Negotiation Time

[Fac52]

Hi All,

New Member - long time viewer and first time poster. Cheers for all the advice I have got off these boards so far...

I'm at a gig at the moment which has been running for 9 months - 1 contract extention with my current contract up for renewal in Dec. When I started it was on the terms that I would be working jointly with a permie guy who had been at the company for 10 years and had all the technical knowledge to go with it.

It's just been announced that the permie guy will now be moving onto other projects leaving me solely in the team - a major ball ache! The job is not impossible but its going to be a whole load of extra effort for me solely. Based on this I think I am justified in asking for a raise on the basis that the job has significantly changed.

To be honest I've not much experience on re-negotiating a better rate. I'm just wondering if anyone had any advice on how they would outline this request to the client, the next steps, and any obvious pit falls.

Also, should I mention my intention for a rate increase right away (in light of the news), or should I way for the renewal talks on my current contact (as said this is due to renew in Dec).

Any help anyone could share would be much appreciated.

Thanks,
Fac52

[chicane]

It makes sense to negotiate longer timescales or more hours per week rather than a higher rate. Nobody can argue that the work is going to take longer if you need to spend time asking questions and reading documentation, however asking for a higher hourly rate on the basis that it's going to be "a whole load of extra effort for me" just sounds like "I haven't been putting in 100% up to this point".

Put yourself in the client's shoes - how would you feel about a contractor asking for a higher hourly rate just because the work suddenly involved a lot more research and documentation reading rather than technical work?

Having said this, if you're not too bothered about the gig and/or your relationship with the client, go ahead and ask - you've got nothing to lose.

[The Lone Gunman]

Don't expect too much.
You could spin it as doing the work of 2 if your deadlines do not change, but they are likely to reply that they have been paying twice as much as they should have whilst also training you.

9 months should be a long enough hand over for you to have a handle on your work.

[VectraMan]

If it's been nearly a year then you have a good argument for a small inflation linked increase anyway, and with extra responsibility I would think you have a good case. Don't put it as "extra effort", as Chicane says that makes it sound like you haven't been trying up to now, but it's extra responsibility. You're effectively doing a more senior role.

And if you being there has enabled this other guy to move onto other things, that makes you important to their future plans. Just don't get greedy.

[ratewhore]

Just a small point but you negotiate your rate with your agency, not your client. Your agent may take some of the rise from their margin or may go straight to the client for all of it. Either way, your contract is with the pimp, not the client.

And as for negotiation techniques, tell the pimp what rate you are offering your services for at renewal, not partway through the gig. I personally don't bother trying to justify it, I just tell them what rate I am after (usually + a bit so I can be seen to negotiate down to what I wanted anyway)...

[Fac52]

Thanks for all your comments on this. You speak alot of sense. I certainly see the pitfalls of being seen you all highlight I will wait for the agent to call and see what they offer me.

I always hear other contractors boasting how they 'pushed up their rate' on almost every renewal (they could be gob sh*ting - perhaps they are). Are there any 'old favourite' ways to justify (and successfully get) a raise then, even if you haven't particularly earnt it from your contract? Apologies in advance if this is a bit of a vague question.

Thanks,
Fac52