In this short article I want to give you some tips that will help you get the best deal, the best price… when purchasing a product from a sales representatives, vendor, or retailer. Consumers for whatever reason have come to believe that prices can’t be negotiated and that, my friend, is far from the truth. In this article you will learn some negotiating strategies that will give you the upper hand in purchasing a product and paying a price that you feel good about.

“…and there is no such thing as a no sale call. A sale is made on every call you make. Either you sell the client some stock or he sells you a reason why he can’t buy. Either way a sale is made, the only question is who is gonna close? You or him? Now be relentless, that’s it, I’m done.”

- Boiler Room (2000)

The above is a quote from a movie titled, “Boiler Room”. Seth Davis (Giovanni Ribisi) is a 19-year-old college dropout who strives for approval from his father (Ron Rifkin), a judge who is horrified that his son operates a 24-hour illicit casino. When an old friend visits the casino with a fellow broker, Davis is impressed by their wads of money and yellow Ferrari, and decides to join the firm. In no time he’s making sales and settling into the groove of the office and all the after-hours perks, but the dream fades when Davis discovers the scam that is making all of the brokers wealthy beyond their dreams.

The quote is a pretty accurate representation of the mentality of sales representatives, vendors, retailers when they are interacting with you in attempt to make a sale. There job is to close the sale, and not be closed. And ideally, their goal is to close the sale having you spend the most you are willing to pay and still feel good about it. That is when of course the sale is closed and there is no going back, if you get had… then all that feel good medicine the sales representative gave you starts to wear off. It’s called Novocaine, or medicine that makes you numb enough to get the job done, and then the the numbing effects wear off quickly afterward. A mosquito is very similar to a sales representative. A mosquito injects a numbing agent into your skin before biting you so you don’t feel it. It can sit there and suck all the blood it wants. The only time you feel it is when the mosquito is done, but by that time, it is too late. The mosquito got what it wanted, and you got had! The same thing happens to consumers when they purchase products. Look at this article as a mosquito net, or mosquito repellent. Here are some tips that can help you get the best deal on the product you are interested in.

How To Get The Best Deal When Purchasing A Product

1. Research Your Product - Educate yourself before you buy. Know the price of the product being sold at all the stores. You would be amazed to see how much the price of your product can vary from store to store.
2. Read Consumer Reviews - Read what other people have said about the product. Even go so far as to ask other consumers questions. Find out how much other people paid for the product. If they got a good deal, find out how they did that (mail in rebate, Internet Special, Online coupon, etc.). The Internet is awesome because there are so many places you can go and have a conversation with other people just like yourself. Message boards, blogs, and other online communities exist.
3. Establish A Fair Price - If you feel the product already has a fair price, then great! Purchase it online with no human interaction. If you feel that the price is too high, make the sale in person or over the phone. If you feel that something should be included with your purchase (a perk) then again, make the sale in person or over the phone. Internet prices are pretty competitive, so a lot of the times you will see that the better and hassle free deal is Online. Other times, not! And that is when you need to step things up a notch.
4. Negotiate - Before speaking with a sales representative take a moment to create a reason for a discount. You can’t just tell someone in a sale that you want a discount or something special. You have to create a reason! And then you have to sell it! Also, don’t walk away if the sales associate doesn’t meet your request entirely. If he meets you half way that is a success! Point is, you are not paying the price they want you to pay. If you feel something should be included with your purchase, then explain that to them. The sales associate just wants to close the sale and move on to the next person. Be careful not to over work the sales associate. It is obvious that they get a commission. If you work them too hard, they will start to feel that their pay off isn’t worth the hassle of dealing with you. Balance yourself with negotiating with sales associates.
5. Do Not Fear Rejection - It’s simple. Ask. If they say no. It’s no big deal. Walk away, and purchase the product from someone else. 9 out of 10 times, they won’t let you leave. You can easily call their bluff. Try it for kicks! Seriously, you can learn a lot about how sales work and learn their tactics just by visiting a car lot. Go to a car lot and allow them to win you over and work a deal… watch and listen and you will learn a lot of information at a car lot. The last part to that is walking away. Watch what they do to try to keep you there on the lot. On note… please don’t come back here and tell me that you bought a new car! lol!

The main thing to remember is that you are in control, and it is their job to try to take that from you. People in sales are trained and successful at controlling the conversation, the environment, and you! Don’t let that happen. Be pushy if you need to be pushy, be demanding if you need to be demanding, or be submissive and act stupid (this helps to discover if the person you are dealing with is honest, or out to make a buck by taking advantage of you).

If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, please let me know. If there is anything I can help you with feel free to ask!