In a recent post, I noted how beginning to ask for more money was the one thing that practically changed my business overnight. I also mentioned how it’s not always easy to start working on the process you know you have to accomplish.
This time, I’m going to explain how to position yourself to ask for more money. The reality is there are some things to take into consideration and there are some preparations you can do before you begin to ask for more.
Consider your expertise.
If you want to ask for more money and get it, you need to position yourself as an expert. Note, this may mean branding yourself as an expert, too.
What do I mean by this? It means you need to have your own content where you show people your expertise. It means you may need to do some upgrades to your online branding to represent your professionalism. Finally, it means you need to own how good you are at what you do.
Start getting some publicity.
One of the reasons I can ask for more money and get it is because my work has been featured in major outlets. Not only have I been quoted in magazines, I’ve also been interviewed on podcasts and even write columns for major websites in my field.
As soon as I mention this in my client pitch, I get an immediate response. In fact, I barely even have to negotiate anymore because I usually get a “Yes!” right away.
The good news is it’s easier than ever to start getting more publicity for yourself. Between Help a Reporter Out and blogs within your niche, there’s no shortage of opportunity for PR.
One of my colleagues who specializes in PR teaches business owners to give it at least six months before you start seeing some real traction. After that, it’s like a snowball effect where you keep getting media requests because you’ve been featured in other places.
Consider learning about the psychology of sales and negotiation.
One of the things that helped me ask for more money and get it was to understand how sales and negotiating actually work. I read just about every sales book I could get my hands on and then began practicing their principles with every chance I had.
Here are just some of the things you may want to consider learning about when it comes to sales and negotiation:
- How to deal with objections like, “I can’t afford it.”
- How to conduct effective consultation calls.
- How to actually negotiate properly. (Hint: It’s about making everyone involved happy.)
Own your greatness.
I kind of already mentioned owning how good you are at what you do, but it warrants further explanation.
The reality is you can learn everything there is to know about sales and negotiating, but unless you believe you deserve to ask for more and get it, it likely won’t work.
Work on your own self-confidence when it comes to asking for money (even if you have to fake it) and watch how it makes a huge difference.
