Secret #3: If You Ask for What You Want in the Right Way, You Can Usually Get It!

Good negotiating skills lead to good clients who pay well and on time.

“You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take,” states the famous hockey player, Wayne Gretzky. And this is the perfect quote to reveal my third secret about running your own copywriting business:

If you ask for what you want in the right way, you usually can get it!

Good negotiation skills will skyrocket your copywriting business. Why? When you ask for what you want and negotiate correctly, you can work with good clients who pay well and on time. Plus, you can set up your copywriting business exactly how it works best for you.

But Melanie …

“I’m new and scared to ask for higher fees.”

“I don’t know what to ask for or when.”

“What if the client turns me down?”

Well, let’s start by being a little more positive.

The word negotiation might make your heart race and your stress levels soar, but you really don’t need to worry about it.

Why?

It’s not as difficult or scary as you might think. In fact, it’s a matter of learning these …

3 Ways to Make Negotiation Work for You.

1. Know what you want.

   Once you have the skills to run a copywriting business, know what you want to accomplish in the next year, the kinds of clients you want to work with, how much you want to be paid for certain projects, and more. Write this information down and stick to it.

   Yes, this might seem simple, but it can be tempting to ask for a smaller fee or to not pursue a specific client due to insecurity. If you place your goals where you can see them each day (on your phone, computer, refrigerator, etc.), you’ll remember what you want to accomplish and build confidence over time.

   Hey, other people do this all the time, why can’t you?!

2. Check your ego at the door.

   The most important way to run a successful copywriting business (or any business for that matter), is to provide excellent service and results to your customers. And the best way to do that is to listen to their needs and provide solutions that exceed their expectations as quickly as possible.

   Give your client your undivided attention and only provide your professional opinions, feedback, and suggestions when it is appropriate. While you might not like to have others criticize and correct your copy, remember, this is not about you.

   It’s about providing unique value to your customers and making them happy. (And you’ll be happy when you get your humongous paycheck!)

   And this brings me to the next important point …

3. Be likeable.

   People want to work with others who are easy to get along with, listen well, provide solutions, and have a positive attitude. If you project an aura of professionalism and credibility, your customers will feel more confident in your services and be more likely to listen to what you have to offer.

And once you have your foot in the door with your personality, experience, and credibility, you can move to the next step of negotiating — setting projects and fees.

Now before you talk to a client, do your homework. Know their business and industry. Prepare specifics on how you will provide unique solutions to give them a competitive edge, tentative results, time frames, and more.

After all, you can’t just ask for higher fees without letting your potential client know what’s in it for them.

Another tip is to prepare alternative offers so you can start a client with a smaller project or a paying, “test” assignment. Then, you’ll be ready to work with a potential new client in different ways if they are not keen on your initial offer.

And if the people you speak with just don’t have the funds to pay your fees and turn you down, big deal. Move on and look for other clients. There are many out there, and you’ll learn over time to gain strength from every “no” that you hear!

Learn from Experience.

Starting your own copywriting business can be very stressful, and negotiation is one of the keys to success. If you have the right skills and know how to communicate with people, you will do well.

Yes, it takes time to learn how to negotiate, and you will get rejected numerous times. But this is all part of the process of growing and owning a business.

And let’s say you try really hard to get new clients for several months, and things are just not moving forward. You feel timid, get tongue-tied, and just have a difficult time talking to potential clients and securing new business. If this is the case, owning your own business might not be the right thing for you.

But don’t despair! There are plenty of good companies looking for full- and part-time copywriters like you!

And whether you pursue your own business or become an employee, copywriting has many benefits to offer. You only need to figure out what you want and go for it!

Now, what are you going to do today to further your copywriting career?

Shhh … I reveal the final secret in this series next …