Today I had an opportunity come my way that I knew from the start probably would not interest me. Â It was a company requesting me to do work for them, one that I have dealt with and had positive experiences with in the past, but for me to accept a contract with them at this time, it would highly inconvenience me.
But when I got the phone call, I did not say no. Â Never say no right away.
Instead, I listened to their offer. They were very eager to sign me up and get me all on board, and I was very eager to hear how wonderfully they would be willing to compensate me for extending myself above and beyond for them. Â I let them know exactly what terms I would need in order to agree, and it did become clear that they were not able to meet my requirements. Â But, we will be speaking again in the fall to revisit the arrangement, and I look forward to the prospect of working with them again when the time is convenient for me.
Don’t say no right away.  This contract did not work out, as I knew from the beginning, but I took the time to communicate and try to collaborate.  Instead of saying no to an opportunity you think won’t work, instead ask yourself “What would it take for me to say yes?” and then ask for that!  You will be shocked at what types of things you are able to accomplish this way.
The hard part is already done, see.  Whoever is trying to make you an offer already wants you.  You don’t have to sell yourself, you can pass “go”, collect $200, and cruise right into the negotiation phase.  You may still reiterate what they already know about your skill set and competency, but if they didn’t already believe in you as the best candidate, they would not be wasting any time by asking.
This is where setting your value comes in.  I bet, for the right price, you would do almost anything, barring anything illegal or immoral.  Negotiations like these is where the rubber meets the road with that assumption - Don’t think of it as a yes or no scenario, think of it as a “What do they need to do and give me in order for me to feel great about saying yes?”Â
Doing this has gotten me free upgrades, higher pay, better benefits, promotions, amazing job offers, vacation time... There really is no limit. Â You just have to be brave enough to ask, and you will be shocked at how much you can actually get for yourself with ease.