I’ve always been horrible at bargaining, so I surprised even myself when I find that I do it successfully so often. Of course, most stores in Jordan do not allow bargaining, but if you’re buying tourist crap from downtown or a souq, then a little haggling is okay. Although I am by no means an expert or even an experienced haggler, I now feel like I can handle myself, so I thought I’d share at least my process with you.
1. Find an object that you desire.
2. Understand that whatever it is that you’re looking at, there’s probably another store/table that sells something similar. You really shouldn’t become so attached to the object that you feel like you have to have that exact one.
3. Before talking to the merchant, determine how much you’d pay for it.
4. Ask the seller how much it costs. If it’s at or below your price, I’d say go ahead and get it. (Most often than not, this doesn’t happen.) If the price is above what you want to pay, begin to haggle.
5. Immediately show on your face how ridiculous you think the price is. Go ahead and tell them that that’s too much.
6. Offer a price that is preferably lower than the price you’d pay for the item, but don’t make it too low. If you insult them with too low of a price, you’ve already lost. If you’re offering that low of a price, you obviously don’t know the value of the item, and you’re an idiot.
7. The seller will of course refuse this price. If he flatly refuses it, you have two options, you can go ahead and pay the price (you obviously did not take #2 to heart) or you can try walking away (be convincing). If he offers you a different price, keep bargaining until he refuses to go down any further. If at any point he doesn’t go far enough down for you, you can always try walking away. Seriously, that works so well, but you have to be committed to the belief that you’re leaving the item for good.
8. Once you’re settled on the price, pay him with a smile, and thank him before you leave. It’s a game; it doesn’t have to be completely ruthless.
Posted Aug. 4, 2012. http://storiesfromjordan.wordpress.com/2012/08/04/the-art-of-bargaining/
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