Freelance people are experts in their work field, but they are also business owners. Their work is their brand, and marketing their services, managing finances, and negotiating deals is their full-time job. Those conversations can be intimidating for an independent person when the other person is trying to get their work done for less money, way less than your worth. Freelancer who fail to negotiate appropriately can miss possible revenue, slow growth of their project portfolio, and fall in future opportunities that might otherwise come through with the referrals from successful relationships with clients.
Here are some tips for negotiating flawlessly as a freelancer.
1. Understand your worth: The first step and the foremost step is to realize what you bring to that situation. Starting a project considering that you just need money or experience will not ease your negotiation. Being a freelancer, you have to improve your skills and know what and why your client will pay you; it’s for your skills. If you don’t develop your skills right now, take some more time and become an expert to increase your worth.
2. Research the market: Once you know what the client is looking for and you’ve shown them your unique skills, it’s time to do your analysis. Reach out to your fellow freelancers and build a network to find out what they charge for similar projects.
3. Avoid sharing your expected fee first: Sharing your expected fee first makes you look wrong. When the client asks your expected fee, you can answer, “I expect to be paid as per the market standards for this project.” By following this, you will not be considered for lower fees, and you can update your prices as you find anything wrong.
4. Don’t overshare: Remember one thing, your client is never your friend. Take things professionally as you are selling your education and skill that you have earned after a lot of effort. If you have recently commenced working as a freelancer or working due to a layoff, there’s no reason to share this with your client. You will only lose your power in negotiating by telling critical information that they can possibly use against you during negotiation.
5. Look for alternatives: It can be lucrative to consider every potential client like a treasure during the relationship-building and negotiation process. When you are into the negotiation, and it is not going as you expect, then it’s time to look for other options and be willing to walk away. You must know that when you have alternatives, you can easily walk away. Also, if you need options, you should always have a pipeline of new clients and extraordinary works.
6. Negotiate over email: Emails are equal to records and confidence. If you are an introverted person, you will find it easy to negotiate over email. When you do so, you have time to think and type your response. However, when you are negotiating on a one-on-one call, you don’t have enough time to give words to your thoughts. Through emails, you will have time to talk to your fellow writers and share your answers accordingly. Also, you will have a record of what conversation you had with your client and how the person is.
7. Have valid reasons: What can be the best reason to charge high? Your polished skills and a fantastic portfolio of your work. Isn’t it? Your skills have worth, and by setting less, you are lowering your worth. Put forward quality, and have an excellent reason to charge the best. Perhaps, your experience also plays a good role in negotiating. The more experience you have, the better you can charge, and the less the other person would be likely to negotiate. Make your way to win any situation. You can do it only by improving your skills.
8. Defer your decision: Never agree to a proposal before judging it from all aspects. It would help if you always said that you’d think about the offer and get back. You can talk to your fellow freelancers or even to the friend with whom you share things or your partner or family. This gives you the period to negotiate and produce something you hadn’t thought of previously.
9. Build trust: During the negotiation process, you have to be friendly, lively, build confidence, and genuinely aim to finalize the collaboration positively with the client. If the offer your client is making is significantly less for you even to consider, it is more beneficial to decline than to lose your time and your client’s. While, on the other hand, if the offer is worth your consideration or can be increased, you should always take a chance to negotiate. By being straightforward about what you expect, you can build faith and avoid endless arguments.
10. Be prepared to work through things: Negotiation is never a win or lose situation; it is not a combatting field. Even if the standards of the payments are not 100% satisfying, there are many other perspectives to consider, for instance, the comfort of serving a supportive client, time flexibility, building a network, certificate, recommendations, etc. If you like the client but cannot afford your expected payment, try to contemplate before rejecting the offer.
By building connections, sustaining your rates, and allocating your negotiating force rightly, you can find the freedom you endeavor as a freelancer while developing a pipeline of worthwhile work. Never shy away from negotiating. However, never come across as too selfish or adamant. You must know that the clients are well aware that you will be negotiating, but an intelligent negotiation is always profitable. No one is going to criticize you just because you negotiated. Take a step and put forth what’s your worth.
For more such informative blogs, do not forget to follow us on all our social media handles. We are a marketing agency that can help you build your brands like no one else. Connect with us anytime to get the best services you can ever expect.
Check out our other blogs and social media accounts too!
