02/07/2017
Why I love this guy !
Creatives are the best negotiators I've ever met. Wouldn't you agree?
Before the client has had a chance to respond to a bid or proposal, we've already negotiated. We start to ask ourselves, is this price justifiable? It's probably too much. Let's knock it down. Isn't this really easy? We knock the price down. Why does it need to take so long? We shorten the schedule. There, that should do it. We take one long look over the bid again, take a deep breath, start to feel guilty to charge money for things we love to do, and knock the price down once again. There, that's fair.
It's time to change that mentality. Your goal shouldn't be to start negotiating before you even talk to the client. Stop undervaluing the power of your creativity. It's okay for the client to be somewhat slightly uncomfortable with the price.
Assuming you've acquired the necessary skills, float a price that is a little more than you'd normally ask. Then, just be silent and smile.
Let the client, wrestle with the price in their mind. Is this price justifiable? Maybe I being too cheap? Yeah, I need to find more money to do this. Can I afford this? Can I afford for this to fail? No. I'll find the money. Why does it need to take so long? The creatives are probably going to work really hard on this and give me something spectacular. This will be worth it. I'll find the money.
Stop negotiating against yourself and start to be paid what you're worth. Still not convinced? I'll leave you with this quote. "If my mind can conceive it, my heart believe it, then I can achieve it." Muhammed Ali.
