Happy Tuesday! Let's get the week going with an advice post shall we? Today I want to open up the backstage conversation on some basic principles of negotiation aka how to negotiate. Over the years, I've definitely been a victim to selling myself short one too many times. Negotiating is a big part of what I do, but all blogging aside it's in everything we do. It could be anything from disputing a monthly cell phone bill, asking your boss for a raise, haggling in street markets to paying off school loans and credit card debt.....The list goes on! The common denominator for all things requiring negotiation is the fact that no one wants to be taken advantage of. The breaking point for me was when I realized my value. I hope you will leave this post feeling an increase in yours!
A negotiation is a series of exchanges, where one person offers a proposal and the other person counter-proposes.
Tip 1: Overcome the Fear of Confrontation
If you hate confrontation (I mean seriously who actually enjoys it!?), the best advice I can give you in overcoming it is to let go of fear. This is so important if you want to negotiate for yourself. The reason so many people (including myself) have struggled with confrontation is because it takes us out of our comfort zone. I've learned time and time again that avoiding confrontation is like ignoring a disease. Picture fear as the virus that keeps spreading like wildfire the more you ignore it. Regardless of "what the other person is going to think/say" or the outcome, the more you confront your issues the better you will be at selling yourself and overcoming fear.
Tip 2: Know Your Worth
Never give away without getting something in return. If you give something away "for free," you're basically telling the other person that your business model is a charity case. Just being real! At the same time, you don't want to act like you're Beyonce and that you run the world. The truth is, negotiating is a two-way street. A good business man or woman doesn't forget the other side. Keep in mind what's in it for them but don't sell yourself short. When I was blogging in the beginning of my career I knew a lot of work needed to be done before I could make this thing a full-time job. I worked on countless projects and pitched ideas to brands for trade (ie. the brand gifts me an item and sometimes one to giveaway) to build my blog and readership. In other words, monetary value wasn't the initial goal for building a successful blog. However, working for trade didn't necessarily mean that I was doing it for free. I still got something very valuable out of every trade deal. This ultimately put me in the best bargaining position. Check mate! I love this quote I found, "Smart bargainers will smell blood and swarm you like sharks in water."
Tip 3: Structure a Proposal
Your proposals are what you offer to the other person. The structure of your proposals will help you better negotiate and will need to be tweaked case by case. In terms of money, walk into the conversation with a mental note of the cheapest price you will accept in the deal. In non-financial terms, this is the "worst-case scenario" you are willing to accept before walking away from the negotiating table. This can totally save you from accepting a deal that is not in your best interest.
Tip 4: It's Ok to Walk Away
A good negotiator will see that sometimes walking away is a miracle in disguise. I've learned that staying true to myself and what my audience enjoys the most is the key behind running my blog. If ever I'm in a situation where I need to walk away, I'll leave knowing that it was the right decision in the long-run.There are obviously TONS more tips I can share about this topic but I want to hear what you guys think! Sound off and let me know what your thoughts are on the topic and if you have a question you want me to answer below. Feel free to tweet me if that's easier! I hope these tips will help you the next time you're in a situation and need a little pep talk before you want into a negotiation! :)
Cheers!
Random fact about Me: I used to reach out to start-up brands on Etsy to build my content on the blog. I quickly learned they were hungry for press and I was hungry for products to feature!
