Monday’s Negotiating Tip:

We’re all concerned about the environment. What about your negotiating environment? When you negotiate the environment can strongly affect the outcome. Here in the South if you are buying a car the first thing the dealer tries to do after you look at a car sitting on the 100+ degree parking lot is to get you back into the air conditioned dealership. Often they will get you a cool bottle of spring water to whet your whistle. This consideration of your primary comfort needs is admirable, and it is carefully orchestrated.

The less you look at the car, the fewer questions you’ll ask and the fewer objections to buying they will encounter. If you want to test drive the car, they’ll even send a lot jockey out to cool the car down and then bring it to the dealer’s front door to keep you comfortable. All of this makes it easier for you to say “yes.”

Well, I like the heat. About a year ago I went looking for a pickup truck in July. The temperature was hovering around 98 degrees and it had not rained for days. The cars were covered in a light dust from the hot wind blowing. Advantage, me! I kept the poor salesperson outside for an hour as we discussed every single item on the shiny red truck. With every ounce of sweat the price dropped and extras were added on.

Negotiate in your preferred environment, not theirs. The added advantage will save you money!

Today’s Negotiating Tip

One of the most sinister sales tactics know to the consumer market is the legendary puppy dog close. This closing tactic works like this. You go into a pet shop with your daughter and ask about buying a puppy. Your daughter picks one out but it is a bit more expensive than what you wanted to pay. The owner of the store tells you to take the puppy home for the night and if you decide you don’t like him, bring him back the next day. Now really, your daughter is going to let you bring that dog home, right? While this describes the tactic, you and I will mostly see this in other venues. The used car business will give you a three day free trial use of the car. Furniture and TV rental stores will let you take that big, wide screen digital theater set home just to let you see how it looks in your living room. Guess who winds up buying that TV after your friends and family see it in the your living room and you get the time to wear your “pride of ownership” t-shirt for a while. This is a deadly, deadly tactic with an amazing success rate.

Negotiators can only avoid this tactic one way. Do NOT take the merchandise home. While it can be tempting, your best defense is to recognize it and walk away. By the way…the next time your over this way come see my new leather sofa!