OK, that's not what I thought you meant, then. I thought you were referring to the kind of engagement where you have some sort of initial "getting to know you"

OK, that's not what I thought you meant, then. I thought you were referring to the kind of engagement where you have some sort of initial "getting to know you" phase to clarify things like project requirements and contractual structure before moving on to the main project itself. That initial phase would usually be a paid engagement itself, though not necessarily on the same basis as the main project, lasting a significant amount of time. In the situation you're describing, I find it baffling that any rational client would accept your terms for anything but the simplest and most expendable engagements. If you can get them to, good for you, but how do you get it past their legal team? Or are you only working with small clients who might not get your terms reviewed before accepting them?