Are you seeking how to negotiate higher freelance rates? I can assure you of being on the right page for this topic.
It may appear quite difficult to negotiate higher than you used to change as a freelancer, but that doesn’t make it an impossible action to take. And guess what?! With the help of this article (if properly used), you would have more chances of winning when you increase your freelancing rate.
Our tips will not only work for your prospective clients but also for your old clients who may have been used to your age-long rate. Without further mincing words, we shall get started with the topic momentarily. Below are some of the tips to help you have a successful negotiation of your rate as a freelancer.
1. Get Your Clients To Name A Price
A good way to approach a negotiation with a client when you intend to make the rate higher is to seek your client’s opinion of the price. Most of the time we may think we have charged high enough meanwhile the clients we work for have better pay in mind for the job. So to start with this, you can ask your clients questions like what their budget for the job is. If they are willing to tell you their budget for the job, then build your negotiation upon it, if otherwise, still negotiate.
Read Also: What Opportunities Do Investors Have During a Bear Market?
2. Have a fixed price for your work
The question is do you have a minimum price you stick to? It is essential to have a fixed price as a freelancer, for that is the best way to earn higher. On rare occasions should you ever try to go below your rate? So pull yourself together and think of the things that should determine your rate and come up with a minimum. This may though be disadvantageous in cases where your fixed price is more than the budget of your clients. But if properly carried out, this can be helpful.
3. Charge Per Project
Do not cheat yourself by doing whatever will cause confusion in the course of negotiating. In case you have never also paid attention to it: you will have more chances of earning higher when you get paid per completed task.
For instance, if your client (as a writer) wants you to work on 20 keywords, do not be scared to let him know how much one will cost. Some people often make the mistake of not making clear what their rates per project will cost.
Not only is this a way to help you earn higher, but it also has a way of naturally reinforcing you to put more of your time and energy into fulfilling tasks on time – which will get you to do more jobs in a short period. Even if you won’t get the money until you have completed the entire task, make sure you let your clients know that every unit of the work counts.
Read Also: School Bus Insurance Cost
4. Start High
Why should you not think of taking the price high in the first place? Well, for a lot of reasons you may not want to name a high price at first – but it is the best way to approach the matter on the ground. Sometimes, in cases like this, your clients will doubt if they are not been ripped off.
But one thing I would advise freelancers to do is to ensure that they already have good reviews from previous clients before doing something like this. Your recommendations by clients to other clients can be a very good reason your new clients will have no option but to go for your price.
If you also have an idea of what your client is capable of doing, then do not attempt to go all that far, unless you do not mind losing the job. Nonetheless, the advantage of starting high is to put you on the side of enjoying a favorable consideration.
5. Ensure your Clients are Okay with the Price they Agreed on
One mistake most of us don’t pay attention to is this. Everything in life must be with calculations and no wonder some philosophers say life is Maths. Come to think of what your gain will be if you end up getting paid a sizeable amount of money and because of your high rate which will be obvious to the client, you lose your relationship?
Read Also: Top 3 Mobile Loans Apps To Get a Loan in Nigeria Without BVN
It is not fair enough to make it seem to clients that we want to swindle them. This selfish act can result in some other things you wouldn’t appreciate, such as making you lose the job completely.
You never can tell how many graphic designers, how many writers, and how many web developers your client will get to meet soon. If they charge lower than you do, he will most likely give them a try. And if they do better or just as much as you offer your service, what will happen next is obvious.
6. Negotiate Based on Your Client’s Perception of Value
Sometimes when you try to judge what you will charge based on your perception of what value is then you may be getting it all wrong, because you will not be the person to pay yourself for what you did, after all.
A person may value him or herself too low because he or she has been used to seeing what he/she does. You never can tell if you will be charging lower than the perception of your client. On the other hand, it may be higher than your client’s perception. That is one reason you need to understand what your client values your service to be.
With how much regard did he take your service?
Put all of these simple things into consideration when negotiating higher rates with your clients.
Read Also: Inflation Adds to Financial Stress This Year — But Should it Change How You Invest?
CONCLUSION
Meanwhile, the skill of negotiating seems to be part and parcel of our job as freelancers, many a time we take it with levity hands. I am convinced you would be able to negotiate higher freelance rates with your clients based on the knowledge you have acquired on this page. If that is true, let us know in the comment below.
