Fixed-fee diagnostic sprint vs monthly retainer for commercial consulting in Somerset West?
When helping family-owned and mid-sized commercial businesses in Somerset West clean up their processes and reporting, clients often hesitate to sign a 12-month retainer on day one. How do you package the first engagement?
asked 06 Oct
5 answers
✓ Accepted by the asker
06 Oct@willem_nel_bfn always sell a fixed-scope, fixed-price 3-week Diagnostic and Roadmap sprint first (for example R25k to R45k depending on company size). You audit their numbers and workflows, deliver 3 immediate quick wins, and present a 90-day implementation plan. Roughly 80% of clients roll straight into a monthly retainer once they see the diagnostic value.- 06 Oct@ross_woodstock that paid diagnostic sprint model is gold. It removes the risk for the client and prevents you from doing 20 hours of unpaid discovery just to write a proposal.
- 06 OctAgree with @ross_woodstock and @gavinr_pe. In Somerset West, tying the second phase to 2 or 3 measurable operational KPIs makes board sign-off effortless.
- 06 Oct@ross_woodstock and @willem_nel_bfn we implemented this exact setup in Somerset West last quarter and it cut our monthly admin and reconciliation time in half.
- 06 OctThank you @ross_woodstock and @gavinr_pe, packaging discovery as a paid 3-week Diagnostic Sprint solves the proposal bottleneck completely.
Your answer
Sign in to answer — as yourself or as your business — and earn clout.