A lot of times as young developers and professionals we face a lot of challenges in the areas of negotiation and pricing. It's a mental tug of war that revolves around three questions; how much is too much? how much is too little? is this the right time to start pricing?. On freelancing platforms where one mostly has to state their price upfront, a lot of professionals go through mental gymnastics before quoting price as many schools of thought advise that you shoot for average.
GAINING A BIT OF CLARITY ON THE ISSUE
The tech world by and large has made the freemium model a norm. Where in other industries "payment before service" is a common quote, in tech you tend to find that "service before payment" has gained cultural acceptance. Yesterday, I was having a discussion with Bimbo Fisher (an HR expert) and he said something in passing that caught my attention and I feel it's worth sharing. I'm going to have to paraphrase because I can't exactly say that I memorized it verbatim 😅. He said something along the lines of "When you are providing value, it's something you should charge for and you don't have to be shy about it". My first impression was "It's so scary how HR professionals are so intentional and direct about human capital".
THE CHALLENGE
Those words kept coming back to me and I kept ruminating on it, so much so that I decided I'd write about it today. Ultimately I was able to glean that the reason why a lot of young professionals are unable to demand fair compensation is that they're somewhat shy and afraid. The fear that developers and other professionals feel isn't unfounded, with the rise of the internet, employers and consumers can easily choose what they want from a rich repository of options and that's a lot of power that can put the average developer at a disadvantage when that is put into consideration.
THE SILVER LINING
However, on the flip side, the vast array of options now results in employers and consumers suffering from analysis paralysis as such, they find it easier to default to the most convenient option, calling it a gut selection or a gut purchase and this is a good thing for professionals. Basically as a professional and developer, if you can make people feel at ease around you, communicate properly, establish rapport and build trust then the consumer or employer will always procure your services, not because it's the most logical decision but because it's the most convenient and it just feels right.
Soft skills can't be overemphasized in this regard, it's not always about how much you know or proving to the decision-maker that you're skilled, a lot of times, decision-makers want to know that you're patient enough to listen to them and that you understand them. Everyone wants to be listened to and understood. With the right people skills, negotiating becomes easier, the client/customer will want to work with you which makes it easier to come to an agreement if your price is above their budget. I don't think you'll get it right the first time but over time, you'll get better.