SIGNING AUTHORITY AND LIMITS
The Lesson - Your job at any new client is to get in the door, become an approved vendor, get a PO and then a check. This is the hardest process and until they pay you one time you are nothing more than a free advice idea person.
These stories both good and bad should send up success or warning signs for you to learn from experience.
I was working with the EVP at a major healthcare firm. He wanted me to undertake an issue and i came back and told him I could solve that for $55k. I was working cheap because i wanted to get in the door.
MY MISTAKE - I DID NOT ASK HIM WHAT HIS SIGNING AUTHORITY WAS..
His signing authority was 50k, I could have put the price at 49,900 and then had another 5-6k invoice later. Instead Legal had to get involved and i had to get a contract.
Needless to say the contract process took about 5 months and i was done with the work the 1st month. So by the time i was paid it was 6 months. If i would have done the 49,900 deal i would have been paid immediately.
Always find out
DO THEY HAVE THE AUTHORITY
WHAT IS THEIR SIGNING LIMIT