Sick of copping backcharges, dodgy contracts and baseless excuses not to pay?
Â
Negotiation School is the only course built for subcontractors who are ready to negotiate better deals and stop getting the raw end of the stick.
Join the waitlist
for Negotiation School
Doors open soon. Be the first to know.
What is Negotiation School?
Negotiation School is a 4-week online course that teaches subcontractors how to negotiate with builders - without blowing up the relationship.
You’ll learn 34 proven negotiation techniques you can use in every deal, every variation, every backcharge, and every dispute.
It’s not fluff. It’s not legal jargon. It’s the exact playbook hundreds of subbies have used to get paid faster, fix unfair contract terms, and hold their ground when it counts.

Is this you?
-
You sign contracts with one eye closed and hope for the best
-
You’re constantly discounting to “stay in the builder’s good books”
-
You’ve been hit with a backcharge and had no idea how to push back
-
You’re flat out quoting and have no time to chase unpaid invoices
-
You think your builder holds all the power
If any of that sounds familiar - you need Negotiation School.
What you’ll learn:
âś… How to flip the post-tender meeting in your favour
âś… The best way to respond to a dodgy variation
âś… When (and how) to push back on time bars, retentions and delay claims
âś… How to negotiate better deals without dropping your price
âś… How to harness relationships with builder staff to get what you want
✅ And the real reason the builder keeps asking you to “take a hit for the team”

Meet Michelle
Creator of Negotiation School
Michelle Cirson is the Director of Subcontractor Legal and founder of Tricks of Your Trade. She’s a qualified construction lawyer, adjudicator, and former builder’s contracts administrator with formal qualifications in both building and law.
She’s been on site, in the boardroom, and at the negotiating table - and now she teaches subbies how to protect their margins, avoid disputes, and get paid without going legal.
If anyone knows how to win the builder game - it’s her.

Join the waitlist
for Negotiation School
Doors open soon. Be the first to know.