The way to earning a lot of money is to not chase it. Everybody wants the best value for their money. The more someone is mainly interested in how much you can pay, the more reluctant you will be to do business with them. Everybody wants business partners and associates that are more interested in the success of the business than the money they will earn.

If you have read the book, If you want to be rich don't work for money, one of the main ideas is to refrain from working for money. Why? The reason is that you start thinking like an employee the moment you get paid money for the work you do.

But for adults with responsibilities, it is already too late to work for free. And during harsh economic conditions, employers often frown at taking more workers. They see workers as people they have to pay whether they make money or not. They don't see them as people who help them make more money.

At every economic downturn, there are thousands (and sometimes, millions) of people looking for a job. Virtually nobody is looking to add value anywhere. They are just looking for a place that can pay them a decent salary. And this is why people go without earning any money for a long time. Nobody pays attention to the need of the employer.

Some people go a step further to say, "I have an idea that will make your business better". And some employers might listen. However, most still wouldn't grant you an audience. But this is better than just randomly seeking a job.

There is something that employers find irresistible. And that is the results. Show that you have gotten the kind of result they want and they will listen to you. If you can't do that, demonstrate that you know the kind of result they want and you know what it takes to get it. Results speak volumes.

If you don't know how to do this in your particular case, take stock of everything you have achieved and everything you know that qualifies as a result. Write them down in a list. Then, think about which companies or businesses would want such a result. Write them down in a list also.

The next step has two options. The first is that you can cold pitch the businesses showing the results you have gotten that would interest them. Remember to not ask for anything in return at this stage. If you get a response, the negotiations can then begin.

The second way is to share the results openly and let employers who are interested come to you. This is my favorite. The secret here is to keep sharing that result. Employers respond to results, not fancy accomplishments or certifications.

The next step is the big one. And that is when you negotiate your working terms with a business or organization. Your focus should be on understanding the business and how you can help them get the result they are interested in. Keep the attention on that.

When the time comes to talk about payment, be creative. First, talk about what the industry standard looks like. If you are comfortable with that and there is an agreement, you can go with it. But you must add a clause that makes (at least) a part of your income performance-based. If not, you won't be any different from the average employee that works for money.

The best method in negotiating payment when the business can't afford to pay you is barter. Instead of asking for money, think about what the business has (or what it has access to) that will be very useful to you. This is my preferred method of working with businesses when performance-based payment is not feasible.

You can use barter to boost your credibility. You can work for credibility and the credibility can get you bigger clients. If you don't like the money you are offered, look deeply at the business and think of what they can barter trade with you. Anything that can increase your credibility in the marketplace is worth it.

Working for credibility and positioning is way better than working for money

This is how to take the limits off your earning capacity. If you are working for money, that money is everything you will always have. But if you are working to give yourself more credibility, more opportunities will be offered to you (with much more money).

When the economy is harsh, do trade by barter. You may request some money as payment but add a barter trade. You can trade service for service. You can trade your service for a recommendation. Write down everything you need to get to the next level. And don't be afraid to ask for it as payment for the service you render.

Stop looking for someone that can pay you the money you want. Instead, do barter trades with the businesses that get in touch with you.

Cheers.

P.S. Want a barter trade with me? Hit me up on LinkedIn