But it’s just your time!

"Could you spare 20 minutes to talk to me on the phone?"

"I’d be happy to work with you to develop a proposal that will meet your needs."

"But it’s just 20 minutes. In 20 minutes, you could give me such important strategy that would otherwise take me months to develop. You could really help me."

"Yes, I think you could benefit from my consulting services. I’m not available as a volunteer. But I’m happy to put together a proposal for my services."

"But it’s just your time! It’s not like I’m asking you to donate money."

"Yes. It’s just my time. Exactly. It’s the most precious thing I have."

 Do people ever try to twist your arm to get free consulting services? Do you ever struggle with figuring out how to set and get your consulting rate? What do you do when people try to get you to work for free?