Accept Job Offer Sample

How to Stop Leaving Money on the Table and Get Paid Your Worth - Every Time! by Chris Marlow

In this Special Report you'll learn how to negotiate more effectively so you can add hundreds of dollars - or even thousands - to your income this year.

Most freelancers hate to negotiate. Some are even so bad at the money end that they don't invoice, leaving the paper trail up to the client. (My favorite Webmaster is one; he won't invoice me, so I have to do it for him!)

Because dealing with money is such an important part of freelancing, this Report focuses on the art of successful negotiation. Believe it or not, most clients don't want to get a "great deal" at your expense; they simply want an agreement that's fair to both parties. Because when both parties feel there's a fair exchange, it opens the door to a continued and mutually profitable relationship.

So if you've kicked yourself in the past for coming in way too low on price...if you've hated a job you'd have enjoyed if only you were paid more...then print this article and keep it handy for your next negotiation. By understanding how the freelance negotiation process is supposed to work, and by effectively playing the part you're supposed to play, you can literally add hundreds of dollars each month to your bottom line.

THE FIRST RULE OF FREELANCE NEGOTIATION

I'm convinced that the foundation of a good business relationship rests on fairness and integrity. By starting from a place of honesty and fairness, you can spend your energy on arriving at an agreement rather than trying to be the winner, as some misguided "old school" negotiators do.

That said, let's get to the details of how you can become a good (or even better than you already are) negotiator.

ESTABLISHING YOUR "BASELINE"

Have you ever felt bewildered in the initial phase of a negotiation because you didn't know where to start? The problem may be that you don't really know how much time it takes you to complete a particular type of job...and that makes you unsure about what to charge.

In an advertising agency, filling out your timesheet is an every day occurrence, so getting adept at estimating jobs is a fairly quick process.

When I left the agency and went freelance, however, I wanted to get estimating down to a science. My friend, master designer Steve Colich, told me about StopWatch, an inexpensive timesheet software. So I bought it.

Using StopWatch helped me keep track of my time and gave me a huge advantage (and loads of confidence) when it came time to submit a bid. Knowing how much time it will take you to do a job is the strongest negotiating "tool" you can have in your freelancer's bargaining kit.

PHASE 1 OF YOUR NEGOTIATION:
PREPARATION

Assuming you have a pretty good idea of how much time a particular project should take, your next job is to size up your potential client, and consider your current situation as well.

Factors that will determine what you ultimately ask for include:

Is the client a mid-size or large company that's used to paying professional rates? Or is it a small, local Mom & Pop stretching finances to get a simple brochure?

If you want to work with the Mom & Pop shop, you'll need to take their tiny budget into consideration. Conversely, if you're providing copy for a large company that's mailing fifty-thousand, five-hundred-thousand, or a million pieces...then obviously you shouldn't be paid peanuts for your work and expertise.

Are you new at copywriting and trying to build a portfolio? It may be more important to add a sample to your portfolio than to get top dollar.

What's the economy like for your client's industry? If it's been a tough year, you may be viewed as insensitive if your rates don't accommodate tighter budgets. Not surprisingly, some technology writers have reported a depressed market over 2003. I'm betting that they, like me, looked for ways to service their technology clients at a lower cost.

What is the client's actual budget? Because talking about money intimidates most freelancers, many don't ask what the budget is. But as copywriting guru Bob Bly points out, if you ask what the budget is, many times the client will tell you. Now all you have to do is consider how long it will take you to do the work, and submit your bid within the budget's range (if it is indeed, a reasonable budget).

How badly do you need the job? If you really need the job, then you're at a serious disadvantage in the negotiation process. It's tough to deal with the tension, and very tempting to come in low on price in order to get the job...and some anxiety relief.

The problem is, once you've done a job on the cheap, your client will expect the same price again. If you're faced with a situation where you really want the job, try to strike a deal where you do the first job at a discount, but all subsequent jobs are at "market rate." Position yourself as giving a one-time discount, and - this is important - get it in writing.

This may seem like a lot to do in the "preparation" phase, but there's still a few more things you should know, such as...

Determine what you'd like to get for the job, know what the absolute minimum is that you would accept happily, and determine the price you want to start with.

In our culture (an in many others), the purchaser assumes the seller will start high so there's room for the customary bargaining. You have an expected role to play, and if you err in the first round by coming in too low, you have nowhere to go but down, potentially putting yourself between a rock and a hard place if your client is a strong negotiator.

Know what you're worth and be prepared to defend your position. Recently the CEO of an Australian software company balked at my hourly rate for Americanizing their marketing materials. He felt he was very knowledgeable about the price of writing because he was also the CEO of a worldwide language localization and translation company.

In order to appease him I reduced my hourly rate by $25 per hour. But it was still much higher than the figure he threw out. So I explained that because I'm a direct response copywriter, his materials will become much more powerful, with new headlines and captions whereever I find room for improvement.

I explained that the work I would give him was worth more because he was getting much more than just editing and Americanizing. And to make the difference "real" to him I offered to farm the work out to another writer, for a lower rate. He quickly agreed to my rate, and we both felt good about the outcome.

