Simply muttering the word “negotiation” can strike fear into many bloggers and marketers. Negotiation may even evoke as much fear, anxiety, and stress as public speaking.

“Fear in negotiations arises in a variety cmb directory  of circumstances,” the authors of Emotions in Negotiation explain. “If we face an aggressive opponent, if we bargain without adequate preparation, if we sense that our opponent has superior bargaining power, if we feel insecure about our ability as a negotiator, we may experience moderate to extreme levels of fear.”

However, bloggers and marketers need negotiation skills as much as they do their creative process. So how can something so simple as an agreement between two parties be so daunting?

Whether negotiating million dollar contracts or simply negotiating who will do the dishes, negotiation skills are used in nearly every aspect of life. Bloggers and marketers that embrace negotiation, honing those vital skills, will certainly reach new levels of success.

Reasons Bloggers and Marketers Need Negotiation Skills

Developing the right strategy and employing key skills can certainly make you a savvy negotiator. Negotiation skills can be applied in almost any situation bloggers and marketers face.

Bloggers and marketers negotiate a variety of things, especially when it comes to the allocation of resources like budget, time, and staff. Negotiation skills are also crucial for cultivating client, sponsor, and vendor relationships as well.

Bloggers and marketers need to employ the art of negotiation when . . .

• Discussing salary.
• Pitching new ideas.
• Hashing out co-marketing agreements.
• Allocating budget.
• Directing staff.
• Dealing with vendors.
• Closing deals with clients.
• Hiring new team members.
• Landing sponsors.
• Recruiting influencers.
• Recruiting new clients.
• Leveraging content strategies.
• Building relationships with other creative types.
• Managing projects.

You need to be ready to negotiate at the drop of a hat, because you never know when a client may call to discuss contract terms. Or when an important project will begin to unravel.

And being a savvy negotiator means being a leader, according to Harvard Business Review. “To persuade people to follow your lead, you need to appeal to their interests, communicate with them effectively, and sell your vision—all of which are part of effective negotiation.” Be a leader.

Leaders Know the Value of Negotiation Skills

Bloggers and marketers are leaders. They lead and command a team of creative people, lead business in a profitable direction, and lead clients to success.

Leaders know the value of negotiation skills, because without one, you simply can’t have the other. As a savvy negotiator, you can leverage the best deal for the win-win, and keep your team employed.

The value of negotiation allows you to . . .

• Develop meaningful relationships. One of the most essential negotiation skills is active listening. Honing this invaluable skill puts your negotiating partners at ease.
• Build confidence at the negotiation table. Clients can smell desperation, especially if they know how big they are in a particular industry. However, maintaining your creative value during negotiations is a must to keep the lights on.
• Gain the upper hand. Gaining the upper updated 2024 mobile phone number data hand is still about the win-win. Bloggers and marketers need to intertwine client needs with their interests as a business.
• Define your client’s BATNA. This lets you create a strategic plan that incorporates your services, your client’s needs, and your competitors’ abilities.

Identifying Client BATNA is Essential to Your Negotiation Strategy

Identifying client BATNA is essential for bloggers and marketers prior to sitting at the negotiation table. BATNA, or Best Alternative To a Negotiated Agreement, is the X-factor in negotiations.

BATNA is the key element that determines your negotiation power. It is the point when your client either signs on the dotted line, or walks away from the negotiation.

It is simply all about the alternatives your client has at the moment of negotiation. Identifying client BATNA is also beneficial during contract renegotiation, or if a client is asking for deliverables out of scope.

Here are a few quick BATNA questions to ask prior to client negotiations:

• What is the client’s alternative if they decline to sign?
• Will they miss their project deadlines?
• Does the client have the time and money to find another blogger or marketer?
• Will the client find better value for the budget you proposed?
• Can you compromise to move the agreement forward?
• What is your BATNA?

Bloggers and marketers need to identify their BATNA as well. This allows you to know when to walk away from a negotiation that simply isn’t profitable or manageable. Now, let’s get to specifics.

1. Negotiation Mantra: “I am the Best Option”

You did your research and you know that your negotiation partner will certainly benefit from your services. There is no need to make lesser concessions, because they need you. It may simply be a confidence issue.

Bloggers and marketers who touch on value during this critical negotiation moment are often more successful. Reassure the client that you understand their marketing challenges, and offer competitor comparison to seal the deal.

2. Set Big Goals and You Will Achieve Them

Bloggers and marketers who set big  goals job prospects for building engineering will achieving them at the negotiation table. If you know the value of your services, and have identified your client’s BANTA, success will follow.

In fact, when negotiators set challenging goals, they close bigger deals, according to research conducted by Deborah Zetik and Alice Stuhlmacher of DePaul University.