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I started Twenty Set at the beginning of January and have since been embraced by some of the best blogs in the young professional niche . As a result, I have gotten a few offers from people who want to partner with me or Twenty Set in a variety of ways. Too many offers is a good problem to have, and I’m lucky to garner attention from top young professionals; but I’ve made some important decisions about my blog while it was (is) still in its infancy. I have a six step process I use to evaluate proposals for my blog; though I truly believe this process can work for any proposal, from business to marriage.
Step 1 – Write Down Your Goals
You can’t evaluate a proposal unless you know what you want to achieve with your project or blog. I had someone contact me after two weeks of writing on Twenty Set, when I didn’t have any idea what I actually wanted for the website. This forced me to figure out why I was writing, who I wanted to meet, and what opportunities I was seeking.
Step 2 – Listen and Ask Questions
With any proposal, someone will “pitch” to you, either formally or informally. Don’t accept the proposer’s pitch at face value; instead, use a critical eye to pick out information and ask the important questions. Here are a few questions you should be considering:
What do I have to give? What are the benefits to me? What are the motivations of the proposer? Where is the project headed in the future? Why did you choose me? Where’s the contract?
I wouldn’t suggest asking these questions word for word, but as you are listening to the pitch try to pick out these answers. If they aren’t given, then ask.
Step 3 – Consider Benefits
The benefits you want to consider should be tied directly to your goals. For my blog, these include monetary compensation or networking and career advancement opportunities. Keep in mind that not all networking opportunities are the same – you’ll have to weigh how much someone can help you by looking at the proposer’s credibility and seeing if they have a proven track record.
A Side Note on Credibility way they pitch something. One thing that amazes me is when people skip simple pleasantries like “Hi, how are you? I’ve been reading your blog, and I like what I’m seeing.” Another thing I hate is when people think I “should” do them a favor, even though they contacted me. Mark Hayward shares some other habits of highly ineffective networkers that would be worth checking out so you know who not to talk to.
Step 4 – Consider Costs
One extra project that takes 2-3 hours of your time per week is not a big deal, but what do you do if you have five extra projects? Your time, talent, and money are valuable resources, so consider how much it will cost you to take on an additional project. Think about what you could do instead to reach your goals, and enxure you can truly get maximum benefit for your time. Concerning your talent, make sure you aren’t diluting your own brand with this project. Also, if you are a freelance writer or web designer, you will do yourself a disservice by giving too much of your work away for free - people will come to expect it and won’t want to pay for your services. Limit YOU as a commodity – it’s better for your career.
Step 5 – Consult With Advisors
We’re young and we don’t know everything. I’m a typical millennial – the first people I call when evaluating any proposal are my parents . For a recent blog proposal, however, I turned to authority bloggers Chris Garrett and Skellie for their advice. Chris is from the UK where he owns a freelance consulting and writing business , and Skellie is also a freelance writer from Australia who has grown her Skelliewag blog to 3000 feed readers in a little over 6 months . Both were happy to help, and each gave me a unique perspective on the proposal in question. The largest benefit for me is they were both able to refer me to useful resources about blogging and they both came up with specific questions I hadn’t thought of earlier. So definitely get a second opinion, preferably from someone who has experience with projects you are interested in undertaking.
Step 6 – Determine Fit
Consider these questions:
Do the benefits outweigh the costs? Do I like the people I will be working with?
If the answers are “yes,” you have a good fit. Sign the contract, pop open a bottle of champagne. Otherwise, give the proposer a firm (but kind) ”no.” In the past, I’ve tried to give proposers feedback, but now I might just refer them to this article.
How do you evaluate proposals? What other factors do you consider?
Tagged as:
Deals ,
Proposals
Monica O'Brien is the Director of Digital at Fizz and author of the book Social Pollination, which helps businesses leverage social media for crazy growth!
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
You should have named this “How to Negotiate Effectively.” Great advice.
Rebecca,
I’m glad you liked it. I don’t talk much about negotiating in it though – it’s more about hearing someone’s idea and deciding if it fits the blog or not. But that’s a good topic for the future.
Monica,
Most interactions you have are negotiations. “Hearing someone’s idea and deciding if it fits the blog” sounds like one of the first steps in a negotiation to me. Someone has proposed something to you and whether you like it or not you have to decide if you want accept, decline, or counter with a different offer.
And you can’t negotiate effectively without knowing the things you’ve listed here, because real negotiation tactics are all about knowing yourself and knowing the other person (listening!).
Best,
Rebecca