Haggling Is Art That Shouldn’T Be Forgotten If You Don’T Ask For A Lower Price, The Answer Is Always No

Most consumers - Saturn owners excluded - wouldn’t dream of buying a new car without trying to talk the dealer down in price. But they’ll turn around and pay full sticker for home appliances, jewelry, hotel rooms and virtually everything else.

Big mistake.

“Everything’s negotiable. And what do you have to lose if it’s not?” explained Selwyn Gerber, president of Gerber Financial Management in Beverly Hills, Calif. Gerber, who lectures corporate purchasing agents on the art of negotiating, said the key to successful haggling is to show a little class.

Courtesy and communication are key.

Be polite, but never tell a salesperson you plan to buy something. Always ask a tentative, if-derived question. For example, “If I were to buy this radio, what sort of discount could you offer me?”

Whatever price they come back with, tell the salesperson it really isn’t good enough. Tell them to please go back and do better.

The more a salesperson understands your position, the better your chances of getting a discount. Don’t say you want to pay $100 for an item. Say you need to because of your budget. People respect needs far more than they respect wants.

If you have a target price that you want to pay for a negotiable item, wait to see what price the salesperson asks.

As much as their figure is over the amount you hope to pay, counter with an offer that is much below your target.

In other words, if you hope to pay $10,000 for a car, but a salesperson offers $11,000, come back with $9,000. That way you’re always headed toward your price, not theirs.

Independent local stores are more willing to negotiate than large chains. When booking a hotel or motel room, always ask the “rack” or standard rate. Then ask if there are any discounts they can offer. Finally, ask to speak with the facility’s corporate sales representative. Taking these steps alone can usually save you between 10 percent and 30 percent off the standard nightly rate.

Just because you can haggle over something doesn’t mean you should. “If you’re buying flowers for your wife on your anniversary, pay the $65,” Gerber said. “But if you’re buying flowers for a wedding and need a couple dozen place settings, be sure to negotiate.”