Many people don’t like to negotiate, whether that means negotiating on a big purchase such as a car or a house, a smaller expense such as a monthly internet bill, or even job offers.
There are many reasons why people do not negotiate. You may not like negotiating because you are shy, feel cheap, don’t know how, or for some other reason.
However, not negotiating can financially impact a person as they may be paying more for something or not reaching their earning potential.
Negotiating is expected in many cases, so if you don’t negotiate then you’re just losing a lot of money.
Just think about it. Not negotiating a simple $10 monthly amount could add up to $120 per year. If you’re able to save $100 a month by negotiating (which is very simple!), you could be saving $1,200 per year. All you have to do is ask, and usually you only have to do it once!
My negotiating tips:
Be mindful of timing. A company is more likely to negotiate with you if the timing works for them.
Research the competition. This can help you to better defend the deal you are seeking.
Be polite. The person you are negotiating with is a human and deserves respect, just like you do.
Ask. You won’t be able to get a better deal if you don’t ask.
Be willing to walk away. There are some instances in which the item, job, or service is not worth the effort. You should always be prepared to walk away if it is something that does not suit your situation.
Below are eight things you should always try to negotiate for.
Job offers
The majority of people do not negotiate job offers and salaries. Some people do not know how to ask, they may feel uncomfortable negotiating, and many do not want to come off as bossy.
However, this is a huge problem. Many job offers and salaries are meant to be negotiated, so this can be holding you back if you do not negotiate. You can actually be holding back your future earning potential if you do not negotiate, because future job offers may be based on your past salary.
Plus, you don’t only have to negotiate for money. You may also be able to negotiate for more vacation time, better insurance, a telecommuting option, a more flexible work schedule, new work equipment, professional certifications or courses, a better job title (this can help you to land your next job!), and more.
Here are my tips for negotiating your salary:
Research what others in your position as you are making. Sites such as Glassdoor.com and Salary.com may help you with this.
Have an explanation for why you deserve a better offer.
Think about your strengths, goals that you’ve met, how you’ve helped companies in the past, and so on.
Practice negotiating with a friend or family member. Practice makes perfect.
Be confident and ask!
Cable, cell phone, and internet bills
These three items can almost always be negotiated on. You should always make sure you are receiving the best pricing whether or not you are a new customer.
This can be as simple as calling the company and asking for a discount. Most of the time they will say yes. If not, ask to be transferred to someone else, and that person will usually say yes. Haha!
I recommend checking out Learnvest’s article How to Negotiate for a Better Cell Phone Bill. This article even has a sample script for when you call your cell phone company, which can also be applied to cable and internet companies.
Related articles:
Vehicles
Cars are meant to be negotiated on, whether it is a brand new vehicle or a used one. If you don’t haggle, you will most likely lose out on a lot of money, because dealerships almost always add onto their vehicle prices for this reason.
One type of vehicle that always has a lot of extra cost built in are RVs. RVs can often be negotiated for a heavy discount, sometimes as much as 30% to 45%. Yes, there is that much wiggle room in most RVs!
Other aspects of the vehicle buying process can be haggled on as well, this includes your trade-in vehicle, warranties, interest rates, add-ons, and more.
Homes
In some areas homes may be fetching more than their list price, but in other areas you will see price negotiating between the home buyer and seller.
You should always research the norm for the area you are looking to purchase in. You may have a lot of money on the line if you consider that some home prices can be negotiated by tens of thousands of dollars!
You may want to ask for something else if you can’t negotiate on price, these can be things such as the seller paying closing costs, a home warranty, repairs, and so on.
Medical expenses
Medical expenses can almost always be negotiated on. If you are self-paying or if your insurance won’t kick in due to a high deductible, always call your doctor’s office, hospital, or wherever you went and ask for a discount.
You may qualify for a discount by just asking, for having a low income, for being self-pay, and so on.
Insurance rates
Our car insurance rates recently went up by about 20%. That is an insane amount considering that nothing had changed. I called and asked for a discount, and they gladly lowered it back to the amount I paid for the previous six month term.
This is just something I have always negotiated on. However, many people do not.
It always surprises me to hear about how many people do not ask for a better rate when it comes to their insurance.
You should always try to ask for a better rate whether you are talking about car, home, rental or some other type of insurance. There is almost always some sort of discount that can be taken off of your policy to help you save money.
Do you tend to negotiate on purchases? Why or why not? What else can a person negotiate on?
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