Many clients want professional work but are not willing to pay for the expertise behind it. In our part of the world, it's common for clients to take up hours of your time under the promise of "giving you the job," yet they are unwilling to pay a consultation fee. One aspect many professionals overlook is the actual cost of site visits, load assessments and preparing detailed BOQs. Imagine spending ₦10,000 on transportation and other expenses for a site visit and BOQ preparation. Do that for 10 different prospective clients and you've already spent ₦100,000 before securing a single contract. If none of those jobs materialize, both your time and money are gone. As professionals, we need to maintain our standards. Many serious clients are willing to pay for expertise, professionalism and proper consultation. When you value your work appropriately, you're less likely to negotiate from a position of desperation.