Expect the first answer to be "No"

by Dale Davidson

A friend of mine who works for herself as a 1099 for her former employer told her company she is raising her rates by $15/hour.

They said no.

She was nervous and a bit surprised.

She shouldn't be.

The first answer from someone you're negotiating with is almost always a no, particularly if it's a request they're not used to granting or wanting to do.

When I first went 1099, it took about two months of back and forth between me and my manager to get to an agreement.

I had to

  • Pitch the idea
  • Reject their offer a raise and promotion
  • Tell them I would quit entirely if they couldn't make it happen
  • Go through 2-3 rounds of rate negotiations

You won't always get what you want, but expecting your counterparts to say "yes" right away is unrealistic.

Want the full playbook? Check out Going 1099.

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