The Negotiation Advice That Sounded Insane (Until It Worked)

Hey Agency Owners,

So I'm talking to one of my close friends - guy's a total marketing legend.

He's selling his company and wants $2 million.

Seems reasonable, right?

His lawyer listens to this and says "Ask for $8 million."

Dead serious.

My friend's like "Are you completely out of your mind? There's no way they'll pay that."

She says "Just try it."

He thinks she's lost it. I thought she'd lost it.

But here's what happened...

The "Insane" Strategy Actually Worked

When my friend asked for $8 million, something magical happened.

The buyers didn't laugh.

They didn't hang up.

They started negotiating... FROM $8 million.

Not from his original $2 million ask.

Long story short? He walked away with almost $4 million in cash, plus assets, plus ongoing royalties.

Total value? Around $8 million.

Had he asked for his "reasonable" $2 million, they would have started negotiating down from there.

He probably would have gotten $1.2 million and felt grateful for it.

The Psychology Behind the "Crazy" Ask

His lawyer understood something most people don't:

The first number sets the anchor.

Everything else gets negotiated relative to THAT number.

If you say $2 million, they think "How can we get this for $1.5 million?"

If you say $8 million, they think "How can we get this for $6 million?"

Same exact company. Same exact value.

But suddenly $4 million feels like a "compromise."

Where Agency Owners F*ck This Up

You do the exact same thing with your pricing.

Client asks for a quote.

You think "I want $10K for this project."

Then you panic: "But that seems like a lot... maybe I should say $7K to be safe."

So you quote $7K.

They negotiate you down to $5K.

You accept because "at least I got the project."

Meanwhile, if you'd asked for $15K, they would have negotiated down to $10K.

Which was what you wanted in the first place.

The "Doubling" Exercise

Here's what my friend's lawyer told him to do:

Take whatever number you want.

Double it.

Then double it again.

THAT'S your asking price.

Sounds insane, right?

That's exactly what he thought.

But when you anchor that high, "reasonable" becomes what you actually wanted.

Why This Works (Even When It Feels Wrong)

Most buyers expect negotiation.

They WANT to feel like they "won" by talking you down.

When you start low, you rob them of that satisfaction.

When you start high, you give them room to "win" while still getting what you need.

Plus, high anchors make people think differently about value.

A $15K project feels more premium than a $7K project.

Same deliverables. Same timeline.

But suddenly they're buying something "expensive" instead of something "cheap."

The Confidence Factor

The hardest part isn't the math.

It's saying the number with a straight face.

My friend almost chickened out.

"I felt like a fraud asking for $8 million," he told me. "I wasn't even sure I could keep a straight face when I said it."

I can relate. I can't tell you how many times I went in planning to ask for $10,000... but the words that came out of my mouth were "$5,000."

Your brain does this helpful thing where it "protects" you from rejection by sabotaging your pricing at the last second.

But here's the thing...

If you can't say your price without apologizing, you're probably not charging enough.

What This Means for Your Next Quote

Next time a prospect asks for pricing...

Take whatever number you were going to say.

Double it.

Then double it again.

Feel uncomfortable? Good.

That discomfort means you're finally charging what you're worth.

And if they say no?

They were never going to be a good client anyway.

The right clients will negotiate in good faith.

The wrong clients will run away screaming.

Perfect filter.

The Million-Dollar Question

How much money have you left on the table by anchoring too low?

My friend almost left $6 million on the table because $2 million felt "reasonable."

How many $10K projects did you sell for $5K because you were afraid to ask?

His lawyer saved him millions with one piece of advice.

This email might save you thousands.

Or tens of thousands.

Depending on how brave you get with your next quote.

Start anchoring high,

Laura

P.S. That lawyer? She charged him a percentage of the deal. Smart woman. She knew her advice was worth way more than hourly rates.

P.S.S. Knowing what to charge is one thing. Having the confidence to say it out loud? That's what we teach in our coaching program. Few spots still available: Click Here