Discover main tasks, what you need to be able to do and everything you need to understand to achieve them effectively.
Day-to-day negotiation with colleagues on projects
- Liaise with staff from different departments (e.g. creative, technical and production), freelancers and suppliers, to ensure everyone understands requirements and is ready to deliver them
- Clarify requirements and expectations of colleagues’ roles where there is any misunderstanding of requirements
- Liaise with colleagues or clients requesting any work to approve proposed courses of action (e.g. review the quote and approve the cost and terms)
- Suggest and agree workable solutions, when there are significant changes in schedule and plans
- How to balance different requirements from the colleagues/clients requesting the work, the supplier, your manager and/or the production in general
- The importance of being able to come to a compromise when working with others 3. ways of reaching agreement on roles and responsibilities
- How to build trust in relationships to negotiate harmoniously
- The importance of contingency planning to deal with changing plans
Negotiate your work as a freelancer
- Estimate and agree realistic fee rates, schedule, and other expenses
- Negotiate legal contracts that include expected income, time available and clear outcomes
- Negotiate terms and conditions that meet legal requirements in terms of equal opportunities, employment law, production industry regulations and health and safety
- How to maintain contacts and negotiate work with potential clients
- How to estimate realistic rates for fees and, if appropriate, resources such as accommodation and expenses
- How to negotiate terms and conditions in line with legal and industry requirements
Advanced: negotiate budgets
- Agree a final budget which will meet the objectives and specification for the project
- Estimate costs for different areas of responsibility, seeking appropriate expert approval/feedback from colleagues
- Obtain quotes, get appropriate approvals for these and negotiate rates/terms when necessary
- Negotiate and provide structured arguments, if necessary, to support the size and allocations of proposed budgets
- How to negotiate costs with other teams
- Who to seek approvals from on the production or in the organisation before confirming budgets
- How to estimate costs realistically
- How to track and update costs accurately and efficiently
Advanced: negotiate when sourcing external or suppliers
- Negotiate and reach agreement with suppliers about what will be delivered by them, at what cost and on what terms
- Formalise your expectations using approved contracts or agreements with break clauses if appropriate
- Confirm how you will check that their performance meets requirements
- Discuss and agree any changes with suppliers and clarify the implications on quality, budget and timescales
- How to negotiate deals with suppliers, and with internal colleagues, including getting appropriate approval before committing costs
- The organisational protocols and procedures when procuring external services or supplies, in particular the purchase order process
- The importance of ensuring contract terms are clear, complete, agreed and properly recorded
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