Money

Holiday shopping: 4 ways to get a better deal

By Farnoosh Torabi

November 8, 2011 / 1:04 PM EST / MoneyWatch

Convincing a store to give you a discount is not a simple act, unless you've got great negotiating skills. So I tapped Wharton professor Stuart Diamond and author of Getting More: How to Negotiate to Achieve Your Goals in the Real World, who's taught tens of thousands of students how to do just that.

Here are some of his top tips for getting retailers to offer you a bargain.

1. Make a connection

"Just focus on being nice to people. Sales clerks in most stores are stressed out, so be nice to them," says Diamond. Ask simply, "How's your day going?" and strike up a conversation; helping the salesperson feel good and positive can go a long way in helping you save. Here's an excerpt from Diamond's book:

Rebecca Kolsky wanted to use an expired 20% discount certificate to buy yoga shorts from J.Crew online. Rebecca told Sandy, the customer service rep, that she wanted to get the shorts to keep physically fit through yoga. She asked Sandy if she ever did yoga. Sandy didn't but said that she lost 222 pounds ... They chatted for several minutes about what Sandy did: water aerobics, spinning class, medical considerations.

By the end of their conversation, Diamond writes, Sandy not only honored the expired discount; she threw in free shipping, too. "When you make a connection, [sales people] are six times more likely to help you out," says Diamond.

2. Ask for a volume discount

A volume discount is when you get a special deal for buying multiples of one item. And you don't need to buy tons; the store only expects you to buy one, so any multiple purchase is a bonus for them. (How often do people buy two TVs?) If you exceed their expectations, that puts you in a great position to ask for a discount.

3. Be a frequent shopper

Just as retailers reward new customers to lure them in, they should also want to appreciate existing customers. "If you're a frequent customer, wear into the store what you bought there," says Diamond. It marks you as a regular customer and may earn you more attention and deals.

Likewise, if your cable company is offering a cool deal for new subscribers, simply call and ask that they offer the same customer service to you. Remember to say how long you've been a customer. Now, isn't it in their best interest to keep you as a loyal customer?

4. Ask about 'exceptions'

When you ask for a discount or free shipping, pose your question like this: "Does your store ever offer a discount on this particular item?" or "Do you ever make exceptions for some customers?" They're more likely to come up with the exceptions that way. Then you can ask how you could qualify for that exception.

"Pay attention to signals, too," says Diamond. If the sales clerk says a certain discount is "almost impossible," or that "we could hardly ever do that," ask what are the limited circumstances where they can make a discount or deal possible.

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