I consider myself a fairly good negotiator, that may come across as arrogant, but let me explain. I don't necessarily get the best deal ever, but I almost always get a fair deal. One of the things I learned from a very young age, don't be afraid to ask. As my wonderful husband can attest to, I will negotiate just about anything. He has learned over the years that on just about any purchase, I will ask "Is there any wiggle room in the price?" , "Do you have any discounts available that I can use?" , "Do you price match?" Generally speaking, I will end up paying less than if I didn't ask.
My goal when negotiating is not to get the deal of the century, but to get a fair deal. Companies are in business to make money, they can not give away the farm. However, there is always wiggle room, especially if they think there will be repeat business. If a company gives you a great deal on the front end, they will make it up on the back end. If you get a fair deal during the entire transaction you end up ahead. You also set yourself up for a long term relationship, that over time can net better benefits than a short term "deal of century".
Anytime you negotiate, negotiate from strength. Always, always, be willing to walk away, no matter how desperate you think your situation is. If you are negotiating from weakness, the other party will know and you will not get a fair deal. The cliche-when you are a car dealership and trying to get a better price, you have to be willing to walk out; if you are negotiating a salary, you have to argue what you bring to the table and you have to be able to look elsewhere.
Do you all have any examples of real life negotiations-if so, how did they go? What would you all have done differently?
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