Getting clients is one thing, negotiating terms you want is another. For most in the freelance economy, dealmaking is a necessary evil. But learning to negotiate effectively can increase your pay and help grow your business.
According to Inc.com, a few key principles include Listen before your speak, Embrace your fear, Avoid storytelling and Study up. Basically, treat your client like a customer.
"Negotiating: It's two pit bulls locked in a room and one's going to be forced to roll over. Ick. That mentality is not only outdated, but will get you nowhere. That's because, frankly, baring teeth and barking the loudest doesn't have the power it might seem to when bargaining. When dealmaking gets tense, no one ever wants to back down. In Roger Fisher and William Ury's negotiating text, Getting to Yes, the experts suggest that instead of viewing your counterpart as the adversary, you focus instead on the merits of the case and search for ways to acheive reciprocity. The idea is to "attack" the underlying issue, rather than the other negotiator."
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