Negotiation Skills for Freelancers and Contractors
A focused programme on the practical mechanics of financial negotiation — structured for those who want to understand how terms, leverage, and timing actually interact in real conversations.
Course Content
- Week 1: Setting and justifying your rate — market positioning without underselling
- Week 2: Handling objections, scope changes, and revision requests
- Week 3: Late payment, contract disputes, and ending client relationships professionally
Included resources:
- Rate calculation worksheet
- Email templates for common negotiation scenarios
- Simple contract clause guide for freelancers
- Two one-to-one feedback sessions with the instructor
This course works best for freelancers who already have some client experience and are looking to get more consistent results from their negotiations.
About this programme
Freelancers often negotiate every single project, yet most receive no formal training on how to do it.
This course addresses the specific situations that come up repeatedly in freelance work: quoting a rate for the first time, responding when a client says your rate is too high, renegotiating mid-project when scope expands, and handling late payment conversations. We use realistic scenarios drawn from design, writing, consulting, development, and other common freelance fields. The techniques are transferable across sectors.
The course runs over three weeks and requires about four hours per week.
Instructor Niamh Gallagher has been a freelance consultant for nine years and also runs workshops for creative sector organisations. She is direct about the fact that some clients will not negotiate in good faith, and the course includes guidance on recognising those situations early and deciding whether to walk away. There are no scripts here — the goal is to help you develop a consistent approach that fits your own communication style.