PHASE 2 OF YOUR NEGOTIATION:
THE DANCE BEGINS

At some point the potential new client is going to bring up the subject of price. If not in the first conversation, surely in the second.

If you're not careful, you can make a fatal mistake at this point. Loosely throwing out a ballpark figure can come back to bite you if you don't have a real handle on the amount of work to be done. I've made this mistake and I'm sure thousands of other freelancers have too.

The best way to handle a premature discussion of money issues is to have a few stock phrases tucked away in your back pocket. With the right words you can push the subject out until you have more time to study the requirements - and determine your role - in the project.

For instance, will you be expected to fill out a Project Brief, or will the client handle that necessity?

Will you handle creative direction, or just hand in the copy?

Is there a huge learning curve on the product? Does your client want high-level concepts or just a teaser on the envelope? Who is going to hire the designer, you or the client?

Making assumptions at this stage of the game can cost you money. You want a clear picture of the job before you start throwing out numbers.

When I want to avoid stating a dollar figure or a price range, I have a few stock phrases that work well for me. One is, "I'm not the cheapest, but I'm also not the most expensive"...and then I follow that statement with benefits I bring to that particular client.

Another statement that buys me time is, "Whatever your budget is, I'm sure we can find something that works for both of us." This reassures the client and the conversation usually moves on to another topic.

It's at this stage of the negotiation that you'll spend time "getting your arms around" the project. It pays to take your time and really think it through. By being very specific about the scope of the job, you get clear on what it is you have to do and how much you should charge. Collecting detail also helps you sell the client on your price by showing them visually, on paper, what you'll be doing for them.

For instance, consider a Fee Agreement that says "$4,000 for one lead-generation package." That's pretty naked and the price can seem high.

Now consider a Fee Agreement that says "$4,000 for one lead-generation package consisting of 3 concepts with rationales, one 6 x 9 envelope, one 2-page letter, one standard brochure, one 8-1/2 x 11 order form, and offer development." Both approaches take the same amount of work, but the second approach offers a realistic picture of what the job entails...and also clarifies expectations on both sides.

THE WAITING GAME

Once you've submitted your fee (I always do so in a formal Fee Agreement that includes contractual terms), there's often a period of silence while the client considers your offer. The bigger the project, and the higher the fee, the longer it can take to get feedback.

This is where the freelancer can go a little crazy, wondering "Did I ask for too much?"..."What's wrong? Did they decide not to do it?"...and "I blew it. They hate me. I'm dead."

Rarely is there a problem, outside of the fact that the client is taking their time. After all, you're asking them to sign a contract.

My personal threshold for waiting lasts about three working days. If I haven't heard back, I send an email asking if they received the Fee Agreement. In fact, this happened recently.

A client I've been trying to land for two months had not responded to my submitted Fee Agreement. Because of the volume of work, the Agreement ran three pages (remember, be specific!).

Three days later I sent an email asking if he'd received it. It turned out he'd been sick, and he hadn't even looked at it yet.

A day later he sent requests for a few changes that bothered me. I expressed concern and we set up time for a phone meeting. In the end, he gave a little and I gave a little, and the Fee Agreement got signed.

While this negotiation took nearly one month to complete, most take only a matter of days. The important thing to remember is to have patience when you're negotiating with a potential new client.

With a well paced, thoughtfully considered negotiation, where both parties feel their interests have been served, you have the foundation for building a lasting - and profitable - client relationship.

Master copywriter and coach Chris Marlow publishes a free ezine for copywriters who want to quickly build a profitable business. Visit:

Article Source: http://www.earticlesonline.com/Article/How-to-Stop-Leaving-Money-on-the-Table-and-Get-Paid-Your-Worth---Every-Time-/104430

How to Accept a Job Offer

Hiring A Freelance Programmer Is An Asset To Your Business

A great idea for a software program can strike anytime, and if that happens you have to hire a freelance programmer unless you can do it yourself. The truth is - if you just walk into it blindly, then you are risking a lot including paying more than you have to. The whole hiring process will become a lot more easier when you are clear about it before you go out there looking for someone who can do the job. The purpose of this article is to help you learn about the various factors that you should remember when choosing a freelance programmer. When you really think about it, Passive Profit Portals is something that can have a tremendous impact depending on the situation. This is understandable and natural, and it is not something that only affects you. It is not hard to learn more about this, and you can potentially save yourself some hassles by doing so. You will have the ability to make the best judgements when you are confident you have all you need to know. We know you want to choose what is right and best, and to that end we gladly give you some excellent guidelines concerning the subject.

