How to haggle

With British businesses desperate to get some cash into the tills and more willing than ever to compromise, you can save a lot of money with a bit of crafty negotiation.

This article looks at how to negotiate down the prices of products and services so that you can get what you want at (or at least closer to) the price you want it.

Why haggle?

The first thing you should know about haggling is this: the worst that can happen is they say no. You have everything to gain and nothing to lose, so why not give it a shot with the tips below and see what you can save?

Haggling is not rude and the result of it is that high-street stores may find themselves with cash in the till that would otherwise have gone to an online seller. Haggling can also be an exciting experience for both you as the potential customer and even for the sales person in question.


When to haggle

As a general rule, haggling should be reserved for big ticket items (£50 or more) or collections of items amounting to more than £100 together. You may be able to get a pretty penny knocked off your new TV, but don't expect to be haggling down your grocery shopping bills.

Most stores work toward monthly and annual sales targets; as they reach the end of the business month (which, it should be noted, will not necessarily be the same as the calendar month) they will be keen to make as many sales as possible, even if this means reducing their profit margins to do so. This is where you come in: by haggling at this time, sales staff are more likely to be flexible if the carrot of boosting their sales stats is dangled before them.

Haggling is most successful when a store is quiet. If the place is already buzzing with customers who, in more cases than not, are willing to pay the full ticket prices, staff may not be as open to negotiation.

Remember, also, that cash is king, with debit card payments coming a close second. If you're able to pay in this way then you will have placed yourself in a much stronger negotiating position.


Starting negotiations

When you're haggling it's important to remember that you should be negotiating, not arguing; smile, be polite, make a witty remark or two, and otherwise make yourself appear likable.

Starting things off can be daunting for most of us, so take a look at some of the stock phrases below that will help you to get the money-saving ball rolling:

• "What's the best deal you can do me on this?"
• "I like it, but I don't like the price. Can you do anything about that for me?"
• "I like this, but I was looking at only spending £X (20% lower than you're actually happy to pay since you'll likely have to negotiate upwards or meet them in the middle)"

Remember, smile!
  

Useful phrases

If the salesperson has made an offer to you that is lower than the ticket price, that means negotiations are underway. You could accept that price if you wanted to and save a little bit, but why stop there when they've already proven a willingness to be flexible?

• "Oh go on, you know want to do better than that."
• "I like even/odd numbers: shall we call it £X?"
• "Knock another £X off and we can shake on it right now."
• "And will you throw in 'free delivery' OR 'an extended warranty' OR a specific related accessory?"

You can use any combination of these to try and get a better deal. Just be careful to remember the last offer that was made and be vigilant that, if you choose to accept it, they actually provide.

What happens next?

The sales person might offer you the price you want, in which case it's usually appropriate to seal the deal with a smile and a firm handshake. Inexperienced staff or those with limited discounting authority might offer to call a supervisor or assistant manager to speak to you: it's usually worth accepting this offer ("If you could that would be great, thank you.")

If you do get to speak to the manager, just greet them politely, explain what's happened so far in negotiations and keep on haggling.


General haggling tips

·    Going equipped with quotes from other businesses, either from the high-street or online, is a good way to bolster negotiations and spark some good old fashioned competitiveness that may well see you better off.

• Show that you're interested in a product and serious about buying it by asking a few relevant questions about it (even if you know the answer already), but don't appear too desperate.  
• Be realistic in your expectations. Don't expect to save more than around 40%, even if you're a haggling wizard.
• Many sales professionals try to use silence as a negotiation technique: their hope is that you will feel anxious to fill that silence with acceptance. Instead, try to hold your nerve. Smile politely, let the silence linger for a few seconds, then push for a better deal.
• Don't be afraid to walk away if you don't get an attractive deal. If a store is unwilling to compromise on price at all, it is usually a good idea to leave simply on principle. There are plenty of other stores, both on and offline, who would be happy for your custom.   

Conclusion

A few minutes of friendly negotiation with a salesman could not only bag you massive discounts but also give you a profound sense of achievement and self empowerment. It's not illegal, so the worst that they can do is say 'no'.

In a Which? study, researchers were sent to 27 retailers to haggle for a digital camera. When presented with a competitive online quote, all of them offered at least some discount, and many offered to match or even better the price.

You won't know until you try!