How to Negotiate Salaries: Why You Should Never Name the Number First

Lauren Maxwell, Director of Influencer Marketing at Dreamland Baby, breaks down her exact negotiation framework for working with creators, drawing on seven years across brands like Athletic Greens and Organifi. Her core rule: never give out a rate first. Lauren always requires the creator, manager, or agency to submit their rate before she responds, because whoever names a number first loses leverage.

From there, she targets a 30 percent reduction off whatever rate they provide, either countering directly or sending a simple reply asking if there is any flexibility. That single question opens a back-and-forth that typically lands both parties somewhere in the middle. She also addresses the moment negotiations stall entirely, and her approach is deliberate: a polite decline that keeps the door open for future work if budget allows.

For anyone trying to learn how to negotiate salaries and fees with influencers without burning relationships, this 108-second video gives you a repeatable script you can use on your next outreach.