Fee negotiation remains a hot topic. Once you've gone through the process of setting your consulting fees, you may still run into prospective or existing clients who want to haggle over price.

A client recently asked me to cut my fee by about 20 percent. Rather than refusing, I said that I'd be happy to adjust the quote to meet his needs. "What would you like me to remove from the proposal?" This forced the client to reconsider what work I had for offer. It left my fees off the table.

If you don't want to haggle over your fees, don't let clients force you to do so. You'll just end up feeling bitter and clients will never trust that you provide firm, accurate quotes. You may not always end up with the client's business, but you'll never be scrambling to look like a professional.

For more information on negotiating rates and handling objections, see my 62-page Consulting Fee Guide.