"What rate shall I put you forward at?"

**TykeMerc** · 3 February 2011, 17:12

I've been faced with the same situation and daft question more times than I can recall, it's especially daft when they imply they've not been given a budget guide by the customer.

Like you my rate is variable on location and project, but I've got a minimum rate that I will state and see how the agent reacts. Generally if it's way over what the agent knows the client will pay they'll say so and odds are I'll end the conversation pretty quickly.

**monobrow** · 3 February 2011, 17:24

Originally posted by RichardCranium View Post

A recurring question I have had from agents lately has been: "What rate shall I put you forward at?"

This is in the initial conversation and often before I have seen a detailed job spec, never mind before an interview. All have been public sector roles.

In each case I have said it is hard to say without knowing more about the role: level of responsibility, type of project, etc. And in each case the agent has said something like:

"The client has not specified a rate; they want contractors to say what rate they are."

This strikes me as ridiculous: if they want me to quote for the job, I need information. Without that, I can only give an estimate.

So I answer "Well, lately I have been on between £x and £y per day." Which often gets translated into "£x minus £50 per day".

Today I had an agent who was confused by my answer; he could not comprehend that I would ask for a different rate according to the location, client and role.

So, when you do not have details of a role, what is the correct response to:

"What rate shall I put you forward at?"

Standard agency fishing BS, stitch up, lazy big watch wearING , ASLDJK LSAKJDL JK LKASDKLJS !!!!!!!

sorry, lost it for a minute there.

Basically, they are looking to skim the rate, they KNOW EXACTLY what the client is paying, if its 600 and you say 400, they are laughing.

Part of our job is to know our markets and our rates. do some research and pick a rate you are happy at, then hope that the agent you are dealing with is fair and will increase it if the client is paying more. lol

**northernladuk** · 3 February 2011, 17:26

Originally posted by RichardCranium View Post

A recurring question I have had from agents lately has been: "What rate shall I put you forward at?"

This is in the initial conversation and often before I have seen a detailed job spec, never mind before an interview. All have been public sector roles.

In each case I have said it is hard to say without knowing more about the role: level of responsibility, type of project, etc. And in each case the agent has said something like:

"The client has not specified a rate; they want contractors to say what rate they are."

This strikes me as ridiculous: if they want me to quote for the job, I need information. Without that, I can only give an estimate.

So I answer "Well, lately I have been on between £x and £y per day." Which often gets translated into "£x minus £50 per day".

Today I had an agent who was confused by my answer; he could not comprehend that I would ask for a different rate according to the location, client and role.

So, when you do not have details of a role, what is the correct response to:

"What rate shall I put you forward at?"

Now I thought they did this to just play their cards close to their chest and watch you shoot yourself in the foot. E.g. Agent has job willing to pay £400 a day, agent asks you and you helpfully say you will do it for £250. Clients eyes spin backwards and end up on Dollar signs and says ok I will push hard for that and he is quids in.

I thought this as the reverse happened to me. Agent asks me what I would be willing to work for on a role. I stick it high to start the bartering off and say £400, he says oh, client is only paying £250... So why the f**k did you ask me you robbing barsteward

.... because he wanted me to say £150...

Just thought it was a way to watch you rip yourself off in his favour.

**perplexed** · 3 February 2011, 17:31

Standard technique I tend to use is to give agent a rate higher than my previous rate.

That way, if my proposed rate is legit too high, gives me wiggle room to look magnanimous to agent by going in lower than usual whilst also getting an increase on previous rate. if it's acceptable, well jobs a good 'un.

**malvolio** · 3 February 2011, 17:44

You know what you need to live on (I hope), and what you need to earn to get that into your personal account over how many months a year you normally work (I base mine on 7 months a year, but I'm a lazy git). That is your absolute bottom. You know where the gig is so that means you know if you are commuting or working away. Staying away is £100 a day, commuting is mileage at 40ppm (even of you're on the train...).

So now you have a bottom rate.

You can add extra for fiddle factors, such as seniority and risk. And you can add your profit margin.

So why don't you know your acceptable rate at the outset? If the client is lower than that, it's your call about how much to take off the initial bid, or even if it's worth doing the gig at all.

Seemples...

**AnthonyQuinn** · 3 February 2011, 17:51

Ask for your last rate +10%. No brainer. negotiate from there to the point you are willing to. if already in a gig don't budge from <current> + 10%.

**thunderlizard** · 3 February 2011, 17:53

I am generally on the side of your recurring agents on this one. When, as a buyer, I set out to buy something I do not expect to tell the seller how much their products cost.

If you're being asked to quote for an entire project on a fixed price, that's different. But on a daily rate, you should know what you know and how much that knowledge should cost to hire.

**nomadd** · 3 February 2011, 17:57

Originally posted by perplexed View Post

Standard technique I tend to use is to give agent a rate higher than my previous rate.

This^

On my current gig., I was asked to quote a rate. I quoted £50 / day more than the rate I was on at the time. The agent thought that was £150 / day more than "the client had in mind." I said I couldn't comment on the state of the client's mind. Went to interview, and rate was never discussed. Contract came through with the rate I'd quoted. No idea what the eventual deal between the agent and the client turned out to be, but I do know there are a lot of contractors around here working for what I would consider to be a very low rate. Go figure.

**RichardCranium** · 3 February 2011, 18:07

Originally posted by malvolio View Post

You know what you need to live on

Not a lot. But I'd rather be a lot more comfortable than that.

Originally posted by malvolio View Post

You can add extra for fiddle factors, such as seniority and risk.

Not available data.

All that's known is "Project Manager in <region>, public sector, mentions PRINCE2 and change, three months with possible extensions".

It could be in a city centre running a large formal business transformation project as part of a major programme, or putting in a server refresh in some right out-of-the-way office. It might be a seat-of-the-pants one-person project where I'm doing everything, it might be managing a project team of 12 analysts / developers etc. with hundreds of stakeholders.

I'll do either, but unless I guess the rate range they're thinking of, I'll either not be shortlisted or not considered serious.

Hmm. Reading the responses, maybe I pitch myself too low. Perhaps my answer should be

"I'm looking for £y + 50 per day"

and accept I won't get the quick and easy projects and continue sitting on my arse waiting for the big hard roles.

"What rate shall I put you forward at?"