A little negotiation hack I tried...

Happy Tuesday, freelance friends!

I love learning from other freelancers - that’s actually my main reason behind writing this newsletter every week. There’s no degree or certification to fully prepare you to learn how to write quality content for clients OR run a successful solo business.

The only way we can expedite the learning curve is to share with each other. So I thought I’d share a little negotiation trick I saw a writer post on LinkedIn a while back (I think it was Jessica Walrack - it was a while ago).

Anyway, you’ve probably seen the style of post: a freelancer’s checklist of required client attributes in order to do business together. And one was a minimum number of projects each month.

Why? It’s time consuming to manage a client, whether it’s learning a new style guides or sending out a teeny tiny invoice each month. And I have definitely said no to potential clients who only want one short piece a month.

But I hadn’t really said, “Here’s a minimum I require” while on a discovery call.

Until last week.💡

A prospect had reached out to me after seeing my work on the inter webs and wanted some content for her company. My schedule is pretty packed these days, so on the call I dropped a higher rate and a four-blog post minimum each month.

The outcome? I sent a formal statement of work and contract after the call for her to review with her business partner. I plan to follow up today and hope for a green light. Either way, I’m happy to keep flexing my self-advocacy muscle and try out new techniques while talking to leads.

How about you? Have you tried anything new when negotiating with prospects lately?

All the best,

Lauren

PS: Considering switching from a sole prop to an LLC taxed as an S corp this year? I used Collective for my formation and still use them for bookkeeping and taxes. Try them out for one month free with my referral code: LW1997.

This newsletter may contain affiliate links, and I may receive a commission if you click through and make a purchase. This helps support the content I create. Thank you for your support!