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How to negotiate a better deal when shopping online


Most people think that they can’t negotiate when they are shopping online. They believe the advertised price is the expected price you pay.
I just ordered a printer online and managed to get a 20% discount plus free shipping. It was not that difficult to obtain. All I did was talk to the customer service person via their chat and asked for the discount.
Since you don’t negotiate face to face; you are removed from the other party hence it feels then easier to ask for more. The barrier to ask someone for a discount face to face seems higher than asking for a discount online.
One advantage of negotiating online is that the online chat is monitored for quality control and training purposes which means that the person on the other side is generally very friendly. Of course, you need to be friendly and polite too, as this builds rapport and will get you to your goal.
When I ordered my printer today, I said that I want to make the purchase today and asked what discount code she could give me. I did not ask her if there is a discount code, I asked what discount code she can give me; that is a big difference. I have already implied that there are discount codes available.
In some instances, there might be no discount available which does not mean that this is where the conversation should end. Why not ask for extended warranty, free shipping or any other extras that you can think of. Just be creative and think outside the box.
Not every online shop has a chat function but there is something else you can do which is pretending that you walk away from the purchase. All you need to do is, once you have registered with your email address, to put the items you want to buy in your shopping cart and leave them there.  What happens then is, you will receive emails with offers and promotions that motivate you to make the purchase. Sometimes they send you a discount code for your purchase or offer you free shipping for a limited time. The companies realise that once a shopper has gone so far, they are responsive to discounts and special offers.
 So next time when you buy something online try and negotiate.

1)     Be polite but direct with what you want
2)     Don’t take no for an answer, if you can’t get a discount ask for something else
3)     Be patient and pretend to walk away and the offers will land in your inbox.

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#onlineshopping #negotiating #betterdeals #negotiationskills

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