The Negotiation Mindset That Changes Everything

How I approach every deal — from $3K Reels to six-figure campaigns — with curiosity, confidence, and a quiet expectation of yes.

The Mindset That Changes Everything

Part 1 of 3 in The Negotiation Mindset Series for Talent Managers

Most people think negotiation is about numbers.
It’s not. I mean, yes of course it is, but also, it’s not. Hear me out.

It’s about mindset.

I’ve been negotiating deals for over a decade — everything from $3K Reels where I’ll make $600 which after taxes and overhead, doesn’t leave much left to six-figure campaigns that make my stomach flip (in the good way) before I hit send. Let’s just say I’ve sent enough negotiation emails to fill a novel, or 12.

When I’m negotiating, I always assume a yes.
That doesn’t mean I’m naive or pushy. It means I expect alignment.
I enter every conversation believing we’ll find a way to make it work.

Do my clients and I turn down 85% of the deals that come our way? Yes, we always have to account for spam, unqualified leads, unaligned projects, SOW, usage & budgets. But still, unless the email just screams “I’m SPAM!” then I’ll assume, “I can close this deal.” I get after it every time without fail.

Because when you assume a yes, your tone changes.
Your language softens.
You get curious instead of defensive.
You build momentum instead of tension.

It’s the same mindset I bring everywhere — from choosing my agency’s IRL agency location to manifesting next year’s roster goals. Law of attraction meets eagle eye detail.

Be human, always.

There’s a person on the other side of that email who’s definitely juggling twelve campaigns with 20+ influencers each, five clients, and a boss breathing down their neck about ROI.

This applies more than EVER in 2025 in our industry as well as going into 2026. I can’t say this enough - everyone who is emailing you (or your talent) with an offer for a campaign is juggling more talent, metric reports & campaign details than you can possibly imagine.

Keep this in mind because this is incredibly relevant.

So I write like a human speaking to a human, giving them grace for all that they’re juggling. I ask how their week is going. I say thank you. I empathize when something’s delayed. I get personal. I don’t get mad.

Last month, a brand rep texted me late on a Friday apologizing for a missed deadline. Turns out the brand has been dragging their feet on concept approvals. Not her fault. She’s just the messenger. I didn’t jump down her throat — I sent her a “no worries” GIF and we ended up getting it done on that following Monday.

Being personable doesn’t weaken your position — it strengthens it.
Brands want to work with managers who are easy to work with not the ones that are a PITA or difficult or unresponsive. The right kind of “easy”: collaborative, not compliant.

Ask questions first.

Negotiation is an information-gathering exercise, not a guessing game.
Before I ever quote a rate, I ask questions:

• What can you tell me at the usage and exclusivity for this campaign?

• What can you tell me about the expectations for this campaign?

• Can you clarify the SOW, is the reel getting crossposted to Tiktok?

If your first instinct is to reply with a number, slow your roll. You’re not on The Price Is Right.

Curiosity pays my mortgage. Every good negotiation starts with getting nosy. And ya girl is one nosy gal!

Redirect, don’t reject.

When you get an offer that’s below rate, resist the urge to say, “We can’t do that.” Keep it positive. Be grateful. Appreciate the offer. Not everyone gets one.

Instead, try:

“Thanks so much for finding that additional $5k for this project. Appreciate that! XYZ talent would love to slightly adjust the SOW to reflect this budget offer and align with her rate. Is the brand open to keeping the IG reels to Instagram instead of crossposting to Tiktok? I have no doubt that we can find a SOW that works for everyone. Super excited to hear from you and keep this moving forward!”

It keeps the conversation alive.
You’re not shutting the door — you’re inviting them to walk through a different one.

Zoom out.

Negotiation isn’t just about this deal. It’s about the next one, too. It’s about building relationships and connections.
Sometimes you say yes to build trust or secure repeat business. Sometimes it’s about saying yes to get your foot into a large Influencer Marketing Agency that has a lot of projects.

Sometimes you say no because the opportunity costs too much time or energy.

Zooming out helps you make decisions from a place of long-term vision, not short-term emotion.

Even after $7M+ in brand deals, my hands still sweat sometimes. That’s normal. It means you care.

You’re not just negotiating contracts — you’re negotiating livelihoods.
For your talent, for your agency, and for yourself.

And that takes confidence, clarity, and a whole lot of practice.

Coming up next, I’m breaking down the biggest negotiation mistakes I see (and yes, the ones I’ve made too — looking at you, 2019 holiday campaign that shall not be named).

Be honest — what’s one negotiation you wish you could redo, knowing what you know now?

Until next time,

Johanna