Keep Calm and Negotiate

By Tricia Barendregt

When does the negotiating process start? At Careers Over Coffee North on July 10, we learned that negotiating starts a lot earlier than you would think. Marc Miller from Career Pivot shared his negotiation advice for both job seekers and freelancers.

What do YOU want? Marc began by walking us through the negotiation process by advising we should create a Mission and Purpose Statement before our job search. Ask yourself: 1) Why am I looking for a job? 2) What do I want in terms of working environment, team, boss, etc.? Then narrow down positions that don’t meet your criteria.

Be a pest! Focus on what you can control and let go of what you can’t. What can you control? Marc explained in his “no-nonsense” style that we shouldn’t worry about being a pest. Contact potential employers frequently so that you remain top of mind.

QUESTIONS – your most powerful tool! Marc encouraged us to ask a lot of open-ended questions in a nurturing way. If you get them to spill the beans on their problems, then you can position yourself as the “fixer” and explain how you can solve them. Find out who the decision maker is and pitch to them.

Pivot. You’re going to encounter questions you don’t want to answer. For example: the dreaded “What’s your salary?” question. Marc recommends that we learn how to reverse and respond to this question with “What’s the budget for the position?” If you must answer – instead of giving a range, give a high number in your range and negotiate from there.

Receiving the offer:

1. Look at non-financials first.
2. EVERYTHING is negotiable. The worst thing they could say is no.
3. If you want more money, don’t give a number! Simply ask, “Can you sweeten the deal?” They may be able to provide signing bonus or stock options.

Negotiation Tips for Freelancers:

A good number of freelancers were able to join us and share their opinion on how to negotiate with clients. Here are some good tips that were shared:

• When a client asks, “What is your rate?” Ask the client what they have budgeted. Then tell them what they can get for their budget.
• Focus on what YOU want – not what the client wants.
• What should I do if the client says, “My rate is too high”? Ask if you’re offering something that they don’t need.
• Understand the sales model that you’re going to use. Marc recommends using a consultative sales model. Read “Getting Naked” by Patrick Lencioni for more on this model.

Other good pointers to keep in mind:

• Keep Calm and Negotiate. Marc maintains that we should manage our emotions throughout the negotiating process. Don’t let yourself get too excited about a job opportunity. You don’t want to appear overeager or get your hopes up. At the same time, don’t get too upset if you get passed up for the position.
• Don’t Assume. Assumptions can be dangerous. For example: Don’t assume if and when you will get benefits. Ask questions so that you can be prepared.
• Decide your budget. Your budget doesn’t just include money. How much are you going to emotionally invest in this job? How hard are you going to work for this job or client?
• Know your value. Figure out how much you want or need.
• Do your homework. You can find non-profit salaries and budgets online. Ask around and contact previous employees.
• Stand up for yourself while still being a nice person.

For more info on Marc Miller, visit Career Pivot’s website at http://careerpivot.com. Check out Career Pivot’s blog at http://careerpivot.com/blog. For Marc’s blog series on negotiation visit: http://careerpivot.com/tag/negotiator.

We had a great group of ladies attend and ask good questions. Thank you to Marc Miller for providing the valuable advice. Also, we appreciate the ladies who braved the 8 a.m. traffic to share and connect.

Join us for our next Careers Over Coffee North on Friday, August 14 for a discussion on how to use Improv techniques to benefit your business/career.  Stay tuned for more info!

Careers Over Coffee North meets at Mimi’s Café, 10515 N. Mopac Expy NB #O (on the south end of The Shops at Arbor Walk).