How to Negotiate a Better Price
Step 1: Work up your courage. You’ll never get a discount if you don’t ask for one. Almost everything is on sale, if you know how to haggle.
Step 2: Know the market. Be realistic about the price you want. If every merchant is selling a bag of apples for $2.50 to $3.50 a pop, don’t expect to buy one for a quarter. But do ask your seller to match the lowest price. If you’re buying more than one, ask for a bigger break.
Step 3: Know your audience. You’ll be more likely to get discounts at locally owned stores rather than multinational chains and from managers rather than clerks. If you’re dealing with someone who can’t offer you a discount, kindly ask to speak with his superior. Be charming, if you can. Nobody wants to go the extra mile for a poo head.
Step 4: Look for flaws. This may feel a bit shady but it really isn’t. Examine the item you’d like to buy for any imperfections. If it’s got any stains, scratches, pulls, or dents, you’ll be more likely to get an automatic damaged-good discount, which is usually at least 10 percent off.
Step 5: Offer to pay in cash. Stores have to pay a small fee to credit card companies if you use plastic. By paying in cash, they’ll likely pass that savings on to you, if you ask for it.
Step 6: Walk away. Sometimes the threat of losing the sale is enough to make the seller cave. If he doesn’t, just keeping on walking. You’ve already determined that the price is not right.
More Nifty Tips
- Be firm. Serious hagglers actually get better deals than sweet ones. When you get down to the nitty-gritty deal-making, try not to giggle.
- Be friendly. Insulting the seller or his products won’t make him want to do you any favors.