The following uses a yard sale as an example, but these techniques are able to be used in various situations.

• Exemplify their sale/product. feed their ego.
• Good Guy/bad guy. Argue over the quality of something with your companion.
• Tell them how genuinely you desire the item;ask lots of questions, and get them involved. Then, ask how much it is. If it is still more than you want to pay, tell them you will think about it, as you are really low on money right now. Look back at the object every now and then, and look longingly. Your companion should not encourage you to get it, but perhaps *look* concerned, and say nothing.
• Project out mentally the price you want, and see them giving it to you at that price, then say “How much is that?” You may see them ponder for a moment, trying to justify the price. If they hesitate, just say “How about $3?” or whatever is appropriate. Stay within a reasonable price range, or it will be more difficult for the person to justify it to themselves.
• Be really friendly, talk about your interests. People like to learn about people if they are charismatic. Friendship always gets the best deals. This requires one to be genuine.
• The gentle put down. Kindly or non emotionally point out the faults of an item. Say something like, “Well, hhhmmm, looks like it says 1988 here, that’s pretty outdated.”, but say it to yourself or a companion, rather than to the proprietor. Then turn and request your asking price.
• Last Ditch Effort. If they will not give it to you for the price you are wanting, tell them to contact you if no one else buys it. Tell them how much you will pay, and give them your contact information. Often times they will give it to you anyway before you leave.

So, how to you get a deal?

[tags]sale, deal, manipulation, how to get a deal, yard sales, lockergnome, shadowmyth[/tags]