Hi Reader,
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In our latest Gentle Power podcast episode, Our Social Lives in SF & Negotiating Side Gigs (watch us on YouTube here), we share how Alex negotiated his DJ side gig fee and managed to increase it by 6x.

We also talk about our community in San Francisco and give you a peek into our social lives here, including attending events with top tech leaders and robot DJs, friends who want to recreate the animated movie Up in real life, Korean traditions, and real snakes at a Lunar New Year party.

But you’re probably reading this for the negotiations part (watch/listen to the podcast for the rest), so here’s what we covered on negotiations:
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How To Negotiate Your Side Gig Fees

When Alex booked a 3-hour corporate DJ gig, he didn’t follow the usual script, falling for the intentional and unintentional traps. Being the cofounder of YourNegotiations.com, he navigated the conversation with both warmth and professionalism, while also not giving away his leverage.

How it typically goes:

• The client (the corporate or promoter who wants to book you) asks you for your rate.
• You scramble to do market research, asking your friends, searching on Google, ChatGPT, and other relevant sites.
• You fumble to give a number/range that's not too low and under-price yourself or too high and scare them away.
• You probably play it a bit safe and err on landing closer to the lower end of the range.
• They say yes.
• You’re left wondering if you could’ve gone higher.

How Alex navigated it:

1. Know the market rate but don’t use it unless it’s needed to support a later argument: DJs in SF typically earn $100-$200/hour, i.e. $300-$600 for 3 hours.
2. Ask for their budget: “What’s the budget the company is working with?”
3. Listen to their answer: They revealed $1000-$1500 for 2 hours, i.e. $1500-$2250 for 3 hours.
4. Anchor a bit higher and offer something in return: “Great! Could we do $2000 for 3 hours? And I’m happy to bring my own equipment.”

Seal the deal: They said yes, and Alex walked away with over six times the original market rate.
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FOMO in Negotiations: Why You Might Undercut Yourself

Just like you can fear missing out on a great party, it’s all too easy to panic and “just say yes” when you’re afraid of losing an offer. That rush to close, before you even know the full details, can cost you thousands.

• Don’t reveal too much, too soon. If you’re worried they’ll pull the offer or never end up extending one, you might blurt out a number before asking for theirs. Never volunteer your target number first (with very few exceptions/edge cases that we’ll cover in a future newsletter issue).
• Always ask questions before you share. Information gathering is critical for both parties. That’s why you may be asked a lot of questions throughout the deal.
• Don’t accept the first figure. If you think any offer is better than nothing, you might quickly accept their opening bid--even if it's far below market. Remember, the first offer is rarely the absolute best and final because they need to leave extra buffer in case they need to give you more to close you.
• Don’t skip the written offer. If anxiety gets the best of you, you might jump straight to negotiating on verbal terms, leaving yourself without leverage or risking the deal falling through since they haven’t fully committed yet (note: getting the deal in writing has many times more finality than verbal/handshake agreements).
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Next time you feel that “I-have-to-lock-this-in” tug, pause and remember: the real FOMO in negotiations is losing out on the additional compensation that was likely within reach.

Want personalized help?

Book a free consultation call and let’s map out your next move.
Or reply to us directly if you have any questions.

Warmly,

Gerta & Alex
​Co-founders, YourNegotiations.com
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P.S. For more tips and real-life scripts, check out the free resources at YourNegotiations.com​.

P.P.S. Get $1000 for every client referral.​
All you need to send is an intro email.

Just reply to this email and CC your friend. We'll honor this bonus for every client that signs with us by the end of April.