The Summer Mating Ritual of the RFP

Understand the true costs
How does the consultant make money? A low monthly retainer and low creative fees do not always guarantee that you’ll be paying a small amount for a consultant’s services.

Some clients prefer that their fees be “hidden.” So they allow their consultants to gain much of their compensation by marking up production invoices. While this practice initially might appear as an inexpensive way to pay for a consultant, don’t be fooled. In such cases, all you’ve done is give a consultant permission to hide its profits from you. You still are paying fees … but you have no way to monitor how much. Chances are the true cost is higher than if you paid the consultant directly.