Ah, the dreaded potential client call or email. I'm not sure that any writer likes to negotiate with clients. When's the best time to talk about your rate without scaring customers off? “First of all, if the first time price comes up is at the end of conversation, it’s far too late,” says Weldon Long MBA, CEO of a multimillion-dollar business that landed on the Inc 5000 list of America’s Fastest Growing Companies.

“What’s worse, addressing price only after your prospect brings it up themselves will diminish trust and kill your chances at a successful sales interaction,” adds Weldon. Weldon Long is a top sales expert consulting for some of the world’s biggest companies – but he has a very unique personal history.

A high school dropout, Weldon spent 13 years in prison for robbery, money laundering, and mail fraud. While in jail, Weldon started studying; earning his GED, BS in Law, and MBA in Management. Then, at 39 years old, Weldon was released. While living in a homeless shelter, Weldon landed a commission-only sales position and quickly became the company's top sales leader. In 2004 he opened his own heating and cooling business and grew it into a multimillion-dollar enterprise.

When to Talk About Your Rates

Address price first: “If you talk about your product or service’s price at the very beginning of your conversation, when your prospect is naturally feeling less trepidation than they’ll feel at the closing, you benefit from having time to build rapport by empathizing with them about cost, as well as have more time to combat inevitable objections while building trust."

“So if you want to be more successful in sales, discuss price at the beginning of your meeting, not the end. Here’s how to do it with without feeling awkward.”

So Does This Work for Writers?

Yes! After 20+ years as a writer, I have found this technique to be very useful. Typically when someone contacts me for potential work, I mention my rates up-front. This weeds out people who don’t have the budget for my services, saving me time, but it also puts me in the position of power. I control the conversation as a professional and the client takes me more seriously.