Most creators negotiate brand deals from their inbox with no system. Here's the pipeline that turns casual DMs into paid invoices — the deal flow I manage inside CreatorHQ Studio.
The pipeline
Incoming → Qualified → Proposal → Negotiation → Closed → Delivered
Every deal lives in one board. No deal gets lost in DMs.
Stage rules
- Incoming: every inquiry gets a response within 24 hours with your rate card link. Speed signals professionalism.
- Qualified: ask three questions before quoting: budget range, timeline, deliverables. No budget = no proposal.
- Proposal: one page — deliverables, timeline, price, payment terms (50% upfront, always). Attach your media kit.
- Negotiation: discount only in exchange for something: a longer term, more usage rights, exclusivity. Never discount alone.
- Closed: contract signed + deposit received before any work starts.
- Delivered: deliver, then ask for a testimonial and a renewal.
The rate-setting formula
Base rate = (followers ÷ 10,000) × $100 per dedicated post
Adjust: +30% if usage rights, +50% for exclusivity,
-20% for multi-post bundles
Scripts that close
- Qualifying: "Thanks for reaching out! To send the right options — what's the budget range and timeline for this campaign?"
- Countering lowball offers: "I can't do that rate for a dedicated post, but I can offer [smaller deliverable] at that budget. Want me to send that over?"
- Renewal: "The last campaign hit [result] — I have room in my calendar for [next month] if you want to lock the same rate."
How to make money with it
- Make money online: brand deals are the highest-earning-per-hour revenue in the creator business
- Help your existing business: this same pipeline works for selling services — it's just client management
- Offer it as a service: "creator deal management" for busy creators — 10% of closed deals is a common fee