Artist’s Guide to Negotiating with Clients

Does the word “negotiation” make you cringe? You’re not alone. But knowing how to advocate for yourself as an artist is really important.

Today, we’re sharing our favorite tactics to help you feel a lot more confident the next time you’re negotiating pricing & terms with a potential client!

As you enter a negotiation, remember this:

Your potential client isn’t thinking about you–they’re thinking about them.

Before you put a number on the table, there are all sorts of goals, motivations, and fears that your potential client is considering.

That’s why it’s really important to listen and ask questions that can help you uncover those things that may be an important part of your negotiation.

What you need to know first:

• What is the project scope? What does the client need from me and how much time will it likely take?

• Who is the client and what is the relative value of this project to them?

• How exactly are they going to be using the art I make?

These are the basic questions we need to know the answers to start coming up with a price.

If you need help with pricing, check out our guide called Price with Purpose if you’re ready to learn a lot more about pricing.

Sometimes there are more questions we need to ask before we can really understand our client’s frame of mind and circumstances.

To better prepare before formulating a price we like to ask the following:

• Are there other artists bidding for the same job?

• What is the client’s budget?

• Is this project definitely happening?

Once you’ve gathered all of your info, you’re ready to present your estimate!

The client’s response will dictate if you’re going to need to go into negotiation mode or not. We go over a few of the scenarios in our video!

Learn a few more tips and what to expect after sending your estimate to a potential client by watching the video below!