Can I Get a Discount? Learning the Art and Science of Negotiation
Is it possible to get a discount on every day items for no other reason than being a “good guy”?
That’s what This American Life host Ira Glass and producer Ben Calhoun wanted to find out in a 2014 podcast episode called “The Good Guys”.
In it, Calhoun recounts a story of his friend, Sonari, who became obsessed with saving money.
Sonari, he’d interviewed this negotiations expert from Columbia University Business School. And the guy told him about this technique where you say, can I get a good guy discount on that? You’re a good guy, I’m a good guy– come on, just, you know, a good guy discount.
15-20% of the time, Sonari would get some sort of discount.
Calhoun, however, felt like a jerk walking up to cashiers to ask for a good guy discount. He felt even worse when they said no.
Eventually, he got a 5% discount on some cookware.
Like the sword from the stone, my friend. Behold– the good guy discount. Apparently, it can work for anybody. It’ll work for you.
But can we can just stop for a second? I don’t think that you should try it. I’m not going to try it again. Sorry, Sonari.
I just don’t think that we should go throwing around the term “good guy,” like it’s some kind of coupon. I think that “good guy” means something…I think I’d rather have whatever that is than a discount.
I agree with Calhoun – being a decent human being is worth more than getting a few bucks off of some item. I don’t enjoy putting other people on the spot. It doesn’t make me feel like a “good guy”.
At the same time, I’ve kept my mouth shut on far too many occasions when there was money to be saved because I wanted to be the nice person. And I didn’t want to be told no.
Sound familiar?
It should because according to a 2013 Consumer Reports Study, only 48% of people shopping for everyday goods and services even tried to bargain for a better deal. But 89% of people who haggled got a better deal at least once.
Just for asking.
And that’s why, as uncomfortable as it will be, I’m going to give the good guy discount a try.
The Negotiation Challenge
Some people are born negotiators. I am not one of them. I’m the silent and agreeable one who concedes so as not to ruffle any feathers.
But whether we like it or not, we’re always selling and we’re always negotiating. Knowing how to communicate effectively, resolve conflict, sell an idea and get what you want from others is one of the most important qualities to possess.
It’s something I want to work on.
This is the month where I finally force myself to ask – for the discount, lower price, better rate, freebies – you name it.
Every day (and ideally every time I open my wallet), I must negotiate something. It doesn’t always have to result in money saved, it could mean a freebie or an extra.
In the process, I hope to learn to be better at:
- Speaking up
- Communicating effectively and tactfully
- Being persuasive
- Not being so afraid of rejection
- Not being intimated by the “bigger guy”
- Not giving in so easily (and being persistent!)
- Recognizing that just about everything is negotiable
- Seeing the other party as an ally and not an enemy
I’ll be calling up my cable company, bargaining at the farmers market, asking for discounts at the store (online too), freebies at restaurants, and sniffing out opportunities wherever I go.
I’ve also got a stash of books, resources and a few “negotiation expert” friends on speed dial who are helping me out with advice and support.
I’ll be sharing my wins and losses in the coming weeks. and I hope you’ll follow along (please subscribe to the email list here!)
In the mean time, if you have any good bargaining tips or stories, leave me a comment below!
Fun! In decades past the prevailing thought of negotiating was ye who speaks first, looses. But better data shows when negotiating, it’s better to anchor with an offer, and one more aggressive than you’d expect to get a yes. So rather than can I get a discount, you’d say, can you give me 20% off? And then it’s easier for them to say I can’t do 20% but I can do 10%. Then you both get a win, and everyone likes a win! Good luck!!!
I like that. I’ll be testing out a bunch of different strategies. So far I’ve been a little too open ended so anchoring makes a lot of sense.
It never hurts to ask, “Is that your best price? Because it is a little over my budget.” Always good for at least 10-20% off. Used it today for Midevil Times tickets and got a kid in free.
I am too nice too! BUt as you say, it comes down to how you phrase it! I am keen to see how you go with it!
I was known for always asking discounts, especially when I was a student — I’ve since stopped doing it except for big expenses –, not good guy ones, though, just plain discount. But it worked most often than not, you just need to connect with the person in front of you, be nice and maybe joke a little bit. Make sure the person is actually in a position to give you a discount.
I also have to admit that even though I stopped asking for discounts all of the times, I get discounts a lot of times, just because I always strive to be polite and when I can I try to make people smile.
My father taught me when I was a kid that asking for a discount is not being cheap, it’s just a smart way to positively affect your bottom line. Let’s say you spend 10k a year and on average get a 5% discount: $500/year saved. 20k/year and 5% average discount? $1k/year. Now let’s say you’re a bit more affluent and spend $200k/year: a 5% average discount would be $10k/year saved, which is not that bad.
Good luck on your challenge!
Funny, I have always been afraid of negotiations as well. I find what best works is like many other people said, to make a connection with the other person. It’s almost like having an “inside man” on your side and it makes haggling a lot easier.
Here are a couple of posts on negotiation that have helped me and could help you and your readers (I hope you don’t mind if I share):
10 Tips to Become a Negotiation Ninja:
https://possessyoursuccess.com/10-tips-to-become-a-negotiation-ninja/
6 Vital Tips for Negotiating a Car Deal:
https://possessyoursuccess.com/6-vital-tips-for-negotiating-a-car-deal/
Hope that helps, and all the best in your challenge to be a better haggler!
Andrew McDonald
https://www.possessyoursuccess.com
Ha ha, I love it. I honestly say I have never thought of asking for discounts in a store but I like to bargain with things like phone contracts and electricity companies to make sure I’m getting the best deal.
I will be following your progress and look forward to hearing how your Negotiations pull off.
Thank you. I’ve got some wins and some losses under my belt 🙂
I really enjoyed this. I have always been one of those “nice people” too but often it has been to my detriment. We often worry about how others perceive us but as I’ve got older and more wiser (ha) I honestly don’t care anymore as to what people think. It’s important to look after no.1 (yourself) while still being respectful of others.