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Agreement That Saved Us $16K

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This $30,000 proposal clearly demonstrates “short is better.” The phrase “AT&T will pay for the facilities, show decorators, A/V, and our travel” protected us after the project ended. A new executive, who didn’t understand the project and earlier agreements, invoiced us $16,000 for facilities and travel expenses. Faxing this agreement to her cleared up the misunderstanding, and AT&T absorbed the expenses, per the contract.


February 21, 20—
 
Martha Copperfield
Director of Employee Relations
AT&T Communications, Inc.
3500 Greenbelt Plaza, Suite 2500
Houston, Texas 77046

Dear Martha,
This will confirm our arrangements for two (2) one-day Career Fairs for departing AT&T employees in San Francisco, CA on Thursday, March 30th and in Chicago, IL on March 31, 20—.

Approximately 135 employees will be affected in San Francisco, and 200 will be affected in Chicago. The workforce is 80% non-exempt customer service reps, 15% managers and supervisors, and 5% training, secretarial support, and IT.
 
You will notify the employees of your decision on March 16th. We will conduct two (2) one-day resume writing workshops in San Francisco (March 23rd) and Chicago (March 24th). We will provide writing and editing instruction, and AT&T will provide secretarial support to word process and print the resumes.
 
In addition to the one-day resume workshops, we will provide site selection and contracting, show management, selection and recruiting of hiring companies, event co-ordination and logistics. We will guarantee a minimum of 20 companies for 200 attendees and 13 companies for 135 employees.
 
Our fee, which includes two people on-site for the show, is $15,000 per city, or $30,000 total. This equates to $150 per person with 100 attendees, and $75 per person with 200. In addition, AT&T will pay for the facilities, show decorators, A/V, and our travel. We will invoice you for 50% of the fee in advance to cover startup costs for the project. Thanks for this opportunity, Martha. We're looking forward to making AT&T's Job Fairs a big success.
 
With best regards,

William S. Frank
wsfrank@careerlab.com

 

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William S. Frank, M.A.,
            President/CEO
25 Reasons I love consulting.
by William S. Frank
  1. Brand. You are your own brand, and you can define it any way you want. For many years, I provided outplacement to the ex-employees of Schlumberger, the world's largest oilfield service corporation. When departing employees left the company, they didn't request outplacement in their severance package. They said, "I want Bill Frank."
  2. Demand. The world will always be full of terrible problems that need solving.
  3. White Hat. I can be a helper and get paid for it.
  4. Pay. I can be paid to do things I'd gladly do for nothing.
  5. Variety. Every day is different.
  6. Happiness. At this stage of my career, I only work for people I respect and care about. If a client micromanages me or is otherwise no fun, I complete the assignment and replace them.
  7. Talent. I'm using 110% of my talents and stretching myself to the max.
  8. Change. I can change my focus any day I want. If you're a McDonald's franchisee, you don't say, "Hey, I've got this great idea for a meatball sandwich—let's try it out today." In consulting you can adjust your focus hour-by-hour, as long as your clients still understand and appreciate what you do.
  9. Income. No one else would pay me as much as I pay myself.
  10. FUN. I can't think of anything I'd rather be doing.
  11. Retirement. I can write and consult as long as I am physically and mentally capable. Peter Drucker worked into his 90s, and when asked which book was his best, he said: "My next one."
  12. Job Security. Although clients come and go, no one can come into my office and say, "Pack up your stuff . . . You don't work here anymore." In 29 years, I've only had one employer: ME.
  13. Travel. I don't have to travel unless I decide to. I travel if it's both FUN and profitable—or at least FUN.
  14. Commute. I live five minutes from my office, a corner office in an upscale six-story tower. In winter, I leave a heated garage at home and drive to an underground heated garage at work. There's seldom time to hear even one song on the radio.
  15. Vacation. Consulting is more fun than vacation (except on Wailea Beach in Maui).
  16. Friends. I have developed hundreds of close acquaintances and several lifetime friends.
  17. Time. I can work as much or as little as I like: four-hour days or 18-hour days. (Of course, my income will reflect that.)
  18. Employees. I can work with employees, subcontractors, partners, or alone—I've done it all.
  19. Passive Income. I've developed several products that provide "mailbox money." I earn while I'm sleeping.
  20. Ethics. I've never had to violate my values or personal code of ethics. I've never had to lie, purposely deceive or harm others, or promise things I can't deliver. I go to bed with a clear conscience. That doesn't mean there's never any conflict. But the conflict is conducted according to generally accepted business practices.
  21. Virtual. My career is fairly portable. With the Internet, e-mail, cell phone, and FedEx, I can work nationally, even internationally from my office—or anywhere in the world.
  22. Purpose. I make a difference in peoples' lives every day. I see it in their faces, hear it in their voices, and read it in their thank-yous.
  23. Experience. Every painful or joyful life experience makes me a better consultant. So does every person I meet or book I read. Grey hair can be good in consulting.
  24. Structure. I have to work very hard, and the clients expect superb results—but I get to structure my days, weeks, months, and years.
  25. Boss. Most of the time, I love my boss.
As I was posting these letters online, I realized I want to communicate my love for consulting. It's just a great business. The single letters, taken together, may create a picture of enjoyment, but in a burst of creativity I listed some of the reasons consulting is such a good fit for me—and perhaps for you, too. They are not prioritized; this is just how they came out.