From Awkward to Awesome: How Negotiation Can Transform Your Freelance Career
Today, I want to talk about a topic that many of us have encountered at some point in our careers: negotiation.
As freelancers and remote workers, we are in a unique position where we are often responsible for negotiating our own rates, contracts, and deadlines.
While negotiation can sometimes seem daunting or uncomfortable, it is a critical skill to have in our arsenal.
First, let’s address the elephant in the room: negotiation can be awkward. Talking about money, deadlines, and expectations with clients can be tricky, especially if you’re new to the game.
But here’s the thing: negotiation doesn’t have to be adversarial. In fact, it should be a collaborative process where both parties feel heard and valued.
When I first started freelancing, I was terrible at negotiating. I often undersell myself and took on projects that didn’t align with my skills or interests simply because I was afraid to push back.
I even once wrote a 1000-word article for #1000. It was that bad!
But as I gained more experience and confidence, I realized that negotiation was crucial to building a successful freelance business.
One thing that has helped me with negotiation is framing it as a conversation rather than a confrontation.
Instead of approaching a client with a list of demands, I ask open-ended questions and listen to their needs and concerns.
By understanding where they’re coming from, I often find a solution that works for both of us.
Of course, there will be times when negotiations doesn’t go as smoothly as we hope. Maybe a client isn’t willing to budge on their budget, or they have a tight deadline that doesn’t work for you.
In these situations, it’s important to know your worth and be willing to walk away if the project isn’t a good fit.
As freelancers, we have the power to choose our clients and projects, and it’s okay to say no if something isn’t right for us.
Now, I know what you’re thinking: “But negotiation is so awkward!” And you’re right — it can be. But that’s where humor can come in handy.
Recently, I was negotiating with a client who was being particularly stubborn about their budget.
I could feel my frustration mounting, so I decided to break the tension by joking, “Well, I guess we could always trade services — I’ll write your website copy if you teach me how to do a backflip.”
While the client didn’t take me up on my offer, it lightened the mood and made the negotiation less stressful.
To round things up, negotiation is an essential skill for freelancers and remote workers to have.
While it can be uncomfortable at times, approaching it as a conversation rather than a confrontation can lead to better outcomes for both parties.
And if all else fails, a little humor never hurts.
As always, I love hearing from you all. Have you had any particularly memorable negotiation experiences (good or bad)? Let me know in the comments!
