VeraSage

A Debate on Quoting Hours to Customers

Ron Baker - 12/04/2006

While I was in Kansas City, Missouri, this past November along with VeraSage senior fellows Paul Kennedy and Michelle Golden, teaching two courses for the Missouri Society of CPAs, Paul gave me a copy of a new book, Life Without Timesheets:  The freedom to charge what you are worth, by Hugh Williams, a Chartered Accountant from Britain.

On my flight back home I read the entire book (it’s a quick read, at 72 pages).  I was impressed with Hugh’s story, and I e-mailed him when I returned home.

That started a dialogue (and a friendship) that continues to this day.  We both felt it would be worthwhile to publish this exchange because Hugh and I disagree on a critical issue.  Certainly not on the validity of timesheets (since he got rid of them!), but rather on still communicating hours to customers in order to justify a price.

VeraSage profoundly believes that truth (and science) progresses based on dissent, not consensus.  I don’t learn much from people I agree with.  It is in that spirit we are posting this exchange.  It is a long exchange (over 5,400 words, which is why we have placed it in a pdf file you can download and read at your convenience), but we think it’s an important contribution to the Value Pricing debate.

Please feel free to weigh-in with your opinions, and experiences.  Hugh and I look forward to continuing this important dialogue.

Ron