Creative Negotiating

Finding Hidden Value

Let me start off by saying there’s nothing quite like money. Especially in the beginning, there’ll be plenty of offers to barter - exchanging photography for visibility, products, more followers etc. However, without some sort of revenue stream, all the bartering in the world won’t keep you in business.

And yet… there are opportunities for those who can apply their creative skills toward negotiating with friends, vendors, clients etc. As my financial advisor once told me, there are two ways to end up with money; make it or don’t spend it.

The first part of any exchange involves recognizing the value in your set of skills. Importantly, this value will change depending upon who you’re dealing with and what they’re looking for. It’s always worth considering expanding your range; an assistant who also techs, is familiar with motion capture and has a car, for example, may have more to offer than an assistant with a meager resumé. Can you cook? write? babysit? garden? Anything that expands your repertoire is a potential tool for negotiation, stay open minded.

This subject is on my mind as I’m working with someone directly linked to the ‘Red Paperclip’ story. In 2005 a Canadian blogger named Kyle MacDonald made a series of trades over a one year period in which he was able to convert an ordinary red paperclip, through persistence and creative transactions, into a two story home. Much is possible.

(I was also in a band with a drummer who had a bumper sticker that read, “I got a gun for my wife. Good trade!”, but that’s another story.)

Clever negotiating often involves imagining new ways to assay value that may be invisible at first. The greatest maneuver I ever witnessed up close was a stroke of genius on the part of my agent. I had been asked by a Fifth Avenue jeweler to photograph a brooch worn by the legendary André Leon Talley. The fee was small, but because the usage was limited to a one-time gala invitation, the client was prestigious, and the jewelry was a knockout (see above), I was eager to do the job.

All went according to plan until several months later when, looking through the latest issue of W Magazine, I was stunned to see my photograph being used for a full page advertisement! I called my agency to see if there had been some misunderstanding but no, they had indeed used the image for advertising without permission. My agent called the company’s matriarch, another New York legend and, I‘ll tell you, no push-over. When told my standard advertising rate, there were vivid protestations - they said they couldn’t afford to pay that much. Being quick on her toes, my agent asked if the equivalent value in jewelry would be an option. Well… yes, as a matter of fact. Essentially, they were going to pay the fee with their markup. My wife, who also happens to be my agent, received a very nice pair of diamond earrings and bracelet for her birthday that year.

I’ve been fortunate to know some excellent negotiators, and the best find a way to conjure up genuine win/win situations that, almost magically, leave everybody feeling good. It’s a valuable skill worth developing.

So the next time a client’s fee just isn’t enough, or you can’t afford a particular location, consider whether there might be some dormant solution before giving in or walking away. After all, cash may be king, but diamonds are forever.