We all have heard the expression about getting what you pay for, and that is equally true for hiring programmers. If you pay for genuine quality, then you will not be unhappy. The net has opened up the entire world to us, so you just have to be careful about who you hire. While this may not seem like a bad option when you talk about it moneywise, it's definitely not the right thing to do if your aim is to go for quality. Let's face it; if you're even getting a simple script written for you, your goal is not short term, but more on the long term. So why bring down the quality of the result by hiring someone who is cheap and fails to give you the kind of work you're looking for? No matter what, we all do the best we can when choosing anything, and that is pretty much all there is to that. The give and take that occurs with accurate and timely information will be instrumental to your product being as good as it can be. You have to give your feedback on his approach and everything else so that you can get the most out of it. One thing you do not want to do is communicate so much that it starts to interfere with anything. Any project is a concerted effort by all to ensure success which is of course the goal for everybody involved. Remember that you may really like this person's work, so be sure to keep in mind you may want to continue working with this person. Also, you know - your programmer will naturally want to work with you again as well. What have just discussed is crucial for your knowledge about Lazy Affiliate Riches, but there is a lot more to think about. But there is a great deal more that you would do well to study. They will serve you well, however, in more ways than you realize. However, we always emphasize that anyone takes a closer examination at the general big picture as it applies to this subject. We are not done, and there are just a couple of very strong recommendations and tips for you.

It is difficult to assess the personal qualities when you are hiring online, so you have to do the best you can. Your coder should work out the logic behind anything and put it in to practice, which will ultimately show in his work. Try to marry the person's previous accomplishments on the same scale of what your needs are. So take a close assessment of what is necessary, and then cautiously choose the correct Affiliate Rainmaker points and information that is applicable.

There has never been a better time to locate so many potential freelance candidates. Sometimes people make the wrong call and hire the wrong person - but that happens in real life, too.

The Number Of Affiliate On Line Checks Will You Prefer To Receive?

Buying And Selling Residences Inside A Well-balanced Market Place

Over the last several years most sellers and buyers have addressed either a purchaser's or seller's marketplace. A purchaser's marketplace is what the marketplace is called when there are actually much more sellers when compared with purchasers, therefore the listings take longer to sell and purchasers can truly shop around until they uncover specifically what they have been searching for. A seller's marketplace happens any time there are actually couple of homes available for sale and buyers have plenty of competition for homes. For the first time in a long time, the marketplace is shifting toward a well balanced marketplace, where it favors neither purchasers nor sellers. When the marketplace is much more well balanced buyers or sellers have to reach the buying and selling of real estate property a bit differently.

Fantastic Ideas for the people Buying and Marketing in a Well-balanced Marketplace

More often than not, those which are selling their residence can afford to buy a new home before they sell their old residence. In a well balanced marketplace this can be a quite dangerous move since you might have the ability to uncover a residence that you like before you might be able to sell your residence. A well balanced marketplace often causes homes to sit available on the market for a bit longer, so you must be positive that you can afford to have the residence sit available on the market for a couple of months before it sells. When the marketplace is well balanced you also can't count on the selling price of your residence, so purchasing a new residence before you sell can leave you in a poor position should you do not have financial savings to fall back on.

On that note, it's vital not to rely on a particular selling price in a well balanced marketplace. Due to the fact homes occasionally take a bit longer to sell, it's vital to be open in regards to the selling price of your home should you would like it to sell. Buyers are often more picky, so you might need to drop the price of your residence should you want it to sell promptly. If you count on the selling price of your first home if you purchase your second, you could wind up in some serious trouble. For this reason, it is often very best to postpone purchasing a new residence until you sell your current home.

Another option if you can sell and looking to buy at the same time is make a new purchase contingent on the first home selling. This may be a precarious move, but if your give is good numerous sellers will accept the conditions of your offer. Your own Realtor can write up the give so that you've 6 months to sell your home before you close on the new home. This will permit you some time to attempt to sell your current home before you officially get in too deep with a new residence. Once more, it's hazardous to put this into your offer, nevertheless in case you are mindful it can work to suit your needs.

The Harsh Truth

The end result is that in a well balanced marketplace it is hazardous to buy before you sell. According to your particular marketplace it will take several weeks to a year to sell a home, so it's ideal to wait it out. A fantastic tactic that numerous folks use in a well balanced marketplace is to sell your current home first. This will provide you with a lot of time to choose what kind of home you need, so that you aren't rushing by means of the home selection procedure. Once your home sells you can know specifically what you need and you could go for it. If it occurs that your home sells really promptly inside the well balanced marketplace, that's okay! An interim rental will cost you quite little and will permit you to sell and get out of your first home, but continue to keep looking for that excellent home to obtain. You might also know specifically how much money you must place into your new home should you sell first, so you could purchase a new home with full confidence.

Another option is to sell your home, but permit 30 and even 60 days to close on it so you could take that time to either uncover a good rental or uncover something to buy without having rushing. Long closes are often best for all parties, so do not be afraid to inquire about a long close to provide you with and all your family members time for you to choose where you might be going from here. This is true regardless of whether you are working with Manhattan real estate property or possibly Pierce County Washington real estate.

Selling first just makes essentially the most sense. Due to the fact you do not know how long your home will need to sell in a well balanced marketplace and you can't ascertain how much it'll sell for, it is just the most secure approach to take. For anyone who is a risk taker, than you do not need to follow this path, but many people uncover that the sell first school of thought works much better inside the well balanced marketplace.


Accept Job Offer Sample

Accept Job Offer Sample