I am pretty sure that I am the world’s worst negotiator. I was once on the phone with a potential client and ended up reducing my rates by $200 during the call on a small project. When I hung up the phone my son (who was seven at the time) asked me why I was worth $200 less at the end of the call than the beginning. Ouch.

I wish I could say that was my lowest point. But I would have to say that the time a told a client that he was paying me too much money and argued for a lower rate would probably take the cake.

Unless you count the time that I told a client that I didn’t care what they paid me because I really wanted to take the project and was going to take it no matter what he paid me.

Yes, as much as I wish I could say these were fictional examples, they are totally true. Interestingly enough, both of these clients then upped their offer and paid me very well. I am positive it was because what I said came from an authentic place. But even so,  I would definitely not recommend any of these as negotiating strategies.

A few years ago, one of my New Year’s resolutions was to become a better negotiator. I wish I could say that I’ve turned into a fantastic negotiator, but that would be a lie. I have become a better negotiator, though. It will never be my biggest strength and I’ve learned to accept this.

Here are a few tips that have worked for me:

• Try to get the client to name a price first. This is the best way to make sure that you are not underpricing yourself. When someone asks my rate, I always respond with “Do you already have a budget in mind?” I find this to be more effective than asking the rate and have pretty good success getting the client to bite first.
• Quote a slightly higher price than what feels comfortable. Odds are good, that your first instinct is too low. You can always reduce your rates, but you can’t increase them. One of the worst feelings is when a client accepts your rates immediately and you know you undersold yourself.
• Ask another writer for their opinion before quoting the client. Getting another writer’s input often gives me the confidence to increase my rate. I recently ran a quote by another writer and she told me I that I should be charging double what I was proposing. And she was right – the client responded back with “Works great for us” within seven minutes, which means I should have quoted even higher.
• Do not quote a price on the phone. I am a terrible negotiator over the phone. But I am much bolder if I get off the phone, think about it and then email the client. I almost always undercut my rates on the phone, but I feel more confident asking for higher rates via email. If the client tries to negotiate over the phone, I simply tell them that I need to think about them and will get back with them in email. Actually that’s not totally true – I usually mention that I’m the world’s worst negotiator and I would be broke if I negotiated over the phone (see the last bullet for the reason I admit this embarrassing fact).
• Be willing to walk away. It’s hard to do, but you won’t make a high income until you are willing to say no. I am usually very honest and say that this rate doesn’t meet my business goals, but to keep me in mind for higher paying projects.
• Don’t worry about losing a potential client by quoting to high. I hear this concern all the time. Honestly, if your quote is slightly higher than what a client expects or can afford, they will negotiate with you. No client is going to walk away from a writer that is a perfect match because they quoted $100 too much – they will counteroffer.  If your rate is much higher than their budget, then they were not a good fit for you because you were too far apart. And it was never going to be a match. Every time I’ve taken a low paying client, it hasn’t been a great experience because I have feeling of resentment from the start. Quote what you are worth. The clients who need your specialized skills and experience will be willing to pay.
• Be authentic. If you only take one thing away from this post, I hope it is this point. My income increased dramatically as soon as I started letting my personality shine through every time I interacted with a client. I really think this is a key to negotiating as well as landing a client because a client isn’t just hiring your writing skills, but they are hiring you – your work ethic, your ability to communicate, your ideas, and your ability to be a team player. The more that they know about you and realized that you are the perfect writer for their project, the higher rate they will be willing to pay. And that is the entire goal of negotiating.

What are your best tips for negotiating? What is your worst negotiating mistake? I can’t be the only one with embarrassing stories :>)