Context is a powerful vehicle for your success in the world.You can come from Abundance (the trust that there is enough in the world for everyone – that is, your glass is half full and more will come soon), or from Scarcity (the surety you must compete for every small gain – that is, your glass if half empty and likely poisoned).

Essentially, you must move through the world as if you had everything you need (this is called “coming from Abundance”).From this context, your proposed work that is under negotiation would be interesting to do, if the client can pay for the value you will deliver to them.  If not, not.  You don’t need it if they don’t want to pay for it.  Of course you can negotiate, or meet them halfway, or make allowances for their situation, or be generous, and come to terms on a gig.  But you must come from the Abundance of not needing any of it, because that is the position of strength.

This context of Abundance must hold in your center, even if you are “broke and alone,” as we say of the mantra of the Demon.  From a position of Abundance, the gig or sale you turn down because it doesn’t meet your criteria or your margins will open the window to the next sale, which will be better for you — more interesting, with more respect, and in which you give more value.

And this is not airy-fairy positive thinking, although the context is positive.If you accept a sale or a gig that is high-maintenance, or low-margin, or will clearly involve un-compensated scope creep, you have set yourself up to fail in several ways:you will over-work the contract; you will remove yourself from your ongoing networking and marketing activities that predict your next sales; you will add a time-burden to your day that may affect the quality of your other work; and if your margins are compromised – you won’t make any bottom line revenue for all your trouble.

Better to leave yourself open to the next opportunity, or upsell an existing client, or pursue that marketing opportunity you now have time for.The winning isn’t about the sale – the winning is to add to your profit line, which creates the next Abundance for the next opportunity.

Here is a 4-part series of weekly posts on the Tactics of Successful Negotiation:1) Standing up for your value;2) Learning the pace of negotiation;3) Overcoming your demon voices; and4) Coming from Abundance–the real power.