Secrets to Getting a Better Price on Anything

Almost everything is negotiable. Many consumers however feel awkward or uncomfortable trying to negotiate a better price on goods and services. Negotiating and bargaining is part of our every day life whether we know it or not, from something as big as buying a new a car to convincing your kids to eat their veggies at dinner!

The tips below are what I use as a guide. Your best bet for negotiating will always be athe local merchants, the non-chain stores and the "Mom & Pop" style places, but as you will read you can even negotiate a bargain at a big box store, just keep your eyes open and do not be afraid to ask.

1. Just ask. "No" is the worst someone can say. Even when they are not willing to lower the price some retailers will tell you where to go to find coupons or when a sale is coming up.

   A great example is a local pre-school my friend sent her daughter to. She could not afford the tuition, it was a great pre-school and they told her they could not afford to lower tuition, she went on her way looking elsewhere, about 2 weeks later they called her to let her know they had a very low enrollment and would work with her on what she could afford. She assumed since it was a "fancy" pre-school and higher priced than most they would never want to work with her, luckily she asked and now her child benefits!

2. Deal with someone with authority. If at first you don't succeed, ask for a manager or store owner. That person is usually the most knowledgeable about other deals, such as upcoming sales or about economic circumstances affecting price. For example, bargaining directly with a hotel reservations manager generally gets a better price savings than shopping online. The hotel knows how high or low the demand for rooms are and may be willing to reduce prices if they have an abundance of vacancies, even if they do not lower the price maybe they will throw in a free dinner or some other amenitie.
3. Know what you are talking about and be confident! Give them a good reason to reduce the price. One of the best ways to get a price reduction is to shop around and use a lower price as leverage. Many companies will bid against each other to compete for your business. Getting a competitor's lower price in writing gives you even greater negotiating power. Do not be afriad to walk away either, Verizon recently installed fiber optics in our neighboorhood and offered some really great low prices to switch to their cable/phone/internet, I called my cable provider and asked if they would match it to keep me from switching, at first they said no, I asked for a manager and she wanted to give me some extra channels for free that I would never watch so I said thanks but no thanks, as I was ready to hang up she said ok, we can match the deal! In todays economy banks and credit companies want good solid customers, if you have good credit and steady income you can negotiate rates on loans and credit card interest even.

   As far as large retail shops and the bigger chain stores, look around at the merchandise you are buying,do you see a set of plates with a small scratch or a shirt with a small tear, find a manager and see if you can get a discount for the product, even just a few dollars off, most likely that product would be written off as a loss anyway since no one will buy a defective product so your chances of a discount are good. Even if you don't have a compelling argument for a price reduction, you might still ask, "Is that the best you can do?" If companies know you are in search of a discount, they know you will look elsewhere and will probably give you some sort of deal.

4. Look beyond price. Goods and services go by supply and demand. Do you need the newest Playstation video game the day it comes out, or can you wait a few weeks when it is selling cheaper used? Do you want to buy the hottest new tv on the market, even if everyone wants it, as long as oyu have a choice of stores to buy from maybe you can negotiate another perk, like asking for free delivery or free set up and if they can not give yu that you will go somewhere else.
5. Avoid being confrontational or argumentative. Your attitude will set the tone for the negotiation. Be honest, if you have a lower price somewhere tell the merchant flat out, don't play games and wait to see what he does. If you really need a product or service but honestly can not afford it, tell them, maybe they will work out a payment plan, give you a lower price or be willing to barter somehow, maybe you can provide a service to them in exchange?

Prices are not set in stone. The easiest way to save money on goods and services is simply by asking.