Tips for Negotiating Salaries for Freelancers

Asking for an increase in pay can be uncomfortable for most, if not a risky call. But it is part of the business norm and that makes it alright to be discussed. If you want to be a successful freelancer (financially), then negotiating your price is essential to your growth. As you gain experience through the years you become better in performing your job, what is stopping you from reflecting such service improvement on your freelance rate? 

So, how to tell your clients you’re raising your prices? We’ve listed down three ways that will prepare you for that awkward conversation to negotiate your salary as a freelancer!
  1. Start with a strong offer and decide on the raise strategy – if you state a high rate this would most likely have your prospect client negotiate a decrease. When that happens, you can meet halfway without compromising the pay you want to receive and the quality your client would want to expect. It is also advisable to head up your clients about your rates beforehand so they would be aware that you have a certain rule to follow. 
  1. Back it up with facts – your rate should be reasonable. Negotiating an increase would have your clients questioning the reasons behind such a decision. It is important that you have a list of measurable arguments to back up your point. You can analyse your improvement based on the clients you helped. If you accepted a project that is related to generating organic website traffic, then figure out how many people are able to access the site in comparison to a year ago. Stats like that will underline not only your current value to the client, but also imply a promising growth.  
  1. Be prepared to part ways – you already discussed your points professionally however, you cannot avoid losing clients because they cannot meet your rates. This is the time when you should be ready to bid goodbye. Now, remember that you wanted to have an increase so you opt to negotiate your pay in exchange for a high-quality output. Hence, if that is the motivation then you should not fear losing clients. Sometimes, things won’t work out. But a lot of the time they will. And it’s worth the risk, especially considering that the alternative is getting underpaid for years on end.

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