Susan's Blog » RECESSIONARY HAGGLING 2.0 or How To Politely Bargain

I learned to be a haggler at age 14, when a friend bought a saddle for the horse we shared at our local stable at a lower price than what I had been quoted. Having babysat all summer to afford this luxury, I was counting every penny and quickly turned my hurt feelings into a personal quest for haggling knowledge. Where was best to look for bargaining tips than from horse traders?

After observing both effective and ineffective traders, I turned my attention to their manner of bargaining.  It seemed to me that the best hagglers were the most polite.  My grandmother used to say that you catch more bees with honey than vinegar and I soon concluded that she was right.  So, having been recently asked to compose a list of bargaining etiquette tips because haggling is on the recessionary rise, I first reflected on my “horse trader” skills and came up with five Haggling 2.0 Tips.

1.   Do your research

• Find comparative prices
• Learn to read tags and look for date stamps (the older the article, the more likely the item is bargainable)

2.   Timing is everything

• Bargain when the store is less busy
• Bargain when manager is in the store (inquire)
• Bargain later in the month in case quotas need to be met

3.   Be discrete and speak to someone with authority to alter prices

• Mind your timing: haggle when the salesperson is not busy
• Use a quiet discreet voice
• Be brief, respecting the time of others

4.   Be nice and communicate clearly

• Use open body posture
• Maintain a slightly closer social distance
• Use soft, but direct eye contact
• Be reasonable and don’t ask for a totally unrealistic discount
• Be patient and tactful, i.e. be sensitive to others’ feelings
• Never sound demanding
• Try saying something like, “I like X, but believe I can buy it for $Y, can you meet that price?  Or, “… can you do any better?”

5.   Be prepared to politely walk-away or ask to see a manager

• Continue to be kind with a pleasant tone of voice
• Thank the clerk sincerely for his or her time
• Never look irritated or angry

I still use my horse trading skills and apply haggling etiquette 2.0 to every potential appropriate transaction.  Sometimes people are emotionally invested in their sales and become annoyed no matter how sensitive the delivery, but in general, the time investment is worthwhile.  The trick is to try to not emotionally invest yourself in the outcome.  What is worth the investment is the personal connection with others which is much more important than the discount