When they respond positively

Immediate next steps:

1. Thank them and confirm next steps within 2-4 hours
2. Ask about their process - do they prefer email or DM for collaboration details?
3. Send a brief collaboration overview (not a full contract yet)

Response template:

Amazing! I'm excited to work together.

Quick logistics question: do you prefer to handle collaboration details over email or here in DMs?

I'll send over a brief overview of what we're thinking, then we can chat about timing and any questions you have.

Talk soon!

Handling price negotiations

When they counter with double your budget:

I appreciate you sharing your rates! Your content quality definitely justifies that investment.

For this first collaboration, my budget is $X. I completely understand if that doesn't work for your current rates.

Would you be open to starting with something smaller that fits my budget? Maybe a story series instead of a feed post, or we could explore an affiliate arrangement where you could earn more based on performance?

If not, no worries at all - I'd love to reconnect when I have more budget flexibility.

When they want to negotiate deliverables:

Thanks for the feedback on the brief! I'm definitely open to adjusting the deliverables to better fit your content style.

Instead of [original ask], would [modified version] work better for your audience? I want to make sure this feels authentic to your usual content.

What deliverables would you be most excited to create within the $X budget?

When they ask for more money for usage rights:

I understand usage rights are valuable! For this collaboration, we're planning to share your content on our stories and maybe repost to our feed (with full credit, of course).

Would an additional $50 cover extended usage rights for 6 months? We're not planning any paid advertising use - just organic sharing on our channels.

The collaboration timeline

Week 1: Agreement and planning

• Day 1-2: Negotiate terms and deliverables
• Day 3-4: Send detailed brief and any products/access
• Day 5-7: Creator tests product and asks questions

Week 2: Content creation

• Day 8-10: Creator creates content, you provide feedback if requested
• Day 11-12: Content approval (if required) or final coordination
• Day 13-14: Content goes live

Week 3: Follow-up

• Day 15-17: Engage with their content, track initial performance
• Day 18-21: Send performance summary and discuss future collaboration