Post No.: 0615
Fluffystealthkitten says:
Several previous posts so far have explored negotiations mainly in terms of big items like when buying or selling a house or hammering out a salary package. But haggling should be a more everyday thing, even when buying things online or on the phone, where possible. Like Post No.: 0011 said – if you don’t ask, you won’t get. So here are some general tips on everyday haggling…
Anyone can get money off if they go about it in the right way. First of all, plan your strategy and figures – do your homework on the products and company/seller. Research prices and any existing manufacturers’ offers on the web first, then use this information to your advantage. Specific facts cannot be argued against, such as their competitors’ prices, so be pre-armed. With this info, you could possibly play sellers off each other to make them fight for your custom. You could take advantage of their ‘price beating’ policies to get the price you want for the service, speed, convenience and/or other factors you want.
When a shop needs to shift something off its shelves to make room for new stock (i.e. with already-reduced sale items or older models) – it’s an invitation for securing even more of a discount. You can point this out to them in a friendly way. The end of sales periods are golden times for haggling. If they’re being sold at the time then buy products like heavy coats or swimwear during their out-of-season months. Less busy times present opportunities for discounts, so research when the best months are for buying certain products. (It’s also worth knowing the best times to renew home or car insurance – at the moment, and under normal circumstances, it’s about 3-4 weeks before your current cover expires.) Haggling isn’t so easy when a shop is busy or when demand is otherwise high. This includes when new car registration plates have just been launched. Depending on the business – the end of the month, tax year or even the end of the week (which usually means the end of Saturdays) are generally good times to haggle because sellers often need to reach sales targets.
Flaws, like dents, scratches or dirt, found on products mean extra reduction potential. So point out any product defects to justify a discount. Ask for a bulk discount if you’re buying in bulk too.
So already-discounted, out-of-season and old-model/obsolete items are all looking to be cleared from inventories quickly because they take up physical space in a business that could be used to stock more profitable items instead – so use this knowledge to your advantage. They’re desperate to liberate their shelf/inventory space hence you should get a good deal for doing them a great favour!
Now never go in recklessly or aggressively. Build a rapport with the sales assistant, and find out if they’re in a position to give you a discount – if they’re not then find out who is and get to speak with them otherwise it’ll be a waste of time. Seniority is good, although the absolute top boss mightn’t have any time.
Start a friendly professional relationship first. Compliment them and get a conversation going. Take your time. Aim to be polite. A bit of chutzpah and charm is a powerful combination. A touch of tasteful flirting if you and they are comfortable with that, with a gentle patter and a twinkle in the eye, is good; yet be firm and serious with your offers.
Never outwardly show that you absolutely must have that item – say you like it but imply that you can and will go elsewhere if you have to. Never outwardly show that you must get that item right there and then – say you’re serious in buying today but only at the right price. This is because whoever’s most desperate is in the weaker bargaining position. A desperate person can be easily exploited (hence the poor, optionless and/or insecure are the most vulnerable in the marketplace).
Ask, “What sort of deal can you do for me?” or simply state that you like the product but you’re not so keen on that price. This is better than bluntly saying, “What sort of discount can you give me?” as this can sound amateurish and restricts the offer to only cutting the price and excludes possibilities like obtaining extras instead or as well. But it might be okay to state that price is the most important factor for you.
Concentrate your time and effort mostly on the main big-ticket item(s) because you can make the most savings there i.e. saving 5% there will amount to more in absolute terms than from elsewhere.
Ask for a lot – you mightn’t get that but you might get something that’s still pretty decent. The worst feeling when haggling in my own experience is when the other party accepts your first offer because then you start to wonder how much more you could’ve gotten if only you started lower as a buyer or higher as a seller!
‘Feel the deal’ as some say – keep haggling and be cheeky! Sellers will often say, “That’s the best price I can give” but that’s all part of the game! Think of getting a discount as a challenge. There’s no need to feel awkward. So make an offer and if they say, “No” then that’s just the first objection. What you then do is carry on with the conversation and ask again in a few minutes time in a different manner.
Once you get x amount off, that’s when the game has just begun and you can keep asking for more – suggest to them that they could do better than that, and keep cheekily pressing them to do it for the price you want. Don’t automatically believe them if they say that their manager won’t allow further reductions – get them to go back to their manager with your offer or ask to talk to the manager yourself.
