I need some help,with the art of negotiation

Hello, I’m new here to this forum, and I really look forward to talking to people about the art of negotiation.
I’m a co-owner of a young company in the music industry.
I love what I do, however I find the most difficult part of the job is negotiation.
Every contract/Job counts on it.
When at the beginning of negotiation talks I hear the term “Our Budget is”, which leaves me to believe they can afford anymore. However I know that just a tactic to get the cheapest price they can. But at the same time it sounds like if I don’t take their first offer then out of luck for work.

I do research on my clients, get a an ballpark idea of what their income might be and I asset my counter offer from that, from my experience in the industry and what I have gotten paid in the past. However this never makes back and forth discussion of negotiation any easier.

When I don’t hear back from a client for a few days, I feel as if they have movies on to somewhere else.

So I think if I wanted to hear back quicker from the client quicker, I think I have to change something up with the way I negotiate.
Any suggestions?