IT audit pricing is best done on a fixed price basis.  Deciding what that fixed price should be though, can be challenging.  The whole point of getting paid to do the IT audit is so you aren’t working for free. However, the whole point of doing an IT audit is to get a long-term client out of the deal.  You have to balance these two motivations when you decide on what to charge for an IT audit.  

How do you price out an IT audit?

In most cases it makes sense to use a fixed price.  Even though it cuts into your margins, it overcomes a lot of sales resistance at an extremely critical part of the sales cycle. When you are selling an IT audit is when you are trying to pry a client’s wallet open that’s crazy-glued shut.  

If you show them you’re willing to shoulder some of the risk by offering an IT audit at a fixed price ,then they see you as more credible – someone they could see themselves doing business with long-term.

The typical IT audit for a sweet spot client (Ten to twenty-five PCs, single server) will take about three to four hours of work on-site.  If you’re charging $125 an hour for non-contracted clients, three to four hours would be $375 to $500.  A contracted client will get down to $100.00 an hour or $300 to $400 per IT audit.

The trick to getting an IT audit is to price it even less than that.  Yes, your margin will suffer but this is your proving ground.  You’re showing them that you’re willing to take on some risks and you’re developing a relationship. Once you prove you can do a great job, clients are usually more than willing to spend money with you on IT services.

The Bottom Line on IT Audits
The way you price your IT audit accommodates two goals:  to get paid and to win a client. You should always offer a fixed price for an IT audit to prove you are willing to take a risk just like your client is.  The second thing you need to do is charge less for an IT audit than the actual time you estimate it will take.  This again shows you are willing to take risks and it gets you in the door so you can prove your worth to a new client.

In this article, you’ve been introduced to IT audits. To learn more about how you can improve your knowledge of IT audits, just click here now to get access to a free one-hour audio training program on 5 Easy Ways to Grow Your Computer Consulting Business.