| Many successful IT consultants use service level | | | | unique identity, a location, a phone number, a Web site |
| agreement templates to streamline their businesses | | | | address and e-mail address. Letterhead can help |
| and make sure they are presenting themselves | | | | establish your identity and your unique brand in a way |
| professionally and consistently. | | | | that will be memorable to your potential clients long |
| Still, if you are just starting out as an IT consultant, or | | | | after your service level agreement templates have |
| just starting to offer agreements to your clients, you | | | | been signed and filed away. |
| may be confused about some of the basic features | | | | 2. A Change Order Policy. Because inevitably |
| that should go into a solid IT consulting service | | | | something will almost always come up as an "Oh, by |
| agreement document. | | | | the way" from your clients during the course of a |
| Disclaimer: Before you finalize your service level | | | | major project, you must make sure to establish your |
| agreement templates, be sure to consult a qualified | | | | policies regarding these changes. If you don't create a |
| local attorney. I'm not an attorney. I don't play an | | | | change order policy for your long-term clients and |
| attorney on prime time TV. And this article is most | | | | present it clearly as part of your standard service level |
| certainly not presenting legal advice. | | | | agreement templates, you risk having your projects |
| Now with that out of the way, you need to make sure | | | | regularly derailed by things that are outside of your |
| that you are taken seriously as a trusted business | | | | control. Change orders protect both you and your |
| adviser. Which pieces need to go into your final | | | | clients from unanticipated changes and help you both |
| service level agreement templates to make them | | | | take responsibility for important projects. |
| appealing to your customers and position you as a | | | | 3. A Section Detailing Principal Contacts for Major |
| professional IT consultant offering high-end services? | | | | Projects. Both you and your clients need to know who |
| Consider these 3 template components that can help | | | | is responsible for what when it comes to major |
| you grow great client relationships. | | | | projects. So as part of your service level agreement |
| | | | templates, include contact information for the main |
| 1. A Cover Page on Your Company Letterhead. Many | | | | decision makers at both your companies . This should |
| consultants don't realize how important official | | | | include the major financial, technical and billing contacts |
| letterhead can be to all aspects of their businesses. | | | | as well as any additional employees that will be |
| Letterhead serves many purposes, but accomplishes | | | | involved in details of the project. This helps everyone |
| two important goals: letterhead provides important | | | | involved take full accountability for their part in |
| contact information that makes getting in touch with | | | | achieving project goals and also gives you someone |
| you easy for your customers and clients. Letterhead | | | | specific to call when important decisions must be |
| also shows that you are a legitimate company with a | | | | made. |