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• # 113333
• Sun 03 Jul 2016 12:04 AM

Hello everyone

I joined the ICB Mentoring programme webinar in April 2016 which was presented by Mark Wickersham, the webinar was about Value Pricing, I found the webinar very interesting, and I am thinking of enrolling for the monthly mentoring programme.  I would be very interested to hear from any members who joined the webinar, what your thoughts are on Value Pricing and if anyone as enrolled for the monthly mentoring programme.

Look forward to hearing from you

Kind Regards

Chris

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• # 113335
• Sun 03 Jul 2016 12:55 PM

As far as I am aware that webinar was about cloud pricing .   As a branch leader I am un aware of approved  ICB mentoring scheme by Mark .  He is the owner of cloud pricing.    He may do mentoring but I not aware of it being a ICB scheme.  His software was accredited but that is different to mentoring

Personally I saw a seminar in London and I was not interested.   As far as I am concerned it is fixed pricing with another name for it.   I was extremely uncomfortable with it and really did not like the sales pitch for many reasons.

Cloud Pricing is just like any other software in the market.   They are selling a service like every other accounts software company  and you can chose to pay or not.    Personally I woud not pay for it.  

I object to the whole sales pitch to a potential client and putting client on the spot.   Morally I prefer to let my client go away and have time to think .  Refering to a accountants or bookkeepers expense as a investment to me is wrong and for me personally I think is misleading to the client.  

Anyway it is up to you but personally for so many reasons and my beliefs how you should do business and treat your clients.  I was not interested.

However valuing yourself and your services is important but I just don,t think you need a piece of software to do it.

• Sarah Douglas C.FICB

  HouseTree Business Ltd 

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• # 113341
• Mon 04 Jul 2016 08:02 AM

sarah said:

“

As far as I am aware that webinar was about cloud pricing .   As a branch leader I am un aware of approved  ICB mentoring scheme by Mark .  He is the owner of cloud pricing.    He may do mentoring but I not aware of it being a ICB scheme.  His software was accredited but that is different to mentoring

Personally I saw a seminar in London and I was not interested.   As far as I am concerned it is fixed pricing with another name for it.   I was extremely uncomfortable with it and really did not like the sales pitch for many reasons.

Cloud Pricing is just like any other software in the market.   They are selling a service like every other accounts software company  and you can chose to pay or not.    Personally I woud not pay for it.  

I object to the whole sales pitch to a potential client and putting client on the spot.   Morally I prefer to let my client go away and have time to think .  Refering to a accountants or bookkeepers expense as a investment to me is wrong and for me personally I think is misleading to the client.  

Anyway it is up to you but personally for so many reasons and my beliefs how you should do business and treat your clients.  I was not interested.

 

However valuing yourself and your services is important but I just don,t think you need a piece of software to do it.

 

 

 

 

 

”

 Hi Sarah

Thank you very much for taking the time to reply to me, your help is much appreciated.  At the moment I charge an hourly rate and try to offer a fixed price to clients, after I have done work for the them for 3 - 6 months, so I can get an idea of the work involved.  In the past I have agreed a fixed price with a client, then once I have started the work, I have have found there is a lot more work involved, so I have lost out. I am finding it difficult how to work out a fixed monthly price at the moment, I think I will stay with the hourly rate, this way I think it fair for myself and the client.  Do you work on an hourly rate or fixed price?

Many Thanks

Chris

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• # 113343
• Mon 04 Jul 2016 10:52 AM

Hi 

As a company we do all 3 so bear with me.  

We have various different contracts with different clients.   To be honest it all depends on the client who comes through the door and you get to judge if you are losing them in a meeting by your pricing.   You will get more experience at it. 

For example I have some very local lucrative contracts that insist on paying by the hour and the week and by chq.   I did actually try to get them on a fixed price and their was no way they would even consider value pricing.   I am in Glasgow and it is not easy to fool them nor would I want to.  The simple fact was I either took that or I lost the contract.    The hourly rate is high so it makes no difference to me at the end of the day it is money into the business. 

I have clients were effectively I do have value pricing as I offer a service where is is quite detailed as in my knowledge and I want my knowledge paid for.   I have toughen up over the years.   For example I sometimes get queries where a client wants a meeting for a hour.   They clearly state they do not want to use your services in the future but would like to have a meeting. We now tend to charge a £100 plus vat for that meeting and if they then decide they would like to use our services and it has happened on many occasions we will not charge for that meeting.   This is working for us very well and we do get paid for our meetings.   There are a lot of people out there looking for free info.   We use value pricing for other contracts as well when I really feel it is my knowledge they are paying for.  Value pricing is just over a third of our business. 

I then have the fixed pricing where I just know the client cannot cope with a hourly rate. They are the type of client that just needs to know what they are paying.   Hourly invoicing just stresses them out.  Our letter of engagement states that if the work is far greater then expected we would stop the work and inform them and re discuss the fixed price before going any further, so they have a choice to go elsewhere, most stay and are very fair.  We always go higher at first so and tell the client we will bring it down if we find after 6 months it takes less time.   

I hope this helps.   We have talked about this at the Glasgow branch and most of the very busy bookkeepers said they did all 3 and felt one way was not right for all clients. 

• Sarah Douglas C.FICB

  HouseTree Business Ltd 

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• # 113347
• Mon 04 Jul 2016 12:55 PM

sarah said:

“Hi 

As a company we do all 3 so bear with me.  

We have various different contracts with different clients.   To be honest it all depends on the client who comes through the door and you get to judge if you are losing them in a meeting by your pricing.   You will get more experience at it. 

For example I have some very local lucrative contracts that insist on paying by the hour and the week and by chq.   I did actually try to get them on a fixed price and their was no way they would even consider value pricing.   I am in Glasgow and it is not easy to fool them nor would I want to.  The simple fact was I either took that or I lost the contract.    The hourly rate is high so it makes no difference to me at the end of the day it is money into the business. 

I have clients were effectively I do have value pricing as I offer a service where is is quite detailed as in my knowledge and I want my knowledge paid for.   I have toughen up over the years.   For example I sometimes get queries where a client wants a meeting for a hour.   They clearly state they do not want to use your services in the future but would like to have a meeting. We now tend to charge a £100 plus vat for that meeting and if they then decide they would like to use our services and it has happened on many occasions we will not charge for that meeting.   This is working for us very well and we do get paid for our meetings.   There are a lot of people out there looking for free info.   We use value pricing for other contracts as well when I really feel it is my knowledge they are paying for.  Value pricing is just over a third of our business. 

I then have the fixed pricing where I just know the client cannot cope with a hourly rate. They are the type of client that just needs to know what they are paying.   Hourly invoicing just stresses them out.  Our letter of engagement states that if the work is far greater then expected we would stop the work and inform them and re discuss the fixed price before going any further, so they have a choice to go elsewhere, most stay and are very fair.  We always go higher at first so and tell the client we will bring it down if we find after 6 months it takes less time.   

I hope this helps.   We have talked about this at the Glasgow branch and most of the very busy bookkeepers said they did all 3 and felt one way was not right for all clients. 



”

 Hi Sarah

Thank you very much for your advice and thoughts, your help is much appreciated.

Chris

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