High Street Haggling Tips

Now here’s one of the very few tv real-life-show hosts that deserves his position of influence. I’ve seen snatches of Dom Littlewood’s advice on getting good deals and some of it is truly remarkable.

Here he crops up for a couple of minutes talking through how to come out on top when it comes to buying tech. He pops along to one of the many difficult retail experiences housed along London’s Tottenham Court Road to demonstrate.

What struck me about this snippet is how a salesperson should be aware of the tactics of a highly skilled negotiator like Dom and prepare for them. I’ve witnessed several quality salesreps caught off guard – you never know when you’ll need to call upon such prep.

Even from the off he drops in a “cheeky”;

no doubt we can have a little deal

To his pleasure the shop salesman affirmed, “we can have a try”. All of a sudden the momentum of the deal shifts.

Then he sets out his stall. I’ve seen him do this before and he’s cracking at it.

I’m not doing a bit of window shopping, not wasting your time, but it’s got to be below 200

Then follows a routine about who’s the real biggest boss who can do this deal.

I learned about negotiation the hard way when I was a wee cubrep. I was so desperate not to lose track on a deal that I’d promise almost anything. I once offered a day’s ERP software tutelage for just fifty quid. Mind you, I was encouraged by elder, although not wiser, reps around me.

Nowadays, when people do the training room squawk of astonishment and blurt “you’ve got to be kidding” at the first mention of price, I can happily demonstrate equal incredulity. Only mine is aimed at how they cannot possibly see it’s a great price.

Always defend your price.

How you deliver this defence though, can be critical in keeping on the side of your prospect. So it must be practised.

Finally, Dom suggested you should find out when companies ‘stick out their reduced items’. This is an interesting aside. Tackling this ahead of time will no doubt help you avoid the shrugged shoulders that can greet your “end of month” discount and stop your deal slipping.