The real secret for getting good service or a top deal is knowing when to speak and when to just stay silent. You’ll often reach a stalemate where you’re trying to push the salesperson to get the price down and they’re trying to push you up, and there’s a certain point where you have to say what you want, then remain silent. That’s critical because the next person who speaks will probably be the loser. People often inadvertently negotiate against themselves out of impatience when the other person is still thinking, so don’t do that. For instance, you might say, “How about £32?” and then before the seller has even rejected that offer, you say, “Okay, £35?”
You may worry about pushing too hard. All that’ll happen if you do is they’ll say, “I can’t sell it at that price.” They’re not saying they won’t sell it to you – they’re just saying you’ve gone too low. Hence you can start working your way back up from there.
You ‘pull them out of the trees, kick them in the river and then meet them on the embankment’(!) What you’re doing is searching for the happy middle where you’ve got an acceptable deal and they’ve got an acceptable sale. So keep haggling and remember to be a bit cheeky. Meow!
If you’re finally getting nowhere then think laterally – if the price won’t budge, ask them to throw in some extras or better terms. See if they’ll throw in something for free, such as related consumables or complementary products (like ink when buying a printer) i.e. it’s not just about a reduction in price but getting extras thrown in. In the UK, extended warranties can be cancelled within 45 days, so get one in exchange for a major discount, then cancel it! Continue to put the pressure on them, use positive body language to suggest that a deal is drawing near, and nod and stick your hand out ready to shake theirs as you try to seal the final deal you want (or whatever you and they will prefer doing instead of shaking hands in this pandemic or post-pandemic world). Or to break the final deadlock – try a fun 50:50 chance game like tossing a coin to see whose price will be final (as long as you can live with the worst outcome of the bet)?
Only tell them how you’re going to pay at the very end, because if it’s a high value item and you’re going to pay in full on the day then this could possibly net you a further discount. (If you can help it, never buy through financing, although you could pretend you might early on. Of course, if you need to finance a deal or otherwise borrow money to buy something – you’ll need to ask yourself if you truly need that item, at least so urgently? Could you buy used? Could you rent the item instead?)
If and when you’re nearly ready to buy – summarise the exact conditions they must meet in order to close the sale. But don’t be afraid to walk away if they won’t give you what you want. You can always try elsewhere.
Service companies, such as mobile, utilities and insurance, want to keep your business so tell them you’ll switch unless they agree to a better deal. If you’re worried they’ll call your bluff then say you’ll call them back after consulting with your wife/husband/partner/made-up partner first.
So to summarise all this – do some research beforehand to understand the market prices so that you’ll know what your best alternative option is, and to understand any market patterns such as month/year ends when sellers are looking to hit their sales targets. Upcoming law changes or idiosyncratic market conditions may also affect your best strategy so keep abreast of these.
Ask for the name of the sales assistant you’re dealing with. You’ll need to build a rapport with them; or if this person doesn’t have the authority to give customers any kind of discount then ask to speak to the right person (the manager if necessary).
Be confident, be cheeky too, and suggest a price that’s lower than the one you’re prepared to pay (without taking the ****!) Don’t ever accept the first offer. You might need to ask at least three times for a discount. Work them hard. Be quiet once you’ve named your price – pause and let them respond.
Use positive body language and nod as you try to seal the deal. Always be polite, friendly and personable – being aggressive or combative is a mistake. None of these tips will work if you’re not polite and easy to deal with. So be firm but most of all friendly.
What’s worth the time and effort for the total value of the basket will be personal to you. So I’m hardly suggesting we should haggle every single time(!) You might refuse to seek a discount from someone who’s clearly less affluent than you, like when buying something from a small trader when on holiday in a poorer country (if you’re confident they’re not just hustling punters with an act). You might even let them keep the change in these cases.
And these tips won’t work with every business, hence that research is vital. You’re far more likely to be able to get money off when dealing with an independent seller than with a large company. Although in many large retail chains or service companies, staff are allowed to give a little something – but only if the customer asks. (This includes birthday freebies!) When online, it requires planning ahead so that purchases aren’t last minute as you communicate with sellers with a message exchange across a few days before you commit to buying.
Meow. With a brazen demeanour, I managed to bag myself a stonking deal on a load of blueberries from my local greengrocer yesterday! I’ve got so many I’m going to have to share some with Furrywisepuppy.
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