You hang up the phone with a keen client and your hands are shaking. This is the biggest piece of work you've ever been offered.

You check your emails and see the subject line: Re: Your book deal. And your stomach flips.

You get your networking game face on and head to the top conference in your industry...where they promptly ask you to speak at next year's event.

These are exiting moments for any Ambitious Entrepreneur. And they're the 'Oh $@*^!' moments you need to learn how to handle with ease. Read on for how to close your biggest, best deal yet.

Make Bartering Work For Your Business

Negotiation Tips, Small BusinessDevon SmileyAugust 1, 2018article, negotiation consulting, negotiation, pricing, profit, guidelines, clients, communication

Why Being Liked Won't Get You What You Need In A Negotiation

Small Business, Negotiation TipsDevon SmileyJuly 25, 2018article, negotiation consulting, negotiation, honesty, guidelines, clients, communication, strategy

3 Things You Can Do Before Clients Pay Late

Small BusinessDevon SmileyJune 6, 2018negotiation, negotiation consultant, money, payment, clients, guidelines, article

What To Do When Clients Ask For A Discount

Small Business, Negotiation TipsDevon SmileyApril 18, 2018article, video, negotiation consultant, negotiation, guidelines, discount, sales, strategy, clients, communication

How To Avoid Project Delays

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

Feeling powerless? 5 ways to change that. Fast.

One of the reasons I started my work as a negotiation consultant was that I’d seen a few too many times how the ‘little guy’ can get the short end of the stick in business deals.

True enough, you’re not always going to have a whole lot of influence or power in a business discussion (even with folks your own size), but that doesn’t mean you lose your voice.

Today I'm sharing 5 techniques that'll help bump up your power and amplify your persuasiveness in any negotiation.

Negotiation Q&A: Who Goes First?

Working up the courage to share your proposal (and price...) with a potential client can be tough. So it's best to let them go first, right? Ask them what their budget is, and then work from there.
Nope. Nuh-uh. No way.
Shying away from making the first proposal may seem like the easier option, but if you're looking for your best business results, it's time to put on your Courageous Ambitious Entrepreneur hat and throw your proposal into the ring, first.
Read on to find out why.

6 Simple Mindset Tricks For Setting Goals

You can have the best goal setting system that money can buy. All the bells and whistles. Automated this, tracker app that. All of it.

And you can still end up accomplishing nothing. Nada. Zip. Zilch.

Because what’s lurking alongside all of those shiny tools and your snazzy goal statements is still the same ol’ mindset you had the last time you tried this.

If you want different results – and to slap those giant gold stars onto your achievement tracker – you’ve gotta get your mindset in shape.

So strap on those sneakers, stretch out those gams, and get ready to learn 6 mindset tricks for setting goals that won’t kick your ass.

Unlock The Power Of Late Fees

One of the harshest realities of being an entrepreneur is the fact that not everything is under your control (I know, right?). There will be times when a client isn’t going to behave exactly as you wish they would, and that frustration can drive you around the bend AND destroy your finely tuned professional process.

When To Say Yes: Working For Exposure

Merriam-Webster defines business as: “the activity of making, buying, or selling goods or providing services in exchange for money”

So why is it that when you’re running a business, it seems as though everyone wants you to forget about that last bit, the ‘in exchange for money’ part, and just give away your work for free?

The answer to the question “Is it ever ok to work for exposure?” is – it depends. And today’s post is going to outline some examples of when saying yes to that opportunity may be worth your while, even if there isn’t a payday attached.

Small BusinessDevon SmileyDecember 22, 2015article, boundaries, negotiation consultant, priorities, profit, clients

How To Handle Scope Creep

From time to time (usually when ordering sushi) I suffer from a case of my eyes being bigger than my stomach. I way over estimate how much spicy tuna goodness I need, and the end of the meal becomes less than enjoyable as I try to save face.

In business, you may have noticed that clients have the opposite problem.

Small BusinessDevon SmileyDecember 15, 2015article, clients, boundaries, efficiency, guidelines Comments

A Mistake You’ll Never Make Again

There’s a rush that comes with signing on a new client – and then a whole ‘nother type of feeling that comes with realizing that maybe you shouldn’t have signed that contract after all. Whether you took on the project because cash was tight, or because a friend of a friend of a friend insisted you work with this company, it’s ultimately your call whether or not a client is a good fit.

In this week’s edition of The Smiley Sessions, we’ll take a look at how to handle a client mismatch, and how to make sure you don’t make that mistake again.

How To Do Pro Bono (the right way)

A big part of going into business for yourself is being able to set your own priorities, and choose who you serve – and how. But once word gets out that you do great work, you can trust that the requests for freebies will start rolling in. It’ll feel great to help everyone out…but don’t forget that you’re running a business now – and that means getting paid.

In today’s edition of The Smiley Sessions, we’ll be looking at why and how to take a strategic approach to your Pro Bono work.

Small BusinessDevon SmileyOctober 29, 2015video, negotiation consultant, clients, payment, strategy

No More All Access Passes

One of the golden rules of business is to treat your clients well. To deliver excellent work, on time, and be attentive to their needs. It’s touted as the sure-fire way to win great results, reviews and referrals. But amazing customer service doesn’t mean being at their beck and cal

In today’s edition of The Smiley Sessions, we’ll take a look at why – and how – to put an end to that all access pass.

Small BusinessDevon SmileyOctober 15, 2015video, clients, boundaries, guidelines, schedule