[xeromal]

One element required is to have a network big enough to sustain itself off recommendations. I think that's absolutely necessary at least for 80% of your business revenue. If you're just hopping from one client to the next, you're not going to be in a strong decision to make good choices for your company when it comes to negotiations.

[sirsinsalot]

I've been a consultant through my own company for 15 years and never needed to do this.

I simply apply for contract roles.

My day rate is 150+% of the average for my role and area and my contract terms are ridiculously weighted in my favor.

You can learn to negotiate going from one client to the next.

And you mainly have to be able to negotiate better than the client. That's pretty easy usually.

[jokethrowaway]

Offers through my network always outperformed recruiters in my experience. It makes sense considering a recruiter would charge 10-20% of the contract.

I'm friend with recruiters and I add everyone on Linkedin so I can just log in that horrible spam infested thing that is my Linkedin feed & private messages and get an idea of what rates are going in market.

[moneywoes]

Where do you find these roles

[Nextgrid]

Seconded.

The vast majority of contract roles I see here in the UK are brokered by recruiters who will enforce their own standard contract terms & rates on a take-it-or-leave-it basis.

This kind of approach seems like it has no chance of working as the recruiter would rather place someone at an "okay" rate rather than having to risk submitting a higher-rate candidate and having the client balk and go away altogether.

[sirsinsalot]

Yes recruiters, and outside IR35.

It isn't true that they set rates and dictate terms. Push back, negotiate with them.

If you have recruiters who know you deliver, which drives more business for them and makes them look good, they'll listen to you and break their backs to place you even at rates higher than other people. They become your marketing team.

They're salespeople. Make their job easy and make yourself a tool that generates more long term commission for them. They'll bank on you and you'll be first in line.

All they care about is an easy win and their commission and sales targets. If you're their easy win, you're golden. The higher the rate they can place you at the more it works for them because the commission is percentile.

I interview really well. I'm a salesman too. They know if they can get me in the door I'll get the gig and they can get their cut of 50% above market rate.

I get to strike terms from contracts, set my notice period ... whatever I want really.

Build the relationships.