proposed relationship the follow up may be conducted by Skype or in-person.
- After discussion, both parties agree to terms of agreement.
- Prospective client makes first deposit payment and consultant-client relationship commences.