Once you are clear about the steps required to accomplish a client's objective in a manner that maximizes the probability of winning the chance to perform the work at targeted rates:

• Review the tasks (without regard to who will do them and without regard to costs). Encourage the client to add/change/delete the task plan so it becomes their task plan, not yours.
• Review the resources required to execute the tasks and how long it will take them to perform them. Point out that less qualified people who will take longer and not do as good a job but will be less expensive per hour. Once you agree on the allocation of resources and durations proceed to step three.
• Show the rates for the selected resources, multiply by the time required for each and add up. If the client has trouble with the price, go back to steps 1 and 2 to reduce scope or use less expensive resources. Note that there is no option to simply do the work for a lower price. It is a matter of what work is being performed and by whom.

Prepare a separate exhibit for each of the three steps and go through them one at a time incorporating the edits from the preceding steps right then and there. If the edits get to be too much, stop the process and go back, make changes, and try again on another day.

Keep in mind that there is some specific value to the output of the effort. Review this early in the process so that, later, you can point out that the cost of doing the work is but a fraction of the value generated.