1. Be Assertive Without Being Aggressive
When you are assertive, you take care of your own needs and interests by directly asking for what you want. The difference between assertiveness and aggressiveness, however, is that you ask for what you want while maintaining respect for the other party. So, when it comes to negotiating prices on new replacement windows, ask the salesperson for what you want – whether it be a lower price, more options, or a shorter installation time frame – but do it nicely and with respect. Remember that EVERYTHING is negotiable, at least to some degree. But, if you don’t ask for what you want, the chances are slim to none that you will get it.
2. Leave Your Options Open
The most successful negotiations happen when you are willing to walk away if you don’t get what you want. If the other side knows that, they will realize they have to work harder to satisfy your demands. If they sense that you have no other options or are set on only their product line, they have the upper hand and are less likely to concede to your requests. Think about it – how quickly is a salesperson willing to suddenly lower a “non-negotiable” price when you start to walk out the door?
One strategy is to set a walk away price and stick to it. This is a great option because you set the price you are willing to pay for your replacements. If you can’t get that price, you HAVE to walk away. It takes all the pressure off because it is already set in stone in your mind before you entered into the negotiation. You can always reset your price but never do it during that particular “session.”
3. Ask For More Than You Expect
Negotiating is a compromise. So, start out by asking for more than you expect to receive. If you want a low price, ask for something lower. If you want more options, ask them to throw in more than you want. This gives you room to negotiate a compromise so you wind up with something closer to what you really want. Aiming high is a good first step in the process of negotiating a satisfactory deal.
4. Do Some Homework First
Before you sit down to negotiate, make sure you’ve done your homework. The more info you have going into the negotiation, the stronger a negotiator you will be. Investigate what your other options are so you can lay those on the table. Be sure to check out what options the company has previously offered so you can call their bluff when they say that something is their “final offer.”
5. Listen, Or Talk As Little As Possible
So, rather than talking about what you want or don’t want, ask a lot of questions and then actually listen to the answers. You’ll be surprised by how much you learn by just listening to the other person speak – information that will help you negotiate better to get what you want. Keep questions open-ended so the answers are filled with helpful information.