The value of knowing your value

The art of negotiation is one that continues to elude many yet it determines the level of your success, once you have risen above your fears and forayed into self-employment. Did you know that you might be the best person for the job yet fail to nail it on account of not knowing your value?

I know my value. How about you?

I learnt the hard way. The day I quit my boring and financially unrewarding government job, I received a call from a "big" lady who runs an annual film event. She wanted me to head their public relations team for three weeks. When she asked how much I was willing to work for, in my naivety, I said one million shillings. She said she would consult, and when she got back to me she said they had decided to go with a marketing agency instead of an individual. An insider later divulged I lost because I asked for "cartoon money instead of professional payment" so they would not trust me to do a thorough job.

A few days later, I got another offer – to write some report as well as edit material for a company website. I completed the job in three weeks and was blown away when I was paid more than double the amount I was earning a month at my previous job. When I told a friend in excitement, he laughed and said I had still been ridiculously cheated.

"A consultant would have earned no less than Shs5m for that work," he said factually.

The next time the lady called me, I told her I was busy, to which she immediately responded that she would double my payment if I left everything for her work. The smile on my face said it all; it was an epiphanic smile; of recognizing that I had skills some were in desperate need of; skills that would actually pay the bills. That exciting discovery earned me a level of confidence that will never let me look back again.

I tell you, there is nothing better than knowing your value. That intimidating girl ceases to be, and you do your work with a certain charm that spills over and sells you like a hot potato; a charm that will have you asking as much as you want, and looking for opportunities sync with your style. Clearly, knowing your worth is all you need to achieve big time.