LIVE Q&A SESSION 5:
July 7th, 2020: 9am (Pacific Time – US & Canada)
Poll Results:
Poll 1: How much work do you have right now?
Poll 2: Have you changed your fees due to COVID?
Questions answered:
Peter (3:27): I am a sole practitioner architect in Surrey, England dealing mostly with house extensions. I don’t charge for the first meeting, and then follow up with a fee quotation. Is this wrong?
Tony (6:41): What methods do you use to calculate fees? E.g. percentage based, time based, deliverables/drawing output based, experience based, what the client tells you!
Tony (9:24): What metrics do you use to calculate fees? E.g. data gathered over time and how are the metrics captured/recorded.
Tony (10:34): How do you deal with clients that reject your fee proposals? E.g. counter proposals, justification.
Irina (14:33): How can you keep up-to-date with what could be called ‘a fair fee proposal’ (i.e. not too cheap and not too expensive)?
Peter (16:40): How do we stop some architects undercutting and pricing suicidal low fees, as this completely de-value our services and negatively impacts the profession?
Fatai (20:14): How does one avoid being used as a price match against the client’s preferred consultant?
Fatai (22:46): It appears that ‘cost & cost’ seem to be the only deciding factors when it comes to fee bids – does quality/reliability/reputation make any discernible difference?
Nicos (25:56): How do you convince people to commit and have a leap of faith about the quality of the services especially in regards to design ideas? Would you consider some sort of 30-day guarantee? And if yes, how can that be implemented whilst also safeguarding the business?
POLL: Have you reduced your fees, payment terms, etc.?
Imad (31:56): Sometimes the RFPs (Requests for Proposal) do not provide clear information. Do you recommend going with a high cap pricing to ensure most of the risks are covered? Or would you recommend a specific pricing method in this case, for example, sqm or % of construction cost?
Anon (36:24): There seems to be talk of reducing fees. Should we not be increasing fees? From what I can see the industry is busy at the moment. Please share some optimism!
POLL: (37:49) How much work does your practice have on right now?
Anon (39:34): What book or website would you recommend to look at for Architect’s fee in the UK?
Nicola (40:57): Does this Zoom meeting count for CPD?
Tony (6:41): What methods do you use to calculate fees? E.g. percentage based, time based, deliverables/drawing output based, experience based, what the client tells you!
Tony (9:24): What metrics do you use to calculate fees? E.g. data gathered over time and how are the metrics captured/recorded.
Tony (10:34): How do you deal with clients that reject your fee proposals? E.g. counter proposals, justification.
Irina (14:33): How can you keep up-to-date with what could be called ‘a fair fee proposal’ (i.e. not too cheap and not too expensive)?
Peter (16:40): How do we stop some architects undercutting and pricing suicidal low fees, as this completely de-value our services and negatively impacts the profession?
Fatai (20:14): How does one avoid being used as a price match against the client’s preferred consultant?
Fatai (22:46): It appears that ‘cost & cost’ seem to be the only deciding factors when it comes to fee bids – does quality/reliability/reputation make any discernible difference?
Nicos (25:56): How do you convince people to commit and have a leap of faith about the quality of the services especially in regards to design ideas? Would you consider some sort of 30-day guarantee? And if yes, how can that be implemented whilst also safeguarding the business?
POLL: Have you reduced your fees, payment terms, etc.?
Imad (31:56): Sometimes the RFPs (Requests for Proposal) do not provide clear information. Do you recommend going with a high cap pricing to ensure most of the risks are covered? Or would you recommend a specific pricing method in this case, for example, sqm or % of construction cost?
Anon (36:24): There seems to be talk of reducing fees. Should we not be increasing fees? From what I can see the industry is busy at the moment. Please share some optimism!
POLL: (37:49) How much work does your practice have on right now?
Anon (39:34): What book or website would you recommend to look at for Architect’s fee in the UK?
Nicola (40:57): Does this Zoom meeting count for CPD?
References:
1. How to Avoid Giving Away Free Design Services (Freemium Pricing):
https://blueturtlemc.com/blog/how-to-avoid-giving-away-free-design-services/
2. The Best Method for Calculating Design Fees:
https://blueturtlemc.com/blog/the-best-method-for-calculating-design-fees/
3. Fees Bureau:
https://www.feesbureau.co.uk/
4. Getting to Yes:
https://www.amazon.com/Getting-Yes-Negotiating-Agreement-Without/dp/0140157352
5. The Negotiation Checklist For Architects & Designers:
https://blueturtlemc.com/blog/the-negotiation-checklist-for-architects-designers/
6. Design Professional’s Guide to Negotiation:
https://blueturtlemc.com/product/the-design-professionals-guide-to-negotiating-fees-contracts/
7. Influence: Robert Caildini:
https://www.amazon.com/Influence-Psychology-Persuasion-Robert-Cialdini/dp/006124189X
8. Fee Proposal Workshop:
https://blueturtlemc.com/feeproposalworkshop/
9. Jo Cowan podcast:
https://www.businessofarchitecture.co.uk/012-build-a-recession-proof-practice-with-jo-cowen/
10: Fee Proposal Fundamentals:
https://blueturtlemc.com/fee-proposal-fundamentals/
https://blueturtlemc.com/blog/how-to-avoid-giving-away-free-design-services/
2. The Best Method for Calculating Design Fees:
https://blueturtlemc.com/blog/the-best-method-for-calculating-design-fees/
3. Fees Bureau:
https://www.feesbureau.co.uk/
4. Getting to Yes:
https://www.amazon.com/Getting-Yes-Negotiating-Agreement-Without/dp/0140157352
5. The Negotiation Checklist For Architects & Designers:
https://blueturtlemc.com/blog/the-negotiation-checklist-for-architects-designers/
6. Design Professional’s Guide to Negotiation:
https://blueturtlemc.com/product/the-design-professionals-guide-to-negotiating-fees-contracts/
7. Influence: Robert Caildini:
https://www.amazon.com/Influence-Psychology-Persuasion-Robert-Cialdini/dp/006124189X
8. Fee Proposal Workshop:
https://blueturtlemc.com/feeproposalworkshop/
9. Jo Cowan podcast:
https://www.businessofarchitecture.co.uk/012-build-a-recession-proof-practice-with-jo-cowen/
10: Fee Proposal Fundamentals:
https://blueturtlemc.com/fee-proposal-fundamentals/
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