The 7 Essential Tips For Negotiating When Buying

Part of the reason why I have become so good at saving money and finding good deals is that I am willing to negotiate with retailers to try to find better offers. This isn’t the easiest thing in the world to do, though, so it helps to understand how to prepare for negotiating with others. These tips should show you how.

Be Confident

The first and most valuable tip that I can offer is to be confident and take the plunge. Accept that you are not always going to get a discount through negotiating, but that allow that to become a reason not to try it at all. Pick your battles and approach the conversation with confidence. Of course, to do that, you are going to need to do a few things.

Research The Product

How much time have you put into researching what you are about to buy? Are there other retailers offering the same product? Is the retailer you choose selling at the recommended price? How much wiggle room do you have to negotiate the worth of the product? Answer these questions and you will have a better understanding of what you can get for your money, which works wonders in a negotiating scenario.

Listen

Going into a negotiation with a completely bullish attitude may irritate a seller to the point where he or she refuses to even consider giving a discount. Throwing tantrums and cutting people off is not the way to save money. Instead, take the time to listen to what is said to you. Not only does this make the seller feel more respected, but it may also offer you some points that you can counter when you do start talking.

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Keep Your Cards Close

If you reveal how much you want the product in question, you instantly establish need. This means that the seller knows how much you want what they have to offer, making them less willing to cut you a deal. Keep your cards close to your chest and make the seller work a little to maintain your interest. This will often lead to them making offers that you would never have known you could get if you had made it clear how much you want the product.

Know The Maximum

Before you enter into a negotiation, you should consider the maximum that you are willing to pay for a product. This is especially useful when buying from sellers that have offered no price of their own. Try to get the seller to name a price first, but if they won’t then make sure your offer is lower than your maximum. This gives you some wiggle room to up the offer while still staying within your boundaries.

Think Before Responding

Once the seller has offered a price, don’t respond immediately. Stay in control of your body language and try not to betray any emotions. Instead, take a while to mull it over. You may have made an instant decision but your seller doesn’t need to know that. Better yet, a moment of quiet contemplation can make the seller feel like they haven’t got you on the hook, which could lead to a better offer without you saying a thing.

Ask For More

If the seller won’t budge on price and you really want the product, try taking a different tack and ask what else you can get for the money. This works especially well when buying cars, but it can be applied to a variety of scenarios. You never know what sort of extras you may be able to get unless you ask the question.