Everybody Wants You: Negotiating Your Perfect Partnership

Too often, people find themselves working with the wrong employer, but as a top producer, you don’t have to settle for less than you deserve. Be loyal to yourself and your goals first, and if you want more — pay, benefits, recognition, independence — use your status and your skills to create your perfect success scenario. And if your current corporate partner can’t, or won’t, meet your expectations, you can go elsewhere.

You’re the best of the best, and performance is power when everybody wants you.

Round One: Absolutes

Your corporate partners already know what they want from you. Before you decide which employer to work with, you need to decide what you want. Where is your current partner failing? What is not working in your professional relationship? When you know that, you know where to start.

Know your worth. If you don’t, your next situation won’t be any better than your current one. Make a list of what your value should earn you in terms of pay, benefits, bonuses, perks, recognition, and rewards. Don’t leave anything out.

Once your list is complete, narrow it down to your non-negotiables, and choose a few additional points that would be nice to have but leave you room for flexibility. If current or potential partners cannot or will not meet your non-negotiables, cross them off your list. Flexible points are the items you can give ground on in return for ensuring your absolutes. If you begin by treating all points as necessities, the less important items leave you some room to negotiate.

Round Two: Elimination

Next up is the elimination round. Use these rules to narrow down your list of potential partners, and cross off the ones who prove themselves:

• Unwilling to negotiate. These are the first to go. Even if they cover most of your absolutes, a rigid partner can be difficult to work with, especially when your contribution adds enough value to warrant renegotiation in the future.
• Unable to meet your requirements. Even if they’re willing to negotiate, if working with a partner means compromising on your absolutes, it’s not worth your time. Whether renegotiating your current partnership or moving on to a new one, if you can’t get what you’ve determined you need, cross them off your list.
• A bad fit. If you can’t picture yourself achieving your vision of excellence with a particular partner, they don’t belong on your list. You’re looking for the perfect match to your success scenario, and top performers don’t need to settle.

Round Three: Knockout

If you’re otherwise happy in your current situation, try renegotiating with your current corporate partner first.

Before you enter into negotiations with existing or potential partners, take steps to guarantee your success:

• Know the score. You can’t negotiate from an inferior position, and as a top producer, you already know lack of knowledge is a weakness. Knowing your worth does more than level the playing field; it puts the power in your hands. When you know your numbers, you can “weaponize” your value to your advantage.
• Know your opponent. Gathering information isn’t just about knowing your own worth. Knowing what a potential partner wants and needs from a top producer positions you to present yourself — and your absolutes — as their best option for maximum success.
• Get an agent in your corner. A talent agent with industry knowledge, one who takes the time to get to know you and understand your absolutes, is your secret weapon in the negotiating ring. When everybody wants you, an agent can help you discern your best path to an optimal partnership.

There is no reason to settle for less than you deserve. If your current partner isn’t supporting your success scenario, it’s time to review your options, secure an agent, and get ready to step into the negotiating ring.