How do you negotiate a freelance rate?
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Who Has Leverage: A client pushes back on your rate. Who has leverage?
Whoever has the better alternative: your pipeline vs. their other options. With other work lined up, you can hold your rate. That's BATNA in practice. Source: Harvard PON – BATNA
The Best Move: Best move?
Trade scope, not price: offer a smaller package at the same rate. Cutting your price can train clients to push again. Trimming the scope keeps your rate intact. Source: HBR – How to Negotiate as a Freelancer (2019)
The Trap: Trap?
Pricing by the hour for work that's valuable for its outcome. Hourly pricing punishes speed; value pricing rewards it. Source: Wikipedia – Value-based pricing