

Do you have a fee negotiation strategy?
Today I want to show you a very simple strategy to help you induce a sense of calm into all your fee negotiations.
Let’s start with a question – how can DJs help you develop your fee negotiation strategy?
To answer that question I would like to introduce the following statistics, originally published by Albert Mehrabian, in his 1967 paper “Decoding of Inconsistent Communications”:
According to the paper, approximately 55% of human communication is conveyed by our body language, 38% by our voice (use of tones, and inflections) and 7% by the words we choose to use.
Although the exact interpretation of these statistics has long been the subject of much debate, I think it’s safe to say that, when discussing fees for design services, what you say, is just as important, as how you say it!
The tone, tempo, and volume of your voice has a tremendous impact on how your negotiation partner feels, and therefore how they respond, during a negotiation.
According to the former FBI hostage negotiator, Chris Voss, and author of the bestselling negotiation book ‘Never Split the Difference’, there are three voice types that one can adopt during a negotiation:
(Note: To help you with all your fee negotiation situations we’ve created a Fee Proposal Mini-Series that shows you the 3 biggest fee proposal mistakes and (more importantly) how to avoid them. CLICK HERE for more information):
When approaching a stressful negotiation situation, to help keep your negotiation partner calm, you should try adopting the ‘late-night DJ voice’ – slow the conversation down, adopt a deep, soft, and reassuring tone, and use downward inflections at the end of a sentence to induce a relaxed response.
Remember good negotiators are good listeners. Don’t go to the negotiation looking to justify your position. Instead, adopt the late-night DJ voice, ask the right questions and turn a potentially stressful situation into a more relaxed and enjoyable discussion.
This is just one example of how you can improve your design fee negotiation situation.
However, it’s not the best way! The best way is to avoid the negotiation altogether by creating a fee proposal strategy that allows the client to negotiate against themselves… so that you don’t have to!
To help explain how we’ve created a 3-part Fee Proposal Mini-Series that’s currently available to watch FREE of charge. CLICK HERE for details.
Our team of experts will create a one-of-a-kind, custom fee proposal template based on the specific needs of your firm and your clients.
The custom template will be delivered in either MS Word or InDesign and you’ll have fully editable rights. You may use the document on all your future fee proposals.
Building a design business can be a lonely journey… you don’t have to do it alone.
The Mastermind Meetings are a great opportunity to:
Helping you build a strong and financially sustainable design business as quickly as possible.
Once we’ve completed our 15-point check on your fee proposal we’ll confirm our findings in writing.
We’ll then issue you with our report highlighting our findings and how to fix them. Once we’ve reviewed the report with you (via zoom) we will set about creating your new custom proposal.
Our team of experts will review your current fee proposal strategy to see how it stacks up.
We’ll check it against our 15 criteria and find out where your strengths and weaknesses lie.
We’ll show you what you’re doing right, what you’re doing wrong and where you can improve your current approach.
The Live Q&A sessions are where you can ask questions, and get answers from our team of Fee Proposal experts.
The Live Q&A is conducted via Zoom Webinar, every other week, and is available to all registered Workshop members.
Each session is also recorded and made available to Workshop members.
The Coaching Calls are a great option for those Design Professionals who would like the benefit of a fee proposal expert on their team without the cost of hiring another employee.
During these weekly Coaching Calls we will check your progress, answer your questions and provide accountability – helping you to stay on track and achieve your goals.
Your Starter Kit is on its way! Check your inbox.
PS. Please check your Junk/Spam folder if you cant’ find it!)
USA:
1 AIA LU / hr (9.5 total),
9.5 IDCEC HSW CE hrs (suitable for ASID, IIDA & IDC Members & Registered Interior Designers in states that require HSW CE hrs),
1 AIBD Primary Credit per hr (9.5 total),
Canada:
9.5 AIBC Core Learning Units,
9.5 Structured Learning hrs,
9.5 IDCEC HSW CE hrs (suitable for IDC Members).
UK:
9.5 CPD hrs for Registered Architects,
9.5 CPD hrs for Interior Designers: BIID Approved.
New Zealand:
90 NZRAB CPD Pts.
Australia:
1.0 Formal CPD Pt / hr (9.5 total) for Registered Architects
For other countries, professions or memberships please contact Emily: emily@blueturtlemc.com
Put the lessons into practice!
The Template Package includes:
✔️ Multiple Options Fee Proposal Template
✔️ Small Works Fee Proposal Template
✔️ Sub-Consultant Agreement Template
✔️ Non-Disclosure Agreement Template
✔️ Joint Venture Agreement Template
Templates are delivered in MS Word format and come with a multi-use license – no annual renewal fees. Offered at a 20% discount when purchasing with your Fee Proposal Workshop registration.
Don’t want to take your own notes? The eGuides provide a detailed summary with additional studies and examples. Great for sharing what you’ve learned with colleagues, or referring back to as a refresher.
The eGuide Package includes:
✔️ The Guide to Design Fee Psychology
✔️ The Guide to Design Fee Negotiations
✔️ The Guide to Pricing Design Services
✔️ The Guide to Writing Effective Fee Proposals
✔️ The Guide to Fees & Contracts
Offered at 30% discount when purchased with the Fee Proposal Workshop registration.