4 Questions That Will Maximize The Value Of Your Deals

Dollars, Euros, Yen, Pesos, Pounds...as an entrepreneur or small business owner it can be hard to think of anything as important to our businesses as the money. What do we want more of? Money. What do we want to spend less of? Money. But what about running our businesses, and negotiating with our clients and partners so that we have more of other things.

More time. More energy. More flexibility.

There are many elements at play in a negotiation, and taking stock of where the value is for you and your business is key in achieving your best yet results. Here, you'll learn the key questions to ask in order to uncover potential value.

Small BusinessDevon SmileyNovember 1, 2017contracts, article, negotiation consultant, value, results, strategy

Negotiation Is Not A Race (why it's ok to slow down, have a break, or take a step back in your business)

Measure twice, cut once. Look before you leap. Slow and steady wins the race. All valid…so why do we treat negotiations, and our businesses like a race of closing, signing, launching and shipping?

I come with two settings – All In and No Way José. I simply cannot half-ass anything when it comes to my business, or life…and here’s why that’s ok by me.

Small BusinessDevon SmileyAugust 5, 2017article, negotiation consultant, patience

How To Admit Mistakes The Right Way

Oh crap. You’ve goofed. A mistake has been made and you’re mighty embarrassed by it. What do you do?

What you want to do is hide under the covers and try and pretend it never happened…and hope no one will notice.

Sigh. But we all know that’s not the best way to handle making a mistake (after all, ‘hope is not a strategy’).

Here’s your 3 step process to how to admit that you’ve made a mistake, and how to make it right.

How To Avoid Getting Trapped In A Bad Contract

Binding agreements. Our contracts outline what our responsibilities are, how they’re to be performed, when, by whom and – the highlight – how much it’s going to cost. Entering into a business relationship without a contract can be risky. But so can signing one if it doesn’t have all the right ingredients to protect us.

One of the biggest questions to ask yourself before signing a contract is “What if…?”

“What if my business changes?”

“What if the client needs more from me?”

“What if demand goes through the roof?”

The clauses that help cover you in these instances are what I like to call the escape clauses. The ones that let you re-open a negotiation to change terms that no longer work for you, and the ones that give you an opportunity to say goodbye.

Let’s look at how these clauses can come into play for your contracts.

Professional Communication: To swear? Or not to swear?

The first time I swore was while on vacation in Florida with my family. I was about 13, and had dropped my copy of Wuthering Heights into the hotel pool. As it landed, a great big s-bomb flew out of my mouth. I looked at my Dad, and it was one of those moments where you’re filled with fear…but also pride that you’ve somehow crossed over from childhood to adolescence.

My repertoire has expanded since then, and frankly, sometimes I surprise myself. But, I still consider myself to be poised, polite and professional…so I choose my audiences and timing carefully.

Is it appropriate to swear in a negotiation? Does it hurt your cause? Or can it actually move you forward? Let’s take a closer look at the 3 things you need to consider before dropping a bomb…

Why You Need To Negotiate

To run your business – whether you’re a fabulous personal stylist, have the hippest café in town, or spend your days bringing a smile to clients’ faces with your beauty care – there are certain things you need to do. Have a great idea. Communicate with potential customers effectively. Work your buns off.

And negotiate.

Sure, you can make sales, bring in revenue and deliver great service to all of your clients…but that may just be ‘good enough’. Negotiation is how you move that needle towards ‘great’.

You – yes you – need to get negotiating…here’s why.

Small BusinessDevon SmileyJune 8, 2017negotiation consultant, article, mindset, motivation

Get Into the Rhythm Of Negotiation

When I was a little kid, I was really into dancing. We’re talking ballet class 3x a week, pointe shoes and all. And for the rest of my life I will never live down being in a store with my Mum when I was little and announcing with a flourish that “I live to dance!”

Outside the safe confines of my kitchen, I don’t do a whole lot of dancing anymore. Well, except when I’m negotiating that is.

Bring Your Business Clarity With Plain English Contracts

In your business, you’re a dynamo. Knocking items off the to-do list like a champ. Building connections. Delivering amazing service to your clients and making sure all of your customers are beyond happy when they receive your product.

But all of that can be brought to a standstill when something goes wrong with a contract.

A lot of contracts – with clients, vendors, partners – contain a whole lot of legal jargon. This legalese can be confusing, and if you’re not familiar with the terminology you can find yourself in trouble, fast.

Having clear contracts that support the priorities, requirements and desires of both you and your negotiation counterpart is essential and the easiest way to get those in place? Use plain ol’ English.

Here’s why you should make the switch from legalese to something that reads with ease…and my tips for how to make it happen.

Small BusinessDevon SmileyMarch 14, 2017contracts, article, negotiation consultant, communication

4 Tips For Negotiating With A Friend

Business is all about creating personal connections. Whether it’s meeting face-to-face at networking events, following each other on Twitter or sharing your experiences in a mastermind or workshop – it’s all about connections.

As an entrepreneur or indie business owner, you’re also likely connecting with people that share similar outlooks on business and life – these are folks that just ‘get it’.

Doing business with a friend can be an opportunity to help each other out or to collaborate on an exciting project. Your work together may feel more like a passion project than real business. Which is why breaking up the fun with a – gulp – negotiation may be something you try to avoid.

But you don’t have to.

Negotiation and friendships can (and should!) co-exist, and having one in your life doesn’t have to mean rejecting the other. It won’t always be easy – but here are my top 4 tips for how you can make this work. You can have your friendships and your great business deals too.

5 Powerful Negotiation Skills For Freelance Writers

Building your freelance writing career requires juggling many different skill sets. You’re dedicated to honing your craft, cultivating a platform, and polishing your sales techniques to maintain a steady flow of projects. So adding negotiation to the mix might feel like ‘just one more thing’ – and something you’d really rather not deal with.

Essentials For Hosting A Profitable Event or Retreat

Small BusinessDevon SmileyJanuary 25, 2017article, negotiation, negotiation consultant, profit, communication, revenue, contracts, event planning, retreat

Perfect Prices With 5 Simple Questions

Setting prices is a great equalizer in the world of entrepreneurship. Whether you’re just starting out with your first mini-offering, or have been around the business block a few times, trying to pinpoint exactly what your rate should be can feel an awful lot like playing pin the tail on the donkey.

How To Avoid Project Delays

Small BusinessDevon SmileyDecember 28, 2016article, clients, negotiation, negotiation consulting, profit, contracts, guidelines, boundaries, small business

What Do You Do Again? Getting Clear on Client Deliverables.

When a project is coming together in your mind, all the moving parts are clear. You’re a pro at what you do...so this comes almost naturally to you. Your clients aren’t quite so well-versed though. They may have never worked with you - or anyone like you - before, so are coming to the project with their own idea about what will happen.

Making sure that you and your clients are on the same page when it comes to what working together entails is vital for ensuring that there aren’t any 11th hour snafus or disappointments.

It’s worth it to include the details of the work you’ll be doing in your contracts. Here are my recommendations on where to start.

Small BusinessDevon SmileyDecember 14, 2016article, contracts, negotiation, negotiation consultant, communication, drafting

3 Payment Term Must Haves For Maximum Profits

Setting your pricing structure and agreeing on fees with clients is one thing.

But it doesn’t do you a lick of good if that money doesn’t make it’s way speedily and safely from their account to yours.

Turns out, not all late payments are caused by malice. Or laziness. Usually, there’s confusion - on method, on timing - that’s getting in the way and keeping you anxious about whether or not you’ll have funds on hand to cover your expenses and investments.

Nothing beats doing work that you love and having clients who are raving fans...except actually getting paid for it.