Agent asking to know rate

**vwdan** · 23 October 2017, 23:08

I tend to just quote the rate that I ideally / realistically want + £50 or so. You're right in that Accenture may have a "rate card", but you're delirious if you think all their customers pay the same!

**washed up contractor** · 23 October 2017, 23:13

Originally posted by AnthonyQuinn View Post

Had an interesting conversation with a pimp today. He asked me for my rate and I said, 'what does the role pay, ie whats the budget'? He said, he would s imply take my rate, add a markup % and offer it to the client and let them decide. He then asked (in good humour of course) that when I go to buy a car and ask for the price or ask for a home architecture quote, do I get asked 'Whats you budget'?. I politely declined to continue the conversation but that was because I am mid contract so not under pressure.

Set me thinking. We offer consulting services. If you were to ask Accenture to do some work, they would quote their rate card. I dont think they would ask 'Whats your f*****g budget?'.

Do you get asked to quote your rate? How do you get around it?

Ive been asked a few times. If Im in a playful mood I ask "why do you or the client need to know?" The answer given has been the client would be more "comfortable" paying £400 a day if they knew you'd been on that rate in your previous role. What bollocks, it is to try and prevent you asking for and getting a higher rate than your last job.

I usually tell them what rate I want and if they push it I just say it is commercially confidential, you know, what you presumably have in your contacts about disclosing rate to others.

**SlipTheJab** · 24 October 2017, 05:34

Ask the pimp how much he/she earns.

**NotAllThere** · 24 October 2017, 05:46

Originally posted by AnthonyQuinn View Post

...when I go to buy a car and ask for the price or ask for a home architecture quote, do I get asked 'Whats you budget'?. ..

Yes.

Punter:How much is that car?
Salesman: £100K
Punter looks disappointed
Salesman: What's your budget?

Punter: I'm looking at doing a loft conversion
Architect: What's your budget?

My rate is the rate I want to be paid. Not the rate that I'm currently being paid. Perhaps I gave the client a discount this time, because he asked nicely?

**meridian** · 24 October 2017, 06:31

Agent asking to know rate

Yes, most definitely asked about rate, and definitely answer.

I provide the rate range that I am willing to work for, and let the agent know that the final figure will be dependent on client complexity and location.

Sometimes they agree that my range is within budget, and we carry on the conversation. Sometimes the agent tells me that their budget is nowhere near that, then I wish the agent good luck with their search (they often agree...) and we end the conversation politely.

Once or twice the agent has called back a month or so later to say that the client has figured out that they needed to up the budget and it's now within range.

**northernladuk** · 24 October 2017, 06:33

This is asked very regularly so a whole host of threads already covering this.
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=ag...obile&ie=UTF-8

**BlasterBates** · 24 October 2017, 08:05

As a contractor you should know your rate, otherwise you'll get ripped off.

**northernladyuk** · 24 October 2017, 08:34

It's very useful to know the client's budget, because then I know how many days per week they can afford.

**WTFH** · 24 October 2017, 09:06

Originally posted by BlasterBates View Post

As a contractor you should know your rate, otherwise ~~you'll get ripped off.~~ you don’t know how much to put on your invoices each month

FTFY.

To the OP:

If an agent knows the market they are working in, then they know the going rates that contractors bill at.
If an agent knows the market they are working in, then they know the rates that clients pay.

The rate a contractor asks for should be based on their current rate, their experience, how desperate they are for work, the contract location, the contract duration, how much of an increase they could reasonably expect, how many others are in for the role (and their relative ability), etc.

Or, quick and dirty way (this only works if the agent is not the one you are currently working through) - tell the agent your rate is 1.2x what you’re currently on. They will come back with a rate that is somewhere between what you’re currently on and maybe 1.1x what you’re currently on.

Agent asking to know rate