Value · Contract · lesson 6.1 open

Anchor, floor, and target

How to methodically define three numbers and steer the rate conversation without negotiating against yourself.

Promise: three numbers backed by your own data and a script for the conversation.

The three numbers

Number	Meaning	Where it comes from
Floor	the lowest you will accept	your policy and the equivalence calculation below
Target	what you expect to close at	median of your conversations in the channel + adjustment for specialization
Anchor	where you open	above the target, still within the defensible range

The floor calculation

Start from the monthly net income you need and work backward to the rate:

bruto_mensal_brl   = (líquido_desejado + custos_fixos_da_pj) / (1 - alíquota_efetiva)
bruto_mensal_usd   = bruto_mensal_brl / câmbio
taxa_hora_minima   = bruto_mensal_usd / horas_faturadas_por_mês

Use the rate calculator. Include what CLT (Brazil's formal employment regime) gave you for free: 13th salary, paid vacation, FGTS (mandatory severance fund), health insurance, non-working days (holidays, illness). In an hourly contract, you are not paid for days you do not work; build this into the rate or the number of hours considered.

Conversation script

Let the other party speak first. “What is the budgeted range?”
If the range is good (≥ target): say thank you and ask for the contract. Do not negotiate against yourself.
If it is between floor and target: “Given the described scope, my number is [anchor]. What can we adjust?”
If it is below the floor: “Thank you for the transparency. Below [floor], the economics do not work for me. If that changes, I remain available.”
If they ask for your number first: give a range whose base is your target, with a rationale (“for a scope of [X], with [Y] years of experience in [Z]”).

What to negotiate beyond the rate

Item	Why it matters
Guaranteed hours per month	income security
Payment terms	cash flow
Annual adjustment	avoids stagnation
Termination notice period	time to find the next contract
Timezone and availability window	quality of life

Do not lie about your current number

If they ask what you earn today, you are not obligated to answer. Giving a fake number destroys trust; saying “I prefer to talk about the value of the scope” does not.

Do this now

Define the three numbers with the calculator and your spreadsheet. Write three sentences from the script in your own words and practice them out loud.

Checklist

Do my three numbers have their origins written down?
Have I practiced the phrase for “below the floor”?

Checked on 05/10/2026. Educational content; tax and legal: confirm with a professional.