Your Hidden Talent For Successful Negotiations
December 21st, 2009 |
I threw a question out to you in my last segment. Do you remember what it was? Since this installment of “Haggling ABC’s” leads us to “B”, I was wondering what words came to mind when describing some useful haggling virtues and assets. Here’s what I came up with: boldness, brashness, beauty and brains. I’m sure I could come up with many more; however, these were the first to come to mind. These can be useful assets when it comes to haggling. The trick is to know how to use them. There is a time and place and a knack for “reading” your opponent to know when to use these assets.
Boldness. Haggling requires boldness. You can’t be afraid to ask for a discount of some kind. Being timid gets you nowhere. Take a deep breath, muster up some courage and ask away. Being bold is a must for every haggle opportunity. Remember, it never hurts to ask.
Brashness is probably a step up from boldness. Sometimes giving the impression that you are throwing caution to the wind with your impudence can give you the upper hand. Especially when your gruff exterior keeps your opponent off balance. You have to play it just right with this tactic. You go too far and you will have turned off your opponent and lose all your momentum that you gained. Result? No win situation for you.
Beauty. I guess this tactic does not need any explaining, but I will anyway. This one really pertains to the ladies. Sometimes, just having the right kind of look gets you a better deal. Again, some ladies just love to flirt and when you are haggling for a better deal and your male opponent seems “friendly” towards you - I say GO FOR IT. Innocent and friendly flirting is ok and even better when you walk out with a great deal on your purchase! Remember Julia Roberts in the movie “Erin Brockovich?” Her beauty worked for her!
Brains. Here’s a good one. We all have brains, but some of us just don’t use them. You know who you are. In a haggle encounter, you have to be smart in the way that you handle your opponent. Just when your opponent is showing signs that you couldn’t possibly have a meeting of the minds in this haggle, that’s when you have to use your brains. You have to be smart enough to know if it’s in your best interest to make that final push in your negotiations. By final push I mean that last outrageous counter offer AND your “seal the deal” comment, to boldly persuade them to make a deal with you. It is risky. It’s almost like “I dare ya.” A slight gleam of admiration may just peek out of their eyes at your “gutsy” attempt to get what you want. Sweet success may follow! Keep on haggling and keep those haggling “assets” primed and ready. Next segment in Haggling ABC’s leads us to the letter “C” - stop back to “C” what it’s all about!
Want to share some of your haggle stories here? Have a question about a haggle disaster or an upcoming haggle? I’d love to hear about it! Shoot me an e-mail at contact@mywherehaus.com and I’ll post your stories or questions here, if you like. Together we can hone your skills and come out winning! Thanks!
Lynda Dmoch is a self starter and entrepreneur who learns by doing. She started an on-line garage sale website to bring the garage sale to you, into your home, 24/7. She applies her motto of “read, research and apply” to her website on a daily basis. And when she is not doing that, her favorite past time is practicing the art of the haggle and honing her skills. http://mywherehaus.com
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