Let’s talk about negotiation. I’m not as comfortable negotiating as I would like to be, but I’ve been trying it out and it works!!!! Honestly, what have you got to lose? The worst they can say is “no”.
I bought Dave a big screen TV with a great online deal, but when we tried to set it up, we realized it didn’t fit on the TV stand. That never occurred to me, and we had company coming for the holidays. So the search was on to find a media console at a good price, in a style that matched our furniture, before the family arrived. Was it possible? Yes.
Both Dave and I (together and separately) checked many stores – furniture stores, clearance centers, consignment shops, online websites, etc. Some stores had what we wanted but couldn’t meet our timeframe. Another store had one we liked, but the price was over our budget. We even found one that we liked and fit our budget, but it was out of stock. This was a full-blown all-out search as time was running out.
Then we found it – the perfect one. So here’s how we negotiated:
1. The store couldn’t get it to us in time, but we asked if we could buy the floor model. Yes, we could.
2. They had a poster in the window advertising 20% off with store credit. We asked if we could get the store credit discount if we paid in full right then. Yes, they gave us the advertised discount even though we didn’t open a store credit account.
3. The floor model had a few nicks and scratches, so we asked if they would give us an additional discount for imperfections. Yes, they would.
We walked away with the media console that afternoon at an amazing price.
Bottom line, it wasn’t horrible to negotiate. We simply asked questions. We were not pushy or demeaning about the product or the staff. And, yes, we would have politely walked away if we didn’t get a price that worked for us.
So, the next time you’re out shopping, ask questions that might help you negotiate a better price. You may well get the answers you wanted to make the sale a win-win for everyone.
Happy Negotiating